Dub Qalandar is an intercultural music, dance and percussion spectacular which has been specially created as the closing signature event for the Birmingham Weekender Festival. Over 30 master musicians and artists will come together in a spiritually uplifting tapestry which pays tribute to Birmingham’s rich cultural diversity.
Dub Qalandar’s line-up includes: the sensational reggae band Legend, ‘shear khawani’ folk musicians from Azad Kashmir Folk Group, the sublime roots empress Yaz Alexander, the ascending voice of Nasa Munir, ‘Saiful Malook’by Lala Qudeer, Bulley Shah kalams by Tariq Mehmood, ‘Mast Qalandar’ by Azar Hussain Qawwal, mesmerising ‘Heer’ by Sanyogita Kumari, Rasta reasonings by Moqapi Selassie, words of wisdom by Vimal Kumar, ritual drummers led by Nicky Reid, lamenting bansuri flute by Waqas Choudhary, the extraordinary tabla maestro Mohinder Singh and the spirit of the dance by Sandra Golding.
Sufi mystic music meets roots reggae in a deep spiritual dub mix, from village clay pitchers, intricate sitars rifts, rhythmic Qawwali clapping, punctuating dholki beats, reverberating bass lines, skanking guitars to nyabinghi drummers. This new intercultural orchestra is musically directed by the award- winning composer Simon Duggal, production and stage managed by Alex Williams and is conceived and directed by Mukhtar Dar.
Director of Arts at The Drum and Creative Director of Dub Qalander, Mukhtar Dar talks about his inspiration for this event. “I have organised reggae concerts, I have organised Sufi concerts and I’ve danced the night away at dub sessions. In Dub Qalandar I’ve attempted to bring the artists and the audiences for these distinct yet similar musical genres together. Sufi music and roots reggae are essentially rooted in philosophies of spiritual enlightenment and the negation of earthly desires. A symbolic commonality between the followers of roots music, are the dreadlocks adorned by the Rastafarians and the wondering mystic of the subcontinent.”
Dub Qalandar is infused with Sufi sensibilities and infectious reggae vibes, as a project it draws on and pays tribute to Birmingham’s super diversity. “Everyone at the Drum, the artists and production team are all delighted to be part of Dub Qalandar and the closing finale to the Birmingham Weekender festival” added Mr Dar.
