Living with the Qawwals of Rawalpindi : Changing Trends in Qawwals

Abstract

Qawwali is the form of art expressed through music which dates back to hundreds of years. The message of Sufism and mysticism entailed through Qawwali has engaged and infatuated people from all parts of the world. Due to changing trends, the genre of Qawwali over the years has transitioned and transformed from a sacred ritual to a commercialized form of entertainment. The following Research paper aims to study the life of traditional Qawwals hailing from the city of Rawalpindi through A socio‐cultural perspective. The Qawwals studied in this research paper were identified through snowball sampling and were located in the areas of Khannapul, Raja bazaar, and Pirwadhai. The socio cultural perspective in this paper aimed to analyze the lifestyles of these Qawwals through a case study method which was conducted over a period of two months. The study also covered the impact of the social aspect of commercialization on the lives of traditional street Qawwals. Through this study it was found out that these Qawwals dedicate their lives to master their talents for which they do not have sufficient showcasing platforms.