Understanding Qawwali

Manjari Chaturvedi is a Classical Dancer, Director, Choreographer, Ted X Speaker and Cultural Academic. Among the 300 concerts that she has performed in 20 years, a few prestigious venues include the Symphony Space, New York City, Judith Wright Center For Performing Arts – Brisbane, Sydney Opera House, Australia, National Gallery Of Victoria, Australia, Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi and Parliament House, New Delhi. She is the leading exponent of classical dance in India. Her productions as a dancer are projects that are meticulously researched and documented; it includes gender sensitive subjects that through her medium of dance, explores the many traditions woven into poetry and music. Under the banner of the Sufi Kathak Foundation she supports similar research and encourages marginal artists to participate in dissemination of their art. She has been the part of the Sufi Symposium at the prestigious Smithsonian Museum Washington D.C. and of the conference on Living heritage by UNESCO and is the Jury and member of “Think Tank on Asian dance” for the prestigious Asian Dance Committee in Korea.

Yogesh Snehi teaches history at the School of Liberal Studies, Ambedkar University Delhi, India. Previously, he was a Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla (2013–15). Snehi’s major teaching and research interests focus on Punjab and debates on popular religion and its practice. Through a Tasveer Ghar fellowship (2010-11), he created a digital repository of images for the ‘heidICON’ image and multimedia database of Heidelberg University. This repository has more than five hundred images ranging from postcard-size and pocket-size prints, CD-DVD and book covers, posters, large flex-banners, Photoshop collage, digital photographs, etc. are in circulation at Sufi shrines in contemporary Punjab. Snehi’s recently published monograph Spatializing Popular Sufi Shrines in Punjab: Dreams, Memories, Territoriality uses this and other collections of images to situate saint veneration practices in the partitioned (Indian) Punjab. Snehi’s research underlines the processes through the Sufi saint veneration practices were revitalized post-partition. He extensively conducted ethnographic surveys to document how practices of langar, urs and qawwali rejuvenated Sufi shrines that had been abandoned in the aftermath of migration of Muslim caretakers.

Dr. Saif Mahmood is the author of the recent bestseller Beloved Delhi: A Mughal City and Her Greatest Poets. He is a poetry and literature critic, commentator, translator and rights activist. An Advocate of the Supreme Court of India, holding a doctorate in Constitutional Law in South Asia, he frequently appears before Superior Courts in India as well as in international and domestic tribunals. An itinerant traveller, a bohemian raconteur and a globetrotting dreamer with his heart in poetry and mind in law, Saif speaks and writes on diverse issues, ranging from law to literature and is associated with a number of academic, legal, professional, and literary organizations around the world. Founder of South Asian Alliance for Literature, Art & Culture (SAALARC), Saif is a frequent face in literary events and television discussions and regularly speaks on varied platforms the world over. His works have appeared in various prestigious publications and his English translations of Urdu poets have been highly applauded. He is a leading South Asian name in the literary world and globally known for enthralling audiences with his passionate recitations of contemporary and classical poets alike.

Dinesh Khanna has been working as a Professional Photographer for 30 years with an eclectic blend of commercial and personal work. For advertising and corporate clients, he has been shooting food, people and interiors and he also does visual documentation for NGOs and social organizations. His personal work has been published as acclaimed books like ‘Bazaar’ and ‘Living Faith.’ The latest books he has worked on are - “Right of the Line – The President’s Bodyguard” and “Life in Rashtrapati Bhawan’ which have been commissioned by the Rashtrapati Bhawan and Sahapedia. Over the years his work has also been shown in solo and group shows in galleries from Delhi to New York and Varanasi to San Francisco. Dinesh is a Managing Trustee of Nazar Foundation, and one of the Co-founders of the Delhi Photo Festival and was also a Photography Curator for the Serendipity Arts Festival. He also teaches Photography in various institutions and conducts workshops. He is a Director of the Dhrish Academy of Photography at the Museo Camera, in Gurgaon.

