Eid Mubarak! Tune in to The Quint’s Eid Special Jukebox

Eid Mubarak! It’s time to savour the seviyan kheer and channel the spirit of the festival with this global jukebox.

Muslims taking selfie as they celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr at Jama Masjid on the occasion of in New Delhi on Thursday. 

(Photo: PTI) 

There is this perceptible calm, in the gaiety of Eid-ul-Fitr, which I find extremely soothing. Much like the texture of the seviyan served to me with such love.
Chennai is cloudy and pleasant. There’s no rain, but everything around you reminds you of it. If there was one way to feel more connected, it would have to be through music!

So here’s the essential Eid Jukebox, which sounds beautiful, whether you’re alone or in a crowd, out in the open or inside a room, with eyes open or closed.

Tajdar E Haram

This qawwali is a tribute to the Sabri Brothers. Atif Aslam gives it his all, thanks to the song itself, but also because he’s allowed to do more than croon cinematically.

Khwaja Mera Khwaja

Is composing music a skill, a talent or a calling? When it comes to Sufiana music, AR Rahman leaves little doubt in the matter. The soul of the song is in his voice, which seems to emanate from some deep meditative corner within himself. I could listen to this all day on loop.

Hasret

Hasret means ‘yearning’ in Turkish. Musician and composer Omer Faruk Tekbilek binds traditional Sufi tunes with ambient electronic sounds, for a transcendental aural experience. Sometimes, words are not necessary.

Alla Hoo

If you are a ’90s teen, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is bound to have influenced you. Even small tea shops in suburban towns near Madurai or Tanjore would play his Bollywood numbers from Aur Pyar Ho Gaya’. Does it matter that they couldn’t pronounce his name right? Here’s his timeless rendition of Alla Hoo.

Iraivanidam...

If you’re not from Tamil Nadu, this song may sound alien to you. But EM Hanifa (from Nagore, a small town near Chennai, famous for Biryani) broke religious barriers through this one song.
Mind you, this is not a generic devotional song. The refrain goes,
‘Seek, from Allah. He will never refuse.’
And yet, it continues to be a part of the essential morning playlist in most homes across Tamil Nadu.

Alif Alla!

‘My Master has planted
the fragrant seeds of love
in my heart’
So begins this beautiful Sufi-Rock song. Arif Lohar and Meesha Shafi build up a raging fire with this song, that is as beautiful to watch, as it is to listen.

(This article was first published on 7 July 2016. It is being reposted from The Quint’s archives.)