Qawwali as Oral Poetry and Living Folklore

Abstract

The present study examines the poetic, spiritual and folkloric aspects of Qawwali as an oral poetry
come alive folktale experience. Framed as a folk tradition, the research speaks to the broader relevance
of Qawwali both in safeguarding and systematizing Sufi oral heritage. It also delineates how Qawwali
acts as a cultural object, exemplifying the values, conflicts and aspirations of the communities engaged.
The following questions will be addressed in the paper: in what manners does Qawwali mediate
between the personal and communal, and sacred and secular? Like any living folklore, it continues to
survive in part because of its performative nature. In what sense does Qawwali operate as a means of
addressing current concerns while preserving its expressional integrity? The goal is to show that
Qawwali poetry and folklore as oral cultural forms are vibrant, evolving in content with respect to
spiritual core.