Mustafa Quraishi is a documentary photographer based in New Delhi, India. In the past, Mustafa has worked with The Associated Press (2004-2013) and The Indian Express (1999-2004) as a staff photographer. Mustafa’s major news assignments for the Associated Press have included photographing Afghanistan post Osama (2011), Afghanistan Parliamentary elections (2010), Removal of the Monarchy in Nepal (2008), Tsunami in Andhra Pradesh (2004) amongst others. In 2007 Mustafa received the National Foundation of India Media Fellowship to document the Maoist rebels in Central & South India. Mustafa’s images have been published in newspapers and magazines worldwide like The Newsweek, Time Magazine, Der Spiegel, The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Geo, The Guardian, etc. Mustafa has also worked with several NGO’s like UNAIDS, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Greenpeace etc.

Leena Kejriwal is a photographer and installation artist. She has been a brand ambassador for Fuji India and an artist in residence in France in 2006/07. Her seminal work “Calcutta: Repossessing the City” was launched as a book (2007). Her works were a part of Sotheby’s Spring Asian Art auction (March 2009). She created a two-part photography installation, titled “East City” for The Birla Academy of Art and Culture (February 2010). The show has travelled and has been displayed in New Delhi, Iran, Berlin and Weimar. Her work has always reflected her preoccupation with human trafficking and has found a new language in her public artwork MISSING. MISSING was launched at the India Art Fair and since then she has run a successful crowdfunding campaign, to gather support and spread awareness on the plight of young girls lost into the dark holes of sex trafficking. The campaign uses art and technology to create social change. She launched the MISSING Game for the Cause in October 2016 and within a month won the NASSCOM Indie Game of the year. She has received multiple awards and accolades for her unique artistic take on the grave social issue including the Yes Foundation Changemakers award, The Sandvik India Diversity Award,The Mbillionth award for the Missing Game and was a Finalist for the World Summit Award.

Dhruv Sangari (also known as Bilal Chishty), is a Sufi Vocalist, lyricist, composer and scholar based in Delhi. He leads a number of well known bands such as ‘Rooh Sufi Ensemble’ & ‘Humble Mystic’. Initially trained in Hindustani classical vocals by Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan and the tabla by Pt. B.S. Ramanna he later trained in Qawwali under Ustad Meraj Nizami and subsequently the legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khansahab. Popularly known as ‘Prince of Qawwali’ Dhruv has several popular Bollywood, Television and Coke Studio@MTV tracks to his credit. Having performed in more than 15 countries, he has also recorded a number of album collaborations. A regular at most well known festivals, his work has been frequently covered by the media and press. Empaneled with the Festivals of India Abroad, and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Dhruv is also founder of 'Ektara India', recognized by UNESCO for its contribution to scholarship on Sufi-Bhakti and syncretic themes. Over the last two decades he has taught in a number of schools and universities both within India and overseas.

Narendra Kusnur has been a music journalist for 25 years, covering different forms of Indian and international music. He has also worked as label manager at EMI Music India, handling the Indian music and Warner Music repertoire, and as head of content for the Reliance Retail training academy. Kusnur's articles on music have appeared in Mid-Day Mumbai, The Times of India, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Mumbai Mirror, Rolling Stone India, The Record, Music Plus, The Quint and Seniors Today. He currently has a weekly music column in The Hindu Mumbai and a music reviews section on the Music Plus website. He has won awards from the Musicians' Federation of India, Filmgoers Academy, Lion's Club and Sahyog Foundation.

Muzaffar Ali is a painter and filmmaker and is instrumental in spearheading a movement to upgrade the arts, crafts and culture of Lucknow. Ali began his early working career with Clarion Mc Can Advertising service in 1966, after which he worked with Air – India where he headed the publicity and promotions division. In 1981, Ali began to fully devote his time to films and art. He has award winning socially relevant films such as Gaman, Umrao Jaan, Aagaman and Anjuman to his credit. His latest feature film, Jaanisaar released in 2015. Ali has also directed television serials, documentaries and short films, mainly centred on Awadh, craft, culture, exploitation of women and Sufism. He also directed an opera, La Faqir de Benaras, the first to be staged in India. Together with his architect wife Meera Ali, he established their international couture brand, KOTWARA. Ali was a Member of the Prasar Bharati Board for 7 years, and also on the General Body of the ICCR. He was awarded Yash Bharti Award in 1994, Padma Shri in 2005 and the Rajiv Gandhi Rashtriya Sadbhavana Award in 2014. In 2004, Muzaffar Ali instituted the Rumi Foundation, which holds several Sufi festivals including the World Sufi Music Festival, Jahan e Khusrau and the Wajid Ali Shah Festival and publishes a regular coffee table books on Sufism.