Authors :
Shubhangi Chowdhury
Volume/Issue :
Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 1 - January
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/2m77t3da
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/kbccsf3s
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14651220
Abstract :
Sufi music is a devotional music genre that
originates from the mystical tradition of Sufism. It plays
a significant role in expressing the profound emotions and
spiritual experiences of Sufi practitioners, and listeners.
Also, it aims to transport listeners into a state of
heightened spiritual awareness. Sufi music in India is in
high demand; people have incorporated this genre into
the Indian sub-continental culture. This led to a rise in the
number of Sufi songs as well as Sufi artists in India.
Independent music artists have released their songs on
popular platforms like YouTube and other digital music
sites. Besides, the incorporation of Sufi Music heavily in
the last 20 years of Hindi cinema has made it a popular
culture in society. Indian city Kolkata is known for its
affection towards musical culture. Recently, there has
been a rising appeal among the youth for Sufi Music.
Young people are frequently seen singing at Sufi music
performances and mentioning how the music has affected
them. Even due to the flexibility of this genre, there has
been a creation of Sufi music over the past few years by
audiences' needs and preferences. Therefore, the goal of
this study is to examine how Hindi film contributes to the
development of a Sufi music culture among young people
and the factors that contribute to the growing popularity
of Sufi music among them, with an emphasis on the Indian
state of West Bengal. To do this, a survey of 100 young
people living in different districts of West Bengal and a
content study of Hindi movie songs released in the past
few years have been carried out in the study.
Keywords :
Popular Culture, Sufi Music, Hindi Films, Youth, West Bengal.
References :
- Auer, B. (2019). The Origins and Evolution of Sufi Communities in South Asia Revisited. journal of Sufi Studies, 8, 30-49. https://doi.org/10.1163/22105956-12341314
- Boroujerdi, M. (1993). Influence of Sufism on Literature and Art. Contemporary relevance of Sufism, 169-184.
- Jaiswal, M. K. (2021). Role of Sufi Music in 21st Century Hindi Cinema: An Analytical Study. Communication Today, 25(3),59-66. https://www.academia.edu/83498008/Role_of_Sufi_Music_in_21st_Century_Hindi_Cinema_An_Analytical_Study
- Kataria, P., & Sharma, R. K. (2018). Major Sufi Mystic and Sufiana Singing Styles. Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education, 15(6), 940–944. Ignited Minds. https://ignited.in/index.php/jasrae/article/view/8638
- Khan, A. (2020, July 30). 7 Sufi songs that brought Sufi to the masses through Bollywood. The Plunge Daily. https://mybigplunge.com/culture/7-sufi-songs-that-brought-sufi-to-the-masses/
- Murarka, H. (2021). Transcending Barriers, Uniting People: Sufi Music in India [Blog]. https://map-india.org/transcending-barriers-uniting-people-sufi-music-in-india/
- Qureshi, R. (1990). Sufi Music of India and Pakistan.: Sound, Context and Meaning in Qawwali. Asian Music, 21(2), 151-155. https://doi.org/10.2307/834116
- Rajan, B. (2014, July). Infusion of Technology and Changing Face of Sufi Music. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318226766_Infusion_of_Technology_and_Changing_Face_of_Sufi_Music
- Schimmel, A. (2024, December 21). Sufism | Definition, History, Beliefs, Significance, & Facts. Britannica. Retrieved January 13, 2025, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sufism
- Sen, R. (2023, March 03). Sufi Music – A Divine and Spiritually Enthralling Experience. caleidoscope. https://www.caleidoscope.in/art-culture/sufi-music
- Wolf, R. K. (2006). The poetics of “Sufi” practice. American Ethnologist, 33(2), 246–268. Academia
Sufi music is a devotional music genre that
originates from the mystical tradition of Sufism. It plays
a significant role in expressing the profound emotions and
spiritual experiences of Sufi practitioners, and listeners.
Also, it aims to transport listeners into a state of
heightened spiritual awareness. Sufi music in India is in
high demand; people have incorporated this genre into
the Indian sub-continental culture. This led to a rise in the
number of Sufi songs as well as Sufi artists in India.
Independent music artists have released their songs on
popular platforms like YouTube and other digital music
sites. Besides, the incorporation of Sufi Music heavily in
the last 20 years of Hindi cinema has made it a popular
culture in society. Indian city Kolkata is known for its
affection towards musical culture. Recently, there has
been a rising appeal among the youth for Sufi Music.
Young people are frequently seen singing at Sufi music
performances and mentioning how the music has affected
them. Even due to the flexibility of this genre, there has
been a creation of Sufi music over the past few years by
audiences' needs and preferences. Therefore, the goal of
this study is to examine how Hindi film contributes to the
development of a Sufi music culture among young people
and the factors that contribute to the growing popularity
of Sufi music among them, with an emphasis on the Indian
state of West Bengal. To do this, a survey of 100 young
people living in different districts of West Bengal and a
content study of Hindi movie songs released in the past
few years have been carried out in the study.
Keywords :
Popular Culture, Sufi Music, Hindi Films, Youth, West Bengal.