Catch the Wadali brothers live on July 30

July 29, 2016

Renowned Sufi duo Ustad Puran Chand Wadali and Ustad Pyarelal Wadali, better known as the Wadali brothers, are gearing up to mesmerise music lovers in Pune with some soulful Sufi music. Hailing from Guru Ki Wadali villagein Amritsar, Punjab, they have come a long way to occupy a high position in the world of music.

“Music has been a part of our tradition since generations. But it was our father, Thakur Das who urged us to get into it. He was a qawwali singer. We trained under Pandit Durga Das and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan who belong to the Patiala Gharana,” says Ustad Piyarelal Wadali, chatting with Pune 365 over the phone.

The Wadali brothers initially started to sing on the radio. Ustad Piyarelal jokes about how he and his brother were very afraid of singing in front of the mike. “Initially, we were very scared to do so because we had to sing in front of a mike. We had never seen one before. We thought the mike would take our voices away! But when we heard the recording, we loved it!” he recollects.

In 1991, the duo was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and in 2005 they were honoured with the Padma Shri.

The brothers only sing what is written by Sufi saints like Khwaja Ghulam Farid, Shah Hussain and Kabir among many others. On the meaning of Sufi music, the Wadali duo truly believe that it is the purest form of devotion. “Sufi music is like ibadat, a strong form of devotion. When we sing, we remember our Guru and it is a whole different spiritual journey for us. It takes us to a whole new place and we try to take our audience on this spiritual journey as well,” explains Ustad Piyarelal Wadali.

He also speaks of how this art form is taught very rarely in a few academies that are trying to revive it. “It’s like the fragrance of an incense stick. You can smell it while it’s lit but you won’t even be able to trace the smell once it goes out,” he narrates.

When: July 30, Saturday, 7:30 pm onwards

Where: J W Marriott

Call: 020 66832314