Chowmahalla resonated to the magic of Sufi, Qawwali and Ghazals

If timeless shayari is something you savour and subtle beats of the tabla along fluid notes on a harmonium gives you goosebumps, you would’ve loved to be at Chowmahalla Palace for the second day of World Heritage Day celebrations.
The UNESCO heritage site echoed with ghazals and qawwali on Saturday as Mumbai-based ghazal singer Pooja Gaikonde and qawwal Rajab Ali and his troupe offered an eclectic performance that took the audience on a nostalgic journey creating a musical imagery in accordance with the ambience of the Nizam’s palace.
While Gaikonde’s recital comprised of ageless classics such as Ranjish hi sahi, Dil jalane ki baat, Aaj jane ki zid, Aaj socha to aansu, Duniya jise kehte hai and Chhap tilak, Rajab Ali’s eight-member qawwal troupe’s set list revolved around Rajasthani folk and a few Bollywood hits.
Accompanied by Abhishek Mestry on keyboard and Athar Hussain Khan on tabla, Gaikonde, who shouldered the harmonium duties herself, revisited some classics in the genre that made the audience draw comparisons of her with some of the best in the business. “I think she has that Chitra Singh-kind-of gayaki that grips an audience instantly,” we heard someone in the audience.
She also dropped a few Bollywood ghazals in between keeping in mind the audience’s likes for film music. “The audience has a very good knowledge of ghazals and sufi music. It’s a complete bliss to perform here, at a place where many masters have performed before. I would call this as a divine stage and it's an amazing experience to perform in front of such a great audience,” said Gaitonde.
She concluded her recital with the traditional Sufi number Dama Dam Mast Qalandar, creating a lasting impression on the listeners.
Rajab Ali and his troupe offered an up-tempo set, for which qawwali is known for and sprinkled a few Bollywood hits such as Khwaja mere khwaja amid classics such as Mere raske qamar and Kehna galat galat. They recreated the magic of Rajasthani gharana against the backdrop of Nizami history.