‘Qawwali : The Ecstasy of Connection - Naghmana A. Hashmi, Ambassador of Pakistan to the EU, Belgium and Luxembourg’

Qawwali is a genre of mystical (devotional) music. The word qawwali  is derived from the Arabic word Qaol meaning  "axiom" or "dictum".  It is inextricably linked to  Sufism, a mystical school of Islamic thought that strives to attain truth, divine love and connection with the creator by direct personal experience through trance. Qawwali is one way to achieve this connection. Its goal is to lead the listener and performer alike into a trance, and to a state of spiritual enlightenment.

In South Asia, Delhi's Sufi saint Amir Khusro Dehlavi of the Chishti order of Sufis is credited with fusing the Persian, Arabic, Turkish, and Indian musical traditions in the late 13th century in India to create the genre of Qawwali that is popular today in Pakistan and worldwide.
Pakistan's Ambassador to the EU , Belgium and Luxembourg Mrs Naghmana A Hashmi will deliver a lecture on the genre and origin of Qawwali in general while tracing its history in Pakistan.