Sama’a: Festival of Sufi music – Day 3

Sufiana songs by Salman Ali

The pain of separation from the Creator is at the core of Sufi lyrics and music, and the central idea of love, longing and union with the beloved as espoused in Sufi songs, seems to have an evergreen appeal for people from all walks of life, transcending the man-made boundaries of region, religion, caste and creed. Today, besides the traditional repertoire, a large number of contemporary songs are sung under the Sufi label. These compositions show a marked influence of present-day idioms and expressions, and are widely popular.

The grand finale of this edition will unfold with a presentation by Salman Ali. Born in Haryana, Ali is a fifth-generation musician. Starting off his career in 2011 at the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L’il Champs, he went on to win the 10th edition of Indian Idol. Later, he worked under the baton of well-known music composers for film and non-film albums. In 2019, he debuted as a playback singer with the song ‘Jai He’ (Satellite Shankar) and also sang for the film Dabangg 3. Additionally, he has sung the theme song of the Indian television series Chandragupta Maurya.

In an attempt to offer a musical experience that is not only beyond mere entertainment but one that would help to connect with the divine, Ali offers a bouquet of Sufiana compositions such as ‘Chhap Tilak’ and ‘Dum Mast Qalandar’ from the conventional repertoire, and popular Bollywood songs like ‘Mere Rashke Qamar’ and ‘Tera Sajdaa’.

Box Office now open.