Heavens literally opened when Shafqat Amanat Ali, a musician who needs no introduction, waltzed his way into the hearts of a packed crowd at Gurgaon’s HUDA Gymkhana Club for a do organised by Routes 2 Roots NGO. Couples crooned along as Shafqat weaved a velvety web of melodies on a chilly, rainy night. The fact that not a soul budged when it poured cats and dogs at the venue speaks volumes of his prowess, and he too reciprocated by singing whilst the driving rain drenched him and his accompanying musicians.
Being in the company of a phenomenal talent can have its own calming effect and when the conversation could’ve easily veered to Bollywood, Shafqat chose to talk about his favourite allegory — Sufi music. “One can only ensure a pure heart and good intentions, that is all one can do; whether he\she can connect with the ‘supreme power’ or not is completely upto Him. I can only ensure a clear intent; without it I’ll be singing Sufi just for the sake of encashing its popularity,” he says, elucidating Sufi music’s said prowess of uniting one with their love (both human and heavenly).
Explaining what according to him is the “real” essence of Sufi music, he says, “Sufi kalaams and the shayari, popularly known as mystic poetry, is the original soul of Sufi music. One can’t create it only by having a tabla accompany a guitar; understanding Sufiana kalaam and setting it to the music according to that makes it a perfect Sufi number.”
Talking about a spiritual bent he developed during his initial years that aids his style of music, he says, “I have been to dargahs since a kid and felt the suroor. It was mentioned in my horoscope that I’ll be a spiritual person and I’ve lived upto it. We (my band and I) always try to visit known mazaars while touring a city, for instance when in Mumbai we definitely try to offer our obeisance at Haji Ali, and our plan to visit the shrine has never gone awry. No matter how tight the schedule or what the problem enroute maybe we have always visited the dargah on our tours. That according to me is my connection with the Almighty.”
His performance on stage was riddled with anecdotes about his past performances, the most recent being the Rahul and I tour to Dubai with Asha Bhosle where the latter got upset about the smoke-machines on-stage. But not many have the opportunity to rub shoulders with greats like her, says Shafqat and attributes all human successes to humility. “Not many get lucky breaks in life, but there always is a reason why at times even the most talented don’t get a chance — lack of humility can impede your advancement,” the “Rockstar Ustaad” sums up.