For the Pakistani Students Associations' inaugural Qawali event, Priya Parkash invited Riyaaz Qawwali to Duke. More Information: https://soundcloud.com/priyaparkash

1. Brings QAWWALI To
Duke UNIVERSITY
Priya
Parkash

2. To celebrate the rich musical heritage of
South Asia, Priya Parkash of Duke University,
in her capacity as President of the Duke
Pakistani Students Association, organized a
Mehfil-e-Qawwali for the Duke community.
Priya
Parkash
Originally performed at Sufi shrines or dargahs,
Qawali emerged in the late 13th century as an
amalgamation of the Persian, Arabic, Turkish and
Indian traditions led by Amir Khusrow of the
Chisti order and is enjoyed today by a secular
audience around the world.

3. Priya Parkash invited Riyaaz
Qawwali to Duke for Pakistani
Students Association’s inaugural
Qawali event. Trained in eastern
and western classical music, the
musicians of Riyaaz Qawwali hail
from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan
and Bangladesh and represent
various religious backgrounds,
shedding light on the unifying
nature of Sufi music.
According to their website, Riyaaz
Qawwali is not only driven by their love
for Sufi music but also their desire to
“expand the reach of the genre to new
stages and people of other faiths and
traditions”, along with reaching younger
audiences to support the longevity of
this tradition.
Priya
Parkash

4. This event was held
on Friday, October
22nd in Penn Pavilion
and was attended by
more than a 100
undergraduate and
graduate students,
along with members
of the local Durham
community.
Priya
Parkash

5. In a traditional qawali setting, the singers and musicians
sit cross-legged with their instruments on an elevated
surface while the listeners sit on the floor covered in
white sheets, which Parkash attempted to recreate at
Duke.
Priya
Parkash

6. Sonny K. Mehta, the main
vocalist and artistic director
for Riyaaz Qawali, the room
filled with claps and the
soothing beating of the tabla
and the dholak. Soon, those in
attendance appeared almost
hypnotized as they were
swaying and repeating the
verses, adding to the liveliness
and crescendo of the room.
Priya
Parkash

7. She went on to add, “Tonight reminded me that
music transcends everything, including the
borders and the political rhetoric tearing the
world apart.” She also thanked Duke Center for
Multicultural Affairs’ Cultural Engagement Fund
for its generous funding which made the event
possible, along with Duke Event Services for its
logistical support.
Priya
Parkash

8. THANK YOU
FOR WATCHING
THIS
Priya
Parkash