Kafi

Kafi (Urdu: کافی) is a classical form of Sufi poetry originating from the Sindh, Pakistan. One of the more well-known poets of this style was Bulleh Shah, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sachal Sarmastand Khwaja_Ghulam_Farid

In musical terms, kafi refers to the genre of Urdu light classical music which utilizes the verses of kafi poets such as Bulleh Shah and Shah Hussein. Due to the religious nature of the poetic genre, kafi music is normally associated with the Sufi orders of Islam in South Asia. It is characterized by a devotional intensity in its delivery and as such overlaps considerably with both the Qawwali and Ghazal genres. However, unlike Qawwali, the musical arrangement may only include one harmonium, one tabla, one dholak and a single vocalist.

Kafi has gained a higher profile in the West of late thanks to the Pakistani singer Abida Parveen, who is widely heard like a qawwali maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in terms of Sufi singers known to western audiences.

Sample Kafi