Song Review - Bismillah

Posted by Rajan Manickavasagam
January 5th, 2014

Rating: 5 out of 5

Bismillah. This Arabic word has many meanings, the most common being "In The Name of God". It is typically intoned before starting anything new. Almost all chapters in the Quran start with this word. If we remove the religious context, it is about creation of life, celebration of peace and love without the ego of self. 

 Bismillah is a song in the sufi style by Kailash Kher and Munawar Masoom. The rustic voice of Kailash blends brilliantly with the powerful Munawar. Munawar is popular for singing poems of sufi poets like Rumi and Khusro. He impresses the most as he brings to bear his ghazal and sufi style of singing. Munawar gives a great start to the song with his deep baritone voice. Kailash joins him into the song and provides a great middle and ending with his clear voice. The acoustics add to the song's atmospherics. 

 The simple lyrics are by Irfan Siddiqui. The brothers, Salim and Sulaiman Merchant have done a great job of producing this song.

 Sufism is a philosophy that transcends the ages. Some say it predates most religions and has an esoteric dimension. Sufism is not necessarily about God but ourselves. Every time I listen to this song, it brings to tears to my eyes. As I close my eyes, I can see the sufi dervishes whirling in their white robes. 

 As we start this new year, Bismillah. May this year bring peace and prosperity to all.

Location: Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Comments

  1. zabeelinstitute5 October 2022 at 14:44

    Thanks for sharing that information with me. I appreciate your willingness to share Arabic language course so much knowledge with us. Keep up the good work.

    ReplyDelete

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