Riyaaz for AID - A Review | Nazar - A South Asian Perspective

Riyaaz for AID - A Review

By Amita Vempati 19 April 2009 185 views No Comment

I stood in the RLM lobby at 5 pm trying to get closer to the enticing music, the sounds of melodious vocals, harmonium, and tabla interplaying somewhere in my audio periphery. Right as I was about to make a mad dash into the auditorium for a good seat, someone stopped me to tell me that the group inside was “just practicing.”

Just practicing? Riyaaz hadn’t even started performing, and they already had us hooked.

I (along with many others) attended the April 4^th concert of the local Qawwali group, Riyaaz. The event was hosted as a fundraiser by the Austin chapter of AID (Association for India’s Development), an organization dedicated to bettering India through grassroots projects in many different fields. As if the incredible music wasn’t incentive enough to come, AID’s efforts to better education and agricultural development were very worthy causes to support.

The performers came onstage at 6:00. An almost tangible excitement filled the room as the audience quieted down. I couldn’t help but smile widely when the first song started, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who did.

Consistent with the Qawwali tradition that starts concerts with a song dedicaed to Allah, Riyaaz started off with the moderately fast, relatively simple song “Allah Hu.” The vocalists seized the opportunity to showcase their talents early on: lead vocalist Sonny Mehta impressed with his strong, leading voice, Vaibhav Jain with his elaborate gamaks (heavy oscillations between notes), and Sucharit Katyal with his unfaltering harmonies. With the ever-impeccable rhythms of tabla-player Ravi Nulu and melodies of harmonium-player Nikhil Gulati, the group set a high bar for themselves while easing the audience into an evening of beautiful music.

The next songs, “Mera Piya Ghar Aaya” (not the Bollywood version!) and “Akhiyan Udeek Diyan” were at slightly faster tempos. Both, as Mehta pointed out, were notable in that while they seemed to be love songs, they were actually religious metaphors. This factoid, however, did not detract from the downright fun-ness (for lack of a better word) of these pieces. Though I was slightly surprised at how downplayed the actual lyrics were, Riyaaz did not fail to impress with a series of vocal gymnastics that would make most singers green with envy.

The group changed gears dramatically to the much slower, tender “Sanu Ik Pal Chain Na Aave.” Though we were reminded earlier that such “love songs” were actually religious, it was hard to believe now. Most impressive was the marked stylistic difference between the previous songs – which were hard, loud, and earthy- and the soft, sweet serenade of this song. Following in that verve was “Man Kunto Maula.” Though the latter is not ostensibly romantic, both songs share similar melodic structures and recurring tempo changes.

“Shabaz Kalandar” was announced as the final piece, and the audience gasped with excitement. The group had kept stressing the importance of audience participation, and this song was a surefire way to get everyone involved through singing and clapping by the end of the concert. The vocals were, as usual, excellently executed, but it was the instruments that really got to shine, most notably in Ravi Nulu’s fantastic tabla solo. Interspersed with traditional Qawwali and some hip-hop influences, the solo was well placed near the end of the concert and had the audience dually stunned and clamoring for more. I offer my sincerest kudos to Riyaaz for taking a song that everyone knows and truly making it their own, a product of everyone’s unique talents.

I left RLM that night with my hands sore from clapping, but it was well worth it. The beauty of Qawwali is multi-faceted. One cannot deny the virtuosity needed in this style or ignore the subtle poetry that turns a seemingly secular love song into an intricate religious metaphor. It’s impossible to not get caught up in the downright ecstasy of this art.

Thus, considering how difficult this old and respected art form is, I tip my hat to Riyaaz after this concert. This local group is well on their way to bringing amazing music to many.

To find out more about Riyaaz and to hear a sample of their work, click here.