Is it possible that jazz, in its mythic journey up the Mississippi, made a stop in Pakistan along the way?
There were moments in qawwali singer Badar Ali Khan's performance at LunaPark on Saturday when it seemed possible. His riff-like improvisations frequently called up references to Ella Fitzgerald's scat singing, and in one passage his usually rough voice suddenly emerged with a velvety Mel Torme-like sound.
None of this is to diminish the reality of what qawwali singing is: rapturous Sufi music associated with Islamic mysticism. But Khan, like his late cousin Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, has brought qawwali beyond its spiritual roots into a style that inspires ecstatic audience reactions similar to what often occurred at performances of the Grateful Dead.
Khan appeared at LunaPark with a "party" of seven, including back-up singers, harmonium players and a percussionist. Seated cross-legged, they proceeded through a number of pieces, emphasizing the stirring rhythmic aspects of the music, and minimizing its more serene spiritual qualities.
