Qawwali, the Sufi music of the Indian subcontinent, is meant to transport listeners and performers to another dimension. How the music of those most mystical of Muslims became integral to the soundtracks of Bollywood, the colorful film industry of predominantly Hindu India, is worth a book.
The jacket notes to the CD Sufis at the Cinema (released by Times Square Records) doesn't explore the history in any depth. The music on the two-disc collection, however, is invaluable for following the history of Bollywood. It's also thoroughly enjoyable for anyone who loves the music of India and its neighbors. Spanning 1958 through 2009, the collection of qawwali-influenced Bollywood tracks reveals the Indian movie industry's spongelike absorption of influences. Octave leaping vocals rise from percussive tabla rhythms, strong as steel pop hooks, alluring choruses, temple courtyard woodwinds, Arabesque strings and the occasional rock bass line, all of it topped by soulful voices steeped in qawwali. Interestingly, the most esteemed devotional singer of qawwali, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, recorded two tracks. His presence seems a little surprising, as if Mahalia Jackson turned up in a '50s Hollywood musical.
