Music of the Soul

Muzaffar Ali launched his own music under the label of Kotwara Studios with Jaam e Ishq, the soundtrack of a music ballet based on the poem of the thirteenth century Sufi poet, Saint Rumi. This is the music of trance and meditation, of unity with the Creator, and submission in love. The emerging theme is the oneness of the human race and a world without boundaries, a prophecy that only a man of the heart could make so long ago and which is now coming true. This ballet was designed as an inaugural function for the World Presidents Organization on 27^th February 2000 in New Delhi. This poem also inspired a series of paintings and a range of clothes as well.

His music is also available with Music Today (Husne Jaana) and Navras, London, (Paigham e Mohabbat)

 

How did Music happen to me….

It was an identification with a human anguish of helplessness and separation – it was from the heart-wrenching Noha and Bhairavi, and the Ghazals by Makhdoom and Shahryar that I used in Gaman,

 

Seene mein jalan aankhon mein toofan sa kyon hai

Is shahr mein har shaqs pareshaan sa kyon hai

Dil hai to dharakne ka bahaana koi dhoondhe

Pathhar ki tarah behi o bejaan sa kyon hai.

Anguished and turbulent…in soul and sight

Is the man of this city

A throbbing heart seeks reasons to beat….

Why is it hard like a stone…lifeless, listless.

And since then I have not looked back. I have found so many sounds and words to express innumerable poetic and emotional nuances in films and out of films. For me, a singer is a medium into whose voice I enter and find a note that expresses my inner feelings.

As I have evolved, my discovery of music has also evolved. I feel sad that people are served packaged music, music that will be common to all, specially when it is music that is the food of the soul. Today, I find that it is the music of the Sufis that is truly the music of the soul, the music of trance, the music of meditation and also the music of reaching out. It is the latter that gave classical Indian music to come out of its exclusivity. The musicians got their inspiration from the Sufi spirit of love and submission which helped them to spread out and transcend to greater heights.

Music happened to me through poetry- through the special blend of phonetics with feelings of Urdu poetry and its mother, the Persian ‘Ghazal’ and with it the down-to-earth urge to relate to the poorest of the poor. The poetry of love traverses from the visible and worldly love and beauty to its spiritual state.

 

Music 1998… Paigham e Mohabbat Volume 1 & 2 2001… Jaam e Ishq 2001… Raqs e Bismil 2001… Jahan e Khusrau 2001 Volume 1 & 2 2002… Jahan e Khusrau 2002 Volume 1,2 & 3 2003… Jahan e Khusrau 2003 Volume 1,2,3&4

Theatre, Ballet, Opera & Festivals 2000 Jaam e Ishq 2000 Tajalli 2001 Jahan e Khusrau I 2002 Fakir of Benares… New Delhi 2002 Jahan e Khusrau II 2003 Fakir of Benaras… Bombay 2003 Jahan e Khusrau III