As a musical genre, qawwali is closely linked to the Hindustani classical tradition of the Asian
subcontinent. It draws from the same pool of melodic frameworks (ragas) and metric patterns
(talas) as classical music, and it uses a formal structure similar to that of the khayal song genre.
Like khayal, qawwali performances feature a mixture of evenly placed metric refrains and
rhythmically flexible solo vocal improvisations, which make extensive use of melisma (singing
of more than one pitch to a single syllable). This interaction between the lead singer and the
audience is central to any successful qawwali performance.
Qawwali takes place in the context of a mehfil-e samāʿ, a "gathering for listening." The most
significant of these gatherings take place in Sufi shrines on the anniversary of the death of the
saint who is associated with the shrine. Qawwali performances may also be arranged to offer
spiritual nourishment on other special occasions.
The Indian composer and Persian-language poet Amīr Khosrow (1253-1325) is the popularly
acknowledged creator of qawwali, and his works form the foundation of the traditional qawwali
repertoire. Indeed, most traditional performances of qawwali both open and close with songs
that are attributed to him; the closing song, known as rang, commemorates his spiritual
relationship with his teacher, Nizamuddin Auliya, a leader of the Chishtiyyah order of Sufism.
The name of Amīr Khosrow has continued to be revered within the qawwali community—from a
spiritual, poetic, and musical perspective—and those singers who are today considered to be the
most "authentic" usually trace their performance lineage to him.
Qawwali is an Islamic Sufi type of music, that is famous in India.
Mainly performed at Sufi Shrines in
India, Qawwali has also become popular in the world. Qawwali is famous due to singer’s excellent voice
and ability of singing. Qawwali music is believed to have started 700 years ago. This music is mainly
based in Punjab, which is a state of Pakistan. The music was popularized outside of South Asia in
the late 20th century, owing largely to its promotion by the world-music industry. A typical
qawwali ensemble consists of one or two lead vocalists; a chorus of hand-clapping qawwals who
sing the refrains; a harmonium (a small, hand-pumped, portable organ) player, who supports the
fixed melody as well as the melodic improvisations of the soloist; and a percussionist, who
articulates the metric framework using a dholak (double-headed drum) or a tabla (a pair of
single-headed drums).
Chaar Bait is a 400-year-old traditional performing art, performed by a group of artists or singers. Chaar Bayt or Four Stanzas is a form of folklore and performing art. It still alive today mainly in Rampur (Uttar Pradesh), Tonk (Rajasthan), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) and Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh). [1] Sangeet Natak Academy recognized it as a traditional folk art form. The poetic form trace back to the 7th century in Arabia with the name Rajeez. [2] The origin of the word "Chaar Bayt" can be traced back to the Persian language where it refers to a four-stanzas poetry in which each stanza is composed of four lines. The poetry is sung accompanied by Daf, a percussion instrument of Arab origin. This art form came from Persia to India via Afghanistan. Mostly accepted source is the Afghani soldiers in the Mughal army brought this art to India. A vast treasure of Urdu words offering a blissful explorative experience through a gallery of meanings, sounds, idioms and proverbs with poetic demonstrations. This is a side form of Qawwali only where the songs are short and in Urdu language. The four singers used to sit on a takth at four corners in a room or a ground and then one by one the four use to sing. It sometimes became like a battle of songs.
To depict the composite lingual culture of Delhi, Urdu academy started Urdu Drama Festival in the year 1988. This is a regular feature in which well-known and reputed drama groups stage Urdu Dramas on a variety of topics such as social inequality, student problems, history and ancient culture of Delhi etc.
The ghazal is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain.
Unlike in a nazm, a ghazal's couplets do not need a common theme or continuity. Each sher is self-contained and independent from the others, containing the complete expression of an idea. However, the shers all contain a thematic or tonal connection to each other, which may be highly allusive. A common conceit that traces its history to the origins of the ghazal form is that the poem is addressed to a beloved by the narrator.
Indian Singers like Jagjit Singh (who first used a guitar in ghazals), Ahmed and Mohammed Hussain, Talat Aziz, Pankaj Udhas, and many others have been able to give a new shape to the ghazal by incorporating elements of Western music.
Baitbaazi represents a long-established tradition of using Urdu poetry for a game or competition that tests how many couplets (sher/ashaar) one can store in one’s memory and how readily a couplet can be recited in response to a couplet recited by another competitor. The competition involves two or more individuals or teams following a pattern in which one of them initiates the competition by reciting a couplet and the other team/individual readily responds with a couplet that begins with the last letter of the couplet recited by the first team/individual. The competition is judged on the basis of how promptly teams/individuals respond to each other’s of couplets, correctness of metric rhythm, pronunciation and style of presentation. Baitbaazi is popular in India, Pakistan and the entire Urdu diaspora as a game that enriches one’s repertoire of Urdu poetry and motivates to memorize more and more Urdu couplets. Antakshari is the Hindi counterpart of Baitbaazi, which is also well-established among the enthusiasts of Hindi poetry/songs. The Urdu language has a very rich poetic tradition, and the game is very popular among poetry enthusiasts particularly in India. Urdu Schools and colleges regularly organize Bait Bazi competitions. The show produces a lot of enthusiasm for young Urdu lovers because the selection of couplets is regarded as an important factor for determining the winner in case of a tie. The game starts with the first person reciting a stanza (bait) of a poem. Each following player has to reply with another verse starting with the last letter of the verse used by the previous player. A verse that has already been used in a game may not be repeated. The rules used by experienced players can be more stringent, such as allowing the use of only one poet's verses or of one theme.
Dastangoi has its origin in the Persian language. Dastan means a tale; the suffix -goi makes the word mean "to tell a tale". Stories have been told since time immemorial through various forms – and one most enthralling and classic ways are Dastangoi – a 16th-century form of oral storytelling. Dastangoi is not merely telling a story but it’s an art form where the dastango (storyteller) creates a visual in the minds of listeners by his or her powerful oral narration. Dastangoi (Urdu: داستان گوئی) is a 13th century Urdu oral storytelling art form.
At the centre of dastangoi is the dastango, or storyteller, whose voice is his main artistic tool in orally recreating the dastan or the story. From Delhi, dastangoi made its way to Lucknow in the 18th century, aided by the Indian Rebellion of 1857, during which several artists, writers and dastangos moved from Delhi to Lucknow.
In Lucknow, dastangoi was popular across all classes, and was regularly performed at diverse locations including chowks (city squares), private households, and afeem khana (public opium houses). The Art of dastangoi, was divided under the following headings:"War", "Pleasure, "Beauty", "Love" and "Deception".
The early dastango's told tales of magic, war and adventure, and borrowed freely from other stories such as the Arabian Nights, storytellers such as Rumi, and storytelling traditions such as the Panchatantra. From the 14th century, Persian dastangois started focusing on the life and adventures of Amir Hamza, the paternal uncle of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The Indian stream of dastangoi added storytelling elements such as aiyyari (trickery) to these tales.
A dastan is made up of four constituents: battle & combat (razm), assembly & entertainment (bazm), enchantment and magic (tilism), and craftiness & knavery (ayyari). The entire dastan is woven around these elements. In Lucknawi dastans, the element of enchantment is given more prominence. Some of the traits of the Lucknow (Urdu) Dastangoi that have been mentioned by literary critics are as follows:
