Topic: Pakistani music

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The members of the Canadian ensemble Kuné in a studio with their instruments (photo: Zahra Saleki)

Music: Universal Echoes by Kuné

An impactful message from Canada's Global Orchestra

The musicians in the Canadian music ensemble Kuné come from a diverse array of traditions and cultures. On their new album, they share their concern for our planet's future in a collection of glorious tracks. By Richard MarcusMore

Morgenland Festival Osnabruck: Countering patriarchal clichesGolnar Shahyar's 'Tear Drop' and the Iran protests: "A revolution of culture and thought"Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya's tribute: Ali Akbar Khan – sound of the soul
Mekaal Hasan Band (source: Mekaal Hasan Band Facebook page)

Showcasing music from Pakistan

Back to the roots

Mekaal Hasan may not be a household name in Europe or North America, but he is a star in Pakistan. When COVID-19 struck, he and his Sufi rock band were forced to change their production approach. For "Rivayat", Hasan tracked down traditional singers and musicians from beyond Lahore. Richard Marcus had a listenMore

Qawwali ensemble "Fanna-fi-Allah": Searching for God's loveNew music from Pakistan: A captivating mix of soundsArooj Aftab's "Vulture Prince": Coping with pain in Urdu
Sufi shrine to Mustafa Devati in Istanbul (photo: Marian Brehmer)

God's love for all

Sufism is not just Muslim

Sufism has fluid boundaries. Just like Islam, Sufism is inconceivable without its late antique roots. Then again, it has also exerted an influence on Hinduism. Moreover, the Sufic doctrine of divine love exists independently of Islam. By Stefan WeidnerMore

Islamic mysticism: Understanding the SufisIslam in Pakistan: The land of the SufisWomen and Islamic studies: Annemarie Schimmel’s pioneering take on Islam Qantara dossier: Islamic mysticism | Sufism
The illuminated tomb of Shah Jamal in Lahore (photo: Marian Brehmer)

Islam in Pakistan

The land of the Sufis

No country in the Islamic world is influenced as strongly by the traditions of Sufi culture as Pakistan. Yet the Sufis there have been under attack from Islamic hardliners for years. By Marian BrehmerMore

The hidden treasures of Sufism: In the footsteps of RumiWomen and Islamic studies: Annemarie Schimmel’s pioneering take on Islam Qantara dossier: Mysticism | Sufism
Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab (photo: Blythe Thomas)

Arooj Aftab's "Vulture Prince"

Coping with pain in Urdu

The first musician with Pakistani roots to win a Grammy, Arooj Aftab has been recognised for her third album Vulture Prince – a meditative, moving song cycle in which she captures loss and pain using poetry in Urdu and guest collaborators from all over the world. By Stefan FranzenMore

Qawwali ensemble "Fanna-fi-Allah": Searching for God's loveSufi music under attack in Pakistan: As the sea of love recedesThe Dosti Music Project′s ″Travelers″: Coming home
Pakistan rapper Eva B (photo: Asif Hassan/AFP)

Behind the veil

The double life of Pakistan rapper Eva B

Pakistan's breakthrough rapper Eva B has racked up millions of views online, but walking through the labyrinthine streets of her Karachi neighbourhood, she is anonymous. Her hair covered with a hijab and a veil falling below her eyes, she evades the attention of fans and detractorsMore

Theatre in Pakistan: "I just want to dance"Teenage pregnancies in Pakistan: What sex education is really aboutPalestinian-Israeli rappers: Dugri duo for dialogue
Performance at The Colony, an arts centre in Lahore, Pakistan (photo: Philip Breu)

Theatre in Pakistan

"I just want to dance"

Young performers in Lahore are shaping their lives outside the perceptions of Pakistani society, which views many art forms as obscene. As part of a new generation that hopes to change the country, they find themselves taking on conservative mullahs, censorship bodies and sometimes even their own families. By Karin A. Wenger with photos by Philipp BreuMore

Photo gallery: Dancing for a better life – transgender people in PakistanImran Khan's democracy and press freedom: Pakistani military keeps journalists on a tight leashSufi music under attack in Pakistan: As the sea of love recedesPakistan's misogyny problem: Pakistani woman assaulted by over 400 men
Qawwali performance at a Sufi festival in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad (photo: Marian Brehmer)

Sufi musik: Qawwali ensemble "Fanna-fi-Allah"

Searching for God's love

Fanna-fi-Allah is the West's most renowned Qawwali ensemble. It stands out not only for its strong stage presence, but also for its commitment to preserving the centuries-old tradition. By Marian BrehmerMore

Sufi music under attack in Pakistan: As the sea of love recedes"At the Shrine of the Red Sufi": A fascination with divine ecstasy"Music of the Mystics": Qawwali documentary seriesNew music from Pakistan: A captivating mix of sounds
Terror attack at Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine (photo: YouTube)

Sufi music under attack in Pakistan

As the sea of love recedes

In parts of modern Pakistan, being a qawwali musician is now a high-risk occupation. By intimidating those who play, listen or even dance to this devotional music, puritan hardliners in Pakistan are insulting and violating an indigenous culture that for centuries has celebrated love both earthly and divine, says Jurgen Wasim FrembgenMore

Sufis targeted in Pakistan: The dance goes onSufism: Lifting the lidCombatting violent extremism: Could Sufi Islam be the cure-all?
The Dosti Music Project (source: Found Sound Nation)

Album review: The Dosti Music Project′s ″Travelers″

Coming home

For two years, 2015 and 2016, The Dosti Music Project brought together musicians from India, Pakistan and the United States in order to explore the similarities and differences in their respective art forms. This compilation stands as testament to their remarkable creative energy. By Richard MarcusMore

Album review: ″Sandaraa″ by Sandaraa: Fusion in the truest senseAlbum review: Reem Kelani′s ″Live at the Tabernacle″: Cultivating fusionPersian singer Mamak Khadem: Open to new influences
Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in Sehwan, Pakistan, following the IS suicide bombing on 16.02.2017 (photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Sufis targeted in Pakistan

1

The dance goes on

The attack on the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in the Pakistani city of Sehwan struck the country's mystics at the heart of their religious practice. Like no other holy site in Pakistan, the shrine is a symbol of the religious pluralism that is deeply rooted in this nation. By Marian BrehmerMore

Combating violent extremism: Could Sufi Islam be the cure-all?Sufism: A soft form of Islam?Book review: Jürgen Wasim Frembgen on Kohistan: With the wild men of Kohistan