Indian Semi Classical Music

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Call Us 832-875-4139
Call Us 832-875-4139
Welcome to Riyaaz Qawwali
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About Riyaaz Qawwali
The art of qawwali, as with most of the great
Asian musical and literary traditions, is
transmitted orally ... The vehicle of music is
used to bring one closer to the experience of the
inner truth. Riyaaz qawwal will dwell on certain
words to give them a wider context creating great
depth in the apparently simple language ... He
will often repeat a phrase or sentence indicating
both the obvious and hidden content by
emphasizing or ruminating upon particular words
and syllables, taking the audience into the
discovery of hitherto obscure meanings. Thus,
mundane objects are embued with deeper meaning
a spinning wheel becomes the wheel of life.
Qawwali is a venerable yet refreshing musical
tradition that dates back to the late 13th
century. The word qaul refers to an "utterance
(of the prophet)" and the first Qawwals (qawwali
artists) repeated these qauls by making them the
subject matter of their qawwalis.
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Indian Semi Classical
Listen to Indian Semi Classical music such as
Qawwali, Ghazal, Bhajan, Sufi songs etc. from
Riyaaz Qawwali Group. They have organized many
classical music events in different countries.
Checkout Riyaaz Qawwalis album Online.
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The Experiment
Qawwalis are far lengthier than a typical modern
song. They average 15 minutes, with the longest
single track being on the upwards of 70 minutes!
Audiences today are used to listening to short
pieces. The Experiment aims to bridge the
gap. The effort will also introduce modern
musical elements, traditionally not heard in
qawwali. The purpose to give these compositions
a similar texture to what is found in pop music
today. While, we will not abandoning the
traditional elements of qawwali (like harmonium,
clapping, tabla-dhamma, etc.), the modern
elements will be used to enhance the pieces.
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The first track Shahbaaz Qalandar- an essential
piece to every successful qawwali concert. The
Riyaaz Experiment version will highlight the
dhamaal (the tabla solo), which is the most
important part of the composition. The
second track Man Laagyo- a new composition using
Saint Kabir's lyrics. In this piece, we take two
elements from Punjabi devotional and folk music
chimta to musically represent the wandering Saint
Kabir and singing the chorus an octave higher
like shabad kirtan.
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Educational Tours
In collaboration with museums and academic
institutions, Riyaaz Qawwali ensemble plans
state/regional tours showcasing qawwali across
several cities. The goals of this initiative are
to showcase the qawwali musical
heritage experience an authentic and traditional
performance with English commentary explore the
poetry often used in the qawwali
genre understand the cultural context of this
and other under-represented folk art forms of
South Asia shed new perspective on the
philosophies and literary themes prevalent in
India and Pakistan
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Completed Tours New York - November 2014. This
included concerts at both Columbia University and
Princeton University. Lost Angeles- June 2015.
 This included  concerts at The Live Oak Festival
in Santa Barbara.  New York, New Jersey,
Virginia, Maryland- October 2015.  This included
the Richmond Folk Festival, Richmond Elementary
School, Colgate University, a residency at
Lafayette College and other public
performances. New York- March 2016.  This
included a University of Rochester engagements
and concert at The Garrison Institute. California-
April 2016.  This included concerts at the
prominent Getty Museum in LA.  Louisiana- April
2016.  This includes concerts at the Festival
International de Louisiane. New York, New Jersey-
August 2016.  This includes public and benefit
concerts. Ohio- October 2016. This includes a
University engagement. Florida- March 2017.  This
includes University engagements and public
concerts.
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Contact Us
16910 Hidden Treasure, Friendswood TX 77546
Zip 77546 Phone Number 832-875-4139
Website http//www.riyaazqawwali.com/
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