| Keeping the Sindhi Sufi tradition alive |
30th Mar 2013
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Sawan Khan with his troupe | PHOTO: Vinay Kumar
ailing from Dabari, a non descript hamlet of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, Sawan Khan, the nationally recognised folk singer, has come a long. From the stages of London to Coke Studio, to recently the track in Imtiaz Ali's Highway, the journey has been fascinating.
Belonging to hereditary musicians of the Manganiyar sect, Sawan is one of the most sought after Sufi singers in the country today. After putting in more than four decades of hard work, dedication and commitment, Sawan has established himself as a Sindhi sufi singer and is undeniably a man of great repute.
Speaking with Guardian20 Khan says, "Our family has been singing for Kings and atdargahs for more than 800 years now and I have no other option than to maintain and forward the rich legacy of my family. I started singing at the age of 10 and after spending several years at the Jodhpur darbar, Jaisalmer darbar and dargahs it was time to do something new. By god's grace I met Hamid Khan, from the Kawa band (earlier known as Musafir Group), who heard me and took me to Paris for performing which was a turning point of my career and life."
Besides performing in every nook and corner of the country, Sawan has travelled across the globe with his troupe to enthral music lovers. He has travelled internationally including Paris, Switzerland, London, Morocco, and Singapore.
No one from the family is allowed to study as this may adversely affect their speech as well as dialect. "Our genre of singing is Sindhi Sufi and Sindhi is not taught in any educational institution. This is the only reason that we don't send our kids to schools. They may attend classes till 4-5 so that they can read and write but when it comes to the existence of our legacy, study is definitely a big no. And above that as an artist a person can attain great popularity than an educationist", adds Khan.
From the ancestral sher khan khandan, today they perform under their banner 'Rangi Rang'. The band has seven members, dedicated to disseminate Sufi philosophy through the musical compositions and recitations.
Sawan further says, "There are several sufi singers throughout India but we are the only group in the whole country who practice and perform the Sindhi sufi genre of music. In fact I cannot sing in any other language apart from Sindhi."
The band performs Sindhi qalams based on the stories and life of Sassi-Punnu, Heer-Ranjha, Rag Gandhri, Rag Bheen, Muh Mal Medra, apart from teachings of Baba Bullah, Sheikh Fareeda, Kabir, who have influenced humanity for ages.
Khan has received many honours but never a national award. He is hardly disheartened as he concludes, "I sing for myself, I don't sing to prove anything. The appreciation, honour and remarks that I receive are welcome but does not define our philosophy."
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