12.23 PM Friday, 29 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 04:56 06:10 12:26 15:53 18:37 19:52
29 March 2024

AR Rahman, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan condemn Peshawar attack

Rahman will be joined on stage by singer Javed Ali and notable percussionist, Sivamani, with compositions that will include his qawwalis such as ‘Piya Haji Ali’ and ‘Kun Faya’. (Bindu Rai)

Published
By Bindu Rai

The Mozart of Madras and Pakistan’s leading Sufi singer spoke out against the massacre in Peshawar ahead of their Dubai concert, with the latter calling Tuesday’s terror attack that saw 132 children killed in a brazen school assault, ‘barbaric and animalistic’.

AR Rahman, who is performing in Dubai as part of the Sufi Weekend being held at the World Trade Centre with Pakistan’s Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, talked about this spiritual form of music that celebrates the love for Islam and its relevance in the persistent onslaught of terrorism.

AR Rahman talked about Sufism, a spiritual form of music that celebrates the love for Islam and its relevance in the persistent onslaught of terrorism. (Bindu Rai)

“Sufism teaches you to be unconditional like the sky, the oxygen in the air. It does not compartmentalise,” he said. “This is the philosophy of the Wings of Jibrael, it teaches you spirituality.

“God is merciful and compassionate. In a life that is going haywire, music is the reaffirming statement that teaches you to find compassion within yourself and to spread to others.”

Bollywood’s Sunidhi Chauhan will also perform on Friday evening at World Trade Centre. (Bindu Rai)

Khan, who ironically performed the Sufi Qawwali ‘Allah Hu’ at Malala Yousafzai’s Nobel Peace Prize event last week, spoke passionately against the perpetrators, saying: “Like animals that don’t understand the frequency of music, this attack is reminiscent of this behaviour. It was animalistic; these terrorists cannot be called humans.

“Even animals know the difference between what to care for and what to eat; these perpetrators went beyond that, killing innocent children. It was a pure act of cowardice.”

Pakistani qawwali maestro Rahat Fateh Ali Khan will perform on Friday. (Bindu Rai)

Sufi music, which is inspired by the works of poets such as Rumi and Amir Khusrow, are the inspiration behind Rahman’s draw to this mystical form.

The Academy Award composer says Sufism was his “destiny”, adding: “Coming from a South Indian culture, the music changed my perception, as did poems by Rumi and Amir Khusrow.”

Rahman, who cited the late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and his favourite Sufi singer, will be performing on Thursday, while Friday’s event will see Pakistani qawwali maestro, Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and singer Sunidhi Chuahan.

Speaking about their respective performances, Rahman stated he will be joined on stage by singer Javed Ali and notable percussionist, Sivamani, with compositions that will include his qawwalis such as ‘Piya Haji Ali’ and ‘Kun Faya’.

Meanwhile Khan said: “This will be no rock and roll, but rather a platform that will eradicate the borders of caste and creed with the aid of music; we will set fire to the stage.”

Rahman, who counts Sami Yousef as his big influencer to the culture of Arabic rhythms, has also made it to the Oscars shortlist with three nominations in his kitty; quiz the maestro about his chances and he says: “Making it to the shortlist for the Oscars is easy; it’s the final cut that’s the difficult part.”

Organised by Purple Vogue Events, tickets for the two-day concert is priced from Dh195 to Dh1,000.