Monday, June 15, 2009

Jogi Jadugar: a tribute to Sufi Mystics by Mirs of Pugal



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The audio cassette Jogi Jadugar, is part of an ongoing initiative to reinvigorate the tradition of Sufi music of the Mirs of Pugal region in the north western interiors of the Bikaner district, located close to the international border between India and Pakistan.

These compositions belong to Baba Bulleh Shah (1680-1758) and Khwaja Ghulam Farid (1841-1901), two prominent Sufi mystics of north- west India. The theme is divine love – Ishqi Haqiqui. However the path to divine love lies through human love –Ishqi Mijazi - in all its phases and manifestations – the joy of falling in love, the defiance to fierce often murderous social and religious taboos, the yearning for the absent beloved, the pain of separation and waiting , the longing for union, the ecstasy of sighting the beloved, praise of the beauty of the beloved, complaints against an indifferent beloved and of course the absolute fidelity of the lover. This love finds expression predominantly through two symbols of earthly love- of Heer and Ranjha and of the Mureed (disciple) for the Murshid (guru). In Bulleh Shah the force of orthodoxy in its rejection of the authority of the Mullah’s (the priest’s) prescriptions and Aalam Fazal’s (scholar’s) interpretations of the holy word is matched by a complete surrender at the altar of love, whether human or divine. Here love is supreme and nothing else matters, neither learning , nor wisdom, nor the observance of prescribed forms of worship – namaaz, shariat, or going to Mecca for Haj. Everything can be given up because ultimately God alone matters. The basis of all this is the Sufi’s direct mystical
experience of God.
Jogi Jadugar was recorded in May 2005 at Nangal Studio in Bikaner. The six compositions presented here embody this dualism in which the human and the divine appear sometimes distinct and some times inseparable. Mukhtiyar Ali, has sung these compositions. His distinctive voice, its regional accent and delivery lends freshness and lyrical intensity to these kafis without diluting their universal appeal. His nephew, Abdul Jabbar from Pugal has assisted him in vocals. Ecstatic tabla by Ustad Ghulam Hussain from Bikaner city gave new life to these age old compositions.

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Acknowledgments:
Direction, Sound Recording: Vibodh Parthsarthi,, Rahul Ghai & Sachin Singh
Financial Contribution: Various individuals & AMAN Trust, New Delhi
Special Thanks to Jamal Kidwai, AMAN Trust

Notes on Sufi Mystics: Prof. T.C. Ghai



1 comment:

chitispandana said...

Can you please tell me where copies of this recording are available- was this released commercially?
Thanks,
pradeep chakraverti