Qawwali: From Dargah to Digital Era
Born from a rich tradition of devotional music and shaped over centuries by the cultural landscape of South Asia, qawwali has travelled a remarkable journey, from the spiritual gatherings of Sufi shrines and dargahs to concert halls, film soundtracks, global stages, and today’s digital platforms.
This session explores the evolution of qawwali as both a spiritual and musical tradition. How did a form rooted in sama and collective devotional experience develop into one of South Asia’s most widely recognised musical expressions? How have changing audiences, recording technologies, cinema, commercialisation, and social media transformed the way qawwali is performed, heard, and understood?
About the Panelists:
- Prof. Shahid Kamal
(Poet, Literary Critic, Researcher, Educationist) - Haseeb Ahmed Mehboobi
(Poet, Researcher, Sufi Scholar) - Aqdas Hashmi
(Ghazal and Sufi Vocalist, Cultural Researcher, PhD Scholar, Lecturer — Moderator)
This session is free and open to all. Just visit the venue to attend it.
The Black Hole
Plot 5H, Street 100, G-11/3, Islamabad.
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