(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Sunidhi Chauhan tell Arti Dani what to expect from their upcoming Dubai Sufi Weekend
What are your plans for the UAE tour
RAHAT: I have just returned as the headline performer from the Nobel peace prize concert. But I am excited to perform something extremely special for my favourite audience of Dubai. This will be a wonderful surprise for all of my fans. My family’s roots have been deeply anchored in Qawwali music and Sufism for over 300 years. This is the music that we live and breathe so I look forward to performing live at this show. This will be a very special show because Sunidhi Chauhan and I will be performing together for the very first time.
SUNIDHI: I don’t have much time to go around in Dubai as I will be mentally busy with this show. I will find peace only when I am done performing for my audiences. I am really extremely excited for this show.
Sufi is almost a form of meditation and with a crowd of around 5000 people how difficult or easy will it be to maintain that aura
RAHAT: Strangely understanding Sufi is a very simply process it connects with ones heart and soul without even us realising it hence they will not need extra effort to relate to it.
SUNIDHI: For me music is actually meditation whether I sing a soft number or a fast number or a Sufi number. I go to another zone and it takes me to some other place some other world where I am like this bird who can fly wherever she wants to and its a fantastic feeling so you know its a high and luckily I am blessed to have experienced this feeling many time. I am sure even the audience will experience the same with me this time.
Could you tell us some of the songs that you would be singing
RAHAT: Zaroori Tha from my latest album Back 2 Love. This song just had 25 million views and is considered as one of the most popular love songs of 2014. I will also sing qawalis including top Bollywood hit songs and a very special song that I just performed at the Nobel peace prize concert as well. That song is about the relevance of education.
SUNIDHI: My recent favourite Sufi number is a song sung by me for the film Highway. The song is called Tu Kuja. I got extremely emotionally when I was recording this song. This will be my special song for the show.
Who are your favourite Sufi poets
RAHAT: I have been immensely influenced by Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi Jami Sheikh Sadi Mirza Ghalib Allama Iqbal Hazrat Baba Bullaeshah and many more. Their message is always based on humanity. All of these great poets talked about peace love harmony and brotherhood.
Today’s generation seems to be taken in by fast paced Bollywood numbers how do you make sure that Sufi music that you perform appeals to them
RAHAT: Interestingly last week I performed at an event and I was so overwhelmed to see that the front row was full of children from the age of 6 to perhaps 16 or 17. They responded and enjoyed qawalis like Tumhae Dillagi Dum Mast Qalander and more so ever Chaap Tilak.