Sources: The Express Tribune, 13 April 2017 — “American bluegrass band, Hamza Akram Qawwal set the stage on fire” — https://tribune.com.pk/story/1382722/american-bluegrass-band-hamza-akram-qawwal-set-stage-fire; and Dawn, 15 April 2017 — “Old time music in new time places” — https://www.dawn.com/news/print/1326999
Bluegrass is a music genre not many in Pakistan had heard of — an American roots music, related to country, with influences from folk, blues and jazz, in which songs were used to tell stories, like townspeople around a campfire playing fiddle and singing of their experiences. In April 2017, Karachi heard it live, and then heard it fused with qawwali.
The American bluegrass band Henhouse Prowlers — Ben Wright, Jon Goldfine, Aaron Dorfman and Kyle O’Brien, a four-man band from Chicago founded in 2004 — were on their first visit to Pakistan, organised by the US State Department. They performed at the IBA on Thursday, with US Consul General Grace Shelton in attendance, and at PACC on 12 April. Wearing Sindhi topis and ajraks, Ben on banjo, Jon on bass, Aaron on guitar and Kyle on mandolin, they played songs that connected the countryside to the city — including Hank Williams’ 1951 “Hey, Good Lookin” — and even performed “Dil, Dil, Pakistan”, which they had worked hard to memorise.
But what truly mesmerised the audiences, both reports agree, was the collaboration: the Prowlers performing alongside Hamza Akram Qawwal and Brothers on the beloved “Dama Dam Mast Qalandar”. As the tablas and rhythmic claps provided the rhythm, they fused with the strings of the Prowlers; while the brothers sang the verses, the band supported them with the repetitive “Dama Dam Mast Qalandar”, like a hypnotic chant. The audience was even more engaged when Hamza made the guests sing sargam — musical notes in succession in eastern classical style.
“Fusing qawwali was not that difficult because of my education in western classical,” Hamza told The Express Tribune. “We only jammed for an hour, then did sound check and performed live. It was fun collaborating with Henhouse Prowlers because I don’t put boundaries on qawwali, and they don’t limit themselves. That’s why it all fused together to create this beautiful track.”
Prowlers member Goldfine agreed: “They are so professional, talented and they know what they want to do. So, it made the collaboration easy. I think the qawwali/bluegrass fusion couldn’t have sounded any better.”
Two traditions from opposite sides of the world — one built on storytelling around a fire, the other on devotional call-and-response — and one hour of jamming was enough to join them.
This post is a rephrased summary of The Express Tribune’s report of 13 April 2017 and Dawn’s report of 15 April 2017, shared here for our press archive. Read the originals at the links above.
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