Sufi kalams from Bhopal

Returning to the city after over a year, Bhopal-based Munnawar Masoom will mesmerise music lovers with his lilting melodies and Sufi kalams

At the tender age of seven, unlike other boys his age, who are mainly clued into mischief and games, Munnawar Masoom was already aware of complex ragas and taals that form the very foundation of a musical upbringing.

“By the time I was nine, I was performing on stage and that journey is still on. Now, I perform all over India and in other countries as well,” says Masoom, who will be taking the stage in the city on August 31 with his team of eight qawwals.

Munnawar Masoom

The 52-year-old, who has jammed with Salim-Suleman and Kailash Kher on Coke Studio and has also crooned a song, Mere Murshid Khele Holi, in the film D Day, is known for his intense, powerful and energetic style and his rendering of pieces of the celebrated Sufi mystic poet Amir Khusro.

“The crowd favourites everywhere we go are Chhaap Tilak and my self-composition, Yaara Mere Dushman Ko Sada Rakhna Salamat. I try and draw the audience closer by explaining the meaning of the poetry that I’m rendering to explain the extent of the devotee’s yearning for God,” says the singer, who was gifted the title of Fakr-e-Madhya Pradesh by the Government of Madhya Pradhesh a few years back.

Next up, the artiste has shows planned in Hyderabad, Lucknow and Indore. “I like adapting according to the preference of the crowd. It’s all about changing the rhythm. So, I gauge what the people will like and perform accordingly,” reveals Masoom.

On: August 31, 9 pm
At: blueFROG, Mathuradas Mills Compound, Lower Parel.
Call: 61586158.
Entry: Rs 350 or Rs 1,000 (full cover)

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