Anwar Ali

Anwar Ali ji belongs to Malerkothla, which is also referred to as the musical capital of Punjab. He is a middle aged folk musician who has devoted all his life to Qawwaali music. Music is more than passion for him- he worships his art. Anwar Ali started learning music at the age of just 5 years. He was deeply inspired by his uncle who was a Qawwali singer. He belongs to the Sarandhi gharana. He learnt from his grandfather, Rehmat Qawwaal Ji, who was a well-known Qawwali singer at that time. He was so talented and renowned, that musicians who learnt from him are said to belong to the Rehmat Qawwaal Gharana. Rehmat Ji used to make Anwar Ji sit for two hours, early in the morning, from 5am till 7am, with absolute concentration for ‘riyaaz’ (practice). More than three generations of his family are into Qawwali music. The rhythm of Qawwali is in his blood. He deciphers ‘Sangeet’ (music) as ‘Geet ke Sang’, as in together with the melody of songs. He has the exceptional skill to convert any conversation into a harmonious Sufiana phrase which touches the heart of the listener. An experienced and dedicated Qawwaal, Anwar Ali has been into Sufi and Qawwaali singing since a very long time. He leads a group of Qawwali musicians from Malerkothla, and his group always win the hearts of people wherever they perform.