Farid Sabri: A gem in galaxy of qawwali

Nonika Singh

Der na ho jaye kahin der na ho jaye, the famous qawwali sung by Farid Sabri from film Heena, today acquires a tragic hue and meaning. Indeed, it’s too late and there is no way one can resurrect the well-known duo (Sabri Brothers) as the eldest of the two Farid Sabri breathed his last in Jaipur on Wednesday.

Suffering from kidney-related ailments, Farid Sabri had been ailing for a while and finally succumbed to pneumonia. Along with his brother Amin Sabri and father Saeed Sabri, he represented and carried forward the unique musical tradition of qawwali, which he rightly felt was a direct communion with the Almighty.

As Farid said in an interview, “Qawwal means one who sings Sufiyana Kalaam.” The singer, who sang for a number of films like Pardes (1997) and Yeh Dil Aashiqana (2002), believed that the way qawwali was picturised in cinema might lend it a new colour and form yet nothing could take away its spiritual essence.

Hailing from a family singers going back many generations, he believed as much in staying true to one’s roots as keeping the audience taste in mind.