Written by: Sadaf Shahzad
Posted on: October 05, 2020 | 
| 中文
Abida Parveen Enraptured During a Performance
Among Pakistan’s finest singers of Sufi music Abida Parveen reigns supreme as the best performer of her genre. She is considered one of the torchbearers of Sufi devotional singing in the Subcontinent, and can sing in Urdu, Sindhi, Seraiki, Punjabi and Persian. Audiences in Pakistan and the rest of the world have become spellbound by the way her voice can shift from soft melodies, to ecstatic and passionate declarations of praise for the Divine. They are compelled to join her in delving deeper into the devotional poetry of the mystical Sufis who belong to this land.
Parveen was born in 1954 in Larkana, Sindh to a family of spiritual Sindhi singers. Her father, Ghulam Haider took her to Sufi shrines across Sindh, where she began to sing and recite from the age of three. Realising her potential and talent, Parveen’s father trained her to be a Sufi singer in his musical school, as opposed to her brothers. She credits her upbringing in a Sufi household for her love for Sufi poetry, and still refers to her father reverently as “Baba Sain” for giving her the gift of praising God through song.
A Young Abida Parveen and Waheed Ali Khan in the early 70s
Like many before her, she began her mainstream career with Radio Pakistan, starting with Radio Pakistan Hyderabad in 1973, and officially becoming a part of the organization in 1977. She became famous for her renditions of the Ghazal, and the ‘Kafi’, a genre of devotional singing that was popularized by Sufi saints like Baba Bulleh Shah and Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. In particular, Parveen has been greatly inspired by the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, who used Sufi poetry and the traditional folk music of Sindh to spread his message of love for the Divine. Early into her career, she recorded her renditions of all of Bhittai’s poems found in ‘Shah Jo Risalo’, his collection of divine poetry. In 1981, she sang before 12,000 of Bhittai’s devotees at his annual death anniversary, after which her career flourished in the male-dominated music industry of Pakistan.
Abida Parveen Performing at a Dargah in the 1980s
During this time, she also married Sheikh Ghulam Hussain, a Radio Pakistan producer who became her mentor and manager in the 80’s. After her husband passed away in the early 2000s, their children took up the role of managing and organizing her appearances, giving her time for her riyaaz (classical singing practice), and her meticulous planning of her performances. While she had already received the Pride of Performance Award by the Government of Pakistan in 1984, she was awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz (“Crescent of Excellence) in 2012, which is the second-highest award of honor given to Pakistani citizens.
It was only recently with the launch of Coke Studio, as well as several new Pakistani films and television dramas, that she has returned to Pakistan as a regular mainstream performer and soundtrack collaborator. She spends much of her time performing for international audiences, in cultural and Sufi festivals which promote peace, tolerance and diversity. For her, Pakistan is abundant with the shrines and the spirits of the Sufi saints, and she believes that it is her calling to spread their message wherever she can.
Abida Parveen at Coke Studio
Audiences, especially international listeners, are quick to draw comparisons between Parveen and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who had popularized Pakistani music for a global audience before Parveen and became synonymous with Sufi music. While they are similar in their cherubic features and their ability to bewitch the audience with their passionate performances, their singing styles differ vastly in terms of style and execution. The art of Qawwali as practiced by Nusrat, requires tremendous improvisations and knowledge of rhythm, while the ‘Kafi’ style of Parveen is more melodious and structured, as the words of the poets must not be overshadowed by the musical instruments.
She explained in an interview that the seven notes and 12 raagas of classical eastern singing are meant to capture every sound in the universe. But Sufi music also involves achieving a higher state of consciousness as a form of prayer and devotion. Her robust voice, and the clarity with which she recites the poetic verses allow people to be moved by the Sufi saints and their love for the Almighty, without necessarily understanding the words. Through Parveen’s passion and intensity, the audience comes together to witness a shared spiritual experience that is emotional, powerful, otherworldly and transcendent.
Abida Parveen in concert in Oslo, Norway
Parveen is not one to care for appearances, especially during her performances. She often loses herself in a state of ecstasy while singing, with frenzied hand gestures as her voice booms with each rising note. Her signature look is her androgynous clothing, in simple shalwar kameez with an Ajrak shawl draped over her shoulder, and her long hair covering most of her face. When she sings, newer listeners have a difficult time discerning whether this voice of intense passion and range is that of a man or a woman. But to her, the issue of gender conformity has no space in her practice or performance. She has famously said, “The concept of being a man or a woman doesn't cross my mind. I'm neither on stage, I'm a vehicle on stage for passion.”
Abida Parveen Mid-Performance
As for Parveen, her main priority is to please God with her singing. For her, the spiritual songs purify one’s soul, by concentrating on the words, and making the listeners more receptive to the words of the Divine. In one of her rare interviews, she explained her love for singing and the spiritual, “Sufism is not a switch, the music isn't a show – it's all of life, it is religion. If I want to be recognised for anything, if we should be recognised for anything, it's the journey of the voice. And that voice is God's.”
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