Abdul Haque Chang

ABDUL HAQUE CHANG, Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, Pakistan, received funding in August 2020 to aid research on ‘The Making of Shah Jo Raag: An Ethnographic Study of Sufi Musical Tradition in Sindh, Pakistan Sindh, Pakistan.’ This research aimed to understand the making of Shah Jo Rag through historical and ethnographic methods. The major question for inquiry was how social change has been taking place in this tradition and how traditional musicians’ ideas about what is Shah Jo Rag and how it needs to be performed and conceptualized have changed over the last 30 years. Before, Shah Jo Rag was strictly controlled and regulated. At present, the sacred aspect has also been impacted due to social change and the market economy’s predominance in the sacred sphere of Shah Jo Rag. The increasing demand for the Shah Jo Rag in society has shaped its current counters. This research studied 12 groups performing at the shrine. The everyday practices of these groups have been considered. Based on these practices and the approach of phenomenology, generalization has been made regarding the continuation, social change, and current practices regarding the musical and socio-musical aspects of Shah Jo Rag. This study suggests that tradition is undergoing a drastic change in terms of its musical quality, and the centrality of the musical aspect is changing.