Dama Dam Mast Qalandar

Dama Dam Mast Qalandar (Sindhi: دما دم مست قلندر‎) is a spiritual song written in the honour of the most revered Sufi saint of Sindh, Shahbaz Qalandar of Sehwan Sharif. The original poem was initially written by the 13th century Sufi poet Amir Khusrow, then further modified by Bulleh Shah. The modern melody was composed by Pakistani composer Master Ashiq Hussain,^[1] and was widely popularized by many Pakistani singers like Noor Jehan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Aziz Mian, Abida Parveen, the Sabri Brothers, Reshma, Komal Rizvi, and Junoon. The song has also been performed by Indian artists like Hans Raj Hans, the Wadali brothers, Harshdeep Kaur, Nooran Sisters and Mika Singh, and the Bangladeshi singer Runa Laila. In 2016, Sami Yusuf performed a rendition of the song in his album "Barakah".

It is said that this qawwali was adapted from the original prayer by Amir Khusrow, and was then modified completely by Bulleh Shah. Bulleh Shah gave an entirely different color to the qawwali, adding verses in praises of Shahbaz Qalandar and giving it a large tint of Sindhi culture. The poem includes a reference to the town of Sehwan, which is home to the Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.^[2] The word "Lal" can refer to Jhulelal as a young man, or the red dress of Shahbaz Qalandar.

References