ABOUT RAGA.One
This website was initially created just for Hindustani Classical Music in mind. However, due to nuances and popular demand, it now is slowly becoming a treasure trove of Qawwali Learning. Visit our Raga One Qawwali YouTube Channel to get Qawwali Lyrics Translations, and Full Audio.
Let Me Introduce Myself
My name is Adam and I live in the United States. My family was fortunate to become disciples of a Great Sufi Master, Hazrat Maulana Shah Mehmood Yousufi, of the Yousufiyyah Tajiyyah Sufi Order of Nagpur, India, and Karachi, Pakistan. Even more fortunate for me was that our Sufi Master adopted me as his own son and through that association, I’ve learned a great deal of things from him that I value more than anything else I possess. This includes learning Hindustani Classical Music amongst many other subjects.
This doesn’t necessarily mean I’m any good, in fact, I’m Just a Joe Average in Music. I say this with a tremendous amount of undue pride because I very much believe in the power that our creator has put into us, the “average” people. We, the ordinary folk built great monuments, wrote epic tales, cooked phenomenal foods, learned to love, voluntarily made enormous mistakes, performed acts of kindness, and proved ourselves to be the total and complete opposite of all these things simultaneously. We have a great capacity for greatness and for disgrace. What we choose to become is entirely up to us.
Why is it then so hard to fathom, that learning Raag Music is out of reach of ordinary individuals? This brings me to my next point.
Raga Music
As far as I can remember, Raga Music was always talked about as the secret ancient art. In fact, when I used to hear stories like that of Raag Malhar, which is said to have mystic powers to create rain and change weather… I would often dismiss it thinking, either all these stories are bullshit or even if they were true, who in contemporary times can even do half of that? I would often dismiss it believing that Raag is simply forgotten mystical art and not really relevant in today’s culture.
That however was a big mistake on my part. But not for the reasons one might think. It is true that folklore of ancient Raga Music (RM) has yet to be proven in the last 200yrs. No one, at least that I know of has proven the mystical, almost magical powers of RM. Although, my mistake was to ignore and sidetrack a host of other things that Raag can still demonstrate.
- Similar to Mathematics, RM can force a person to extend the thought process further and further.
- Music in general, allows both sides of the brain to be used simultaneously.
- RM especially focuses on emotions and feelings. It nurtures the student to reflect inwardly, which is lacking in most other types of studies.
- This is single most unifying art form, that is used by EVERY single faith in South Asia to sing hymns based on their own respective faith.
- RM especially focuses on emotions and feelings. It nurtures the student to reflect inwardly, which is lacking from most other types of studies.
- RM is absolutely an ancient art form, although modified in many ways like all other forms of art. However, it still contains enough magic in this day to bring an intent listener to tears.
What else is there that one should be looking for in an art form? It gives you strict rules as well as unbound freedom to pursue your own creativity. If you are a parent looking for a good wholesome hobby for your child, or even a grown up looking to dwell further into Indian Culture, I couldn’t recommend a better way to use your free time than to learn Hindustani Classical Music.
