A Sufi Night of Music and a Red Tomb

Quli Tomb at Night

Last night, I had gone to the tomb of Ali Quli Khan to listen Sufi singers Wadali Brothers and Sabri Brothers. The concert of Sufi music titled Dharohar and held by Times of India group as part of its Delhi festivals, was quite a delight.
Reached the venue without pass, but that didn’t stop me or the others who had come unannounced. Everyone was welcome. The concert was supposed to start at 6:30 but it started an hour late due to a phenomenon called as Dilli Traffic. The night was dead cold with chilling winds rattling the bones of everyone present.
Sabri Brothers performed first. I heard giggling sound of young girls, sitting behind me, every time the brothers called on Allah in a thick burpy voice. By the time they sang their popular song Khawaja Ki Diwani, the immensely responsive crowd was clapping and singing along.

Saurab, my marwari friend who had accompanied me, was all ears when in the song they re-counted miraculous tale of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty. The story concerned a Marwari hindu couple, who on begetting a son due to the blessing of the saint, name their son Ajmeri Lal. I remember some years ago another marwari friend of mine told me about his surprised feelings on finding out that his parents had gone to Ajmer to visit the Dargah. He was pleasantly surprised on finding such a Secular oddity in his parents.

Wadali Brothers performed next. I had actually come to hear them live. They are wonderful performers interjecting their lively singing with some subtle humor.
Someone had requested them to sing Dama Dam Mast Kalandar. They sang Dam O Dam Mast Qalandar, taking pause to explain the meaning of song of the words.
On demand they sang Baba Bulleh Shah's Charka. My friend asked me if they always sing like that or is the elder brother really cutting off the younger brother deliberately. I told his to just listen with his ears and not with his brain. It was getting late; people had started leaving already at it well past 10 now. On being asked to wrap up, taking a dig at the rules, the quirky brother squeezed in one last song. They sang their popular song Aa Mil Yaar and the audience was on their feet. And then, one more last song. People got near to the to stare and was dancing, singing and clapping along when they sang Tu Mane Ya Na Mane. Standing next to a mirthfully dancing elderly panjabi man, I smelt spirit. I couldn’t help laughing.

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I am not sure if I got the sequence of the songs in which they were played, right or if I have even written down the right songs. I just remember the music.