Humnawa Music of Pakistan

A group of qawwali artists is known as Humnawa in Urdu, it is mainly made up of eight or nine men, and women are usually excluded from the traditional Muslim music as respectable women are traditionally banned from singing in open occasions. Though these customs are evolving (due to strong western media influence) including a lead singer, one or two side singers, and one or two harmoniums (that may be played by the lead singer, side singer or someone else) and drumming. If there is only one percussionist, he plays the dholak and table, normally the table with his left hand and the dholak with his right hand. Frequently there will be two percussionists where one might play the table and the other playing the dholak. There is also chorus of four or five men who repeat the key verses and who assist and help drumming by hand clapping. The artists sit in two rows and the lead singer, side singers and harmonium players in the front row and the chorus and percussionists in the back row.

source of picture: www.saudigazette.com.sa

Some of the prominent composers and artists of qawwali include Aziz Mian, Munshi Raziuddin, Ustad Badar uz Zaman, Igbal hussian Khan Bandanawazi, Ateeq Hussain Khan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Qawwal Bahauddin, Sabri Bothers and Overload.