Writing on music and about musicians seems to have become fashionable among pen pushers, who are not well versed with this sophisticated but interesting subject or its diction. Among a large number of essays published in newspapers and magazines in recent years a majority lacked in substance. They were found mostly to be verbose.
Unfortunately, very few practitioners of the melodic arts in Pakistan had the academic qualifications and ability to write on their art. Those few who were academically qualified did not have enough time and facilities to pen their thoughts on this important creative human activity. Those few connoisseurs or non-gharana musicians, who wrote about music knowingly during the past 58 years, could be counted on the fingers of just one hand.
Therefore, much confusion was created about this performing art by the uneducated musicians, who wittingly or unwittingly associated such things with the evolution and progressive refinement of music, which actually had nothing to do with it.
By creating a halo of mysteries and other worldly ambiences around music, they caused irreparable damage to their profession and art. Due to their ignorance and deliberate misguidance to young non-gharana aspirants, this finest of the fine arts has almost been completely alienated from the general run of the people.
Consequently, our system of music, especially its classical genres, has further been pushed into the shadows by an acute shortage of good quality literature. Contrary to a commonly-held belief, a large number of music buffs in Pakistan like to be enlightened about the rich traditions created by the practitioners of this art during long Muslim rule in India.
The contributions of Muslim musicologists and professional gharana musicians to the refinement and promotion of classical music of the Sub-continent have been acknowledged and highlighted by a large number of authors in their books and newspaper articles since August 1947.
The book under review is yet another attempt at highlighting their contributions albeit with strong emphasis on the Muslim Sufis and kings, who took practical steps in polishing the old system of music in vogue in this part of the world since time immemorial. The writer prove that the current system of music that is in vogue in Pakistan and Northern India is nothing but a metamorphosis of the old system, which took place during the 800-year-old Muslim rule in India. He seemed to have bent over backwards to substantiate his point and has quoted a large number of authors in support of his contention.
However, at places it seems that his knowledge of music is not adequate enough to express clearly and authoritatively his personal views on the subject, which is evident from the incorrect use of certain words of melodic diction. Seemingly, he has relied to a large extent on the opinions about music expressed by the authors of yore. Nevertheless, the book under review (a research paper) makes interesting reading for those who do not have any knowledge about system of music but wish to acquire it.
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