Gathering of Spirituality: When the hearts found harmony
Shamim Hasan Delivers a Spiritual Experience at Jatra Biroti's Sufi Night
In an intimate and atmospheric setting, Shamim Hasan, a kandari (helmsman) guiding hearts adrift, offered a soulful, contemplative experience at Jatra Biroti's Sufi Night. The warm, low-lit room, adorned with floor cushions, became a sanctuary for listeners seeking a deeper connection to the mystical heart of Sufi tradition.
Hasan's performance was marked by a blend of devotional, poetic, and cultural expressions central to Sufi traditions. He sang a medley of songs that aimed to evoke transcendence, devotion, and inner purity, including 'Duare Aishache Palki' and 'Bhar Do Jholi Meri Ya Muhammad'.
'Duare Aishache Palki', a Bangla Sufi song, reflected on the final journey of life, while 'Bhar Do Jholi Meri Ya Muhammad' was a famous Urdu qawwali, a desperate plea for the Prophet's intercession and generosity. These songs, along with others like 'Allah Bolo Mon Re Pakhi', 'Uchaton Mon Ghore Roy Na', 'Kesariya Balam', and 'Mera Piya Ghar Aaya', formed a powerful emotional arc expressing the ache of departure and the hope of reunion.
'Allah Bolo Mon Re Pakhi', penned by Lalon Shah, served as a reminder of life's impermanence and the futility of worldly attachments. 'Uchaton Mon Ghore Roy Na', originally a Kazi Nazrul Islam song, was fused with a popular Rajasthani folk song, 'Kesariya Balam'. This fusion created a poignant dialogue between longing and welcome.
'Kesariya Balam', though originally a Rajasthani folk song, is often performed in Sufi contexts, symbolizing the longing and welcoming of a beloved, metaphorically interpreted as the Divine. Shamim's rendition of this song gently called the beloved to return.
'Mera Piya Ghar Aaya', brimming with ecstatic joy and divine reunion, added to the evening's spiritual intensity. The performance culminated in 'Allah Hoo Allah Hoo', a timeless invocation that beautifully captured the boundless presence and unity of the Divine, bringing the evening to a close on a note of profound spiritual reflection and joy.
Throughout the performance, the audience was drawn in by the hypnotic rhythm of the qawwali, their souls exhaling in the spiritual atmosphere created by Shamim Hasan and his band Kandari's fusion of Sufi, Nazrul, and Qawwali styles. The gentle lighting added a sense of closeness and calm, reminiscent of a classic Sufi mehfil.
In summary, Shamim Hasan's performance at Jatra Biroti acted as a vehicle for the core themes of Sufi philosophy - devotion, longing, spiritual surrender, and the quest for divine love - to be both heard and felt deeply, creating a communal moment of spiritual reflection and joy.
Engaging in a diverse mix of Sufi, Nazrul, and Qawwali styles, the performance by Shamim Hasan at Jatra Biroti's Sufi Night offered an immersive experience that combined entertainment and lifestyle, inviting listeners to explore the depths of spiritual understanding through the medium of music.
From 'Duare Aishache Palki' to 'Allah Hoo Allah Hoo', the songs performed by Hasan conveyed a rich tapestry of emotions, covering themes such as love, transformation, and reunion, thus offering an evening of transcendent entertainment rooted in the heart of Sufi tradition.
