Abida Parveen: Ho Jamalo

Adil Najam

We come from a land of some amazing folk anthems. But none, at least for me, has the all-encompassing trance-enducing effect that Ho Jamallo has.

Of course, you cannot possibly sit still through any rendition of Shahbaz Qalandar, but nothing makes one lose ones sense of presence in the present quite the way that Ho Jamallo does. And who better to sing it than Abida Parveen.

This rendition is just as it should be. “Led” by Abida Parveen but sung by the entire room. Every time I listen to this, I feel like wanting to join that first guy who gets up to dance – I, too, cannot dance!

I probably would not get up to dance. But I know exactly the state that he is in. In many ways he – and those who join him – embody the spirit of this anthem even more than Abida Parveen does. It seems that for Abida Parveen, as for them, this is not a “performance” for the audience. This is a “performance” for one’s own self. And, of course, the pinnacle of all art has to be that which you perform for yourself.

I know enough Sindhi to follow some, but not all, of what the words mean. I have not been able to find a good translation and maybe we should all pool our skills to put one together here.

I am hoping that our friend Mast Qalandar (aka Aziz Akhmad) will find it in him to do a post on the history and meaning behind “Ho Jamalo.” I have been able to find little snipets of what this means and why. Maybe, those who know better can fill us in on the details.

Help us, please, write this post.

What is the history of this song and the “Ho Jamalo” chant? What do these words mean? And why does thsi have the effect it has even on those of us who only partially understand the words?

I had really hoped to write a post on all of that, but everytime I hear the song I go into a trance and feel that maybe I should be dancing to the song rather than writing about it!

Also see at ATP:
Faiz Mohammad Baloch: A True Performer
Tribute to a Musical Giant: Khamisu Khan and Son
Tufail Niazi: An Amazing Singer’s Amazing Story
Today in Kot Addu: Remembering Pathanay Khan
Rahim Shah: Going Beyond the Frontier
Atta Ullah Eesakhelvi and the Cassette Revolution
Reshma and Son: The Voice of the Desert