It is the day and age of multi-tasking. In line with this practice, DLF Mall of India in Noida hosts events that go beyond shopping. Perhaps to pep the mood during the post-Diwali and pre-Christmas lull, they organised Sufi musical soirees last weekend in the mall.

The event – Sufi Sama – comprised of performances by the Nizami Brothers and Lakhwinder Wadali on consecutive evenings. We were in Noida on 27th October, Friday evening, and dropped by. Lakhwinder Wadali, successor to the renowned Wadali Brothers, was singing that evening to a packed house. While standies at various points in the mall announced the evening, we were surprised to see a full house on the third floor.

And that is no surprise given that Lakhwinder Wadali’s singing has an earthy appeal in an urban style. His heavy voice yet soulful rendition resonated through the make-shift auditorium. Wadali’s repertoire included Sufi numbers, Punjabi folk and qawwalis accompanied by a lot of clapping by his troupe. The troupe needs special mention. Accompanying Wadali in vocals, clapping and dhol, tabla, drums, keyboards, etc., not a single member was off-key.

The songs included popular numbers such as “Tu maane ya na maane” / “Laage tumse man ki lagan” / “Charkha“. These were intercepted by verses by Wadali. The whole program was very suitable for the ushering of the weekend – every Friday evening. The audience’s heavy clapping accompanying the songs clearly indicated that they were lapping up every bit of the show.

The evening was hosted by Rahul Makin, renowned RJ from 104 Fever FM who were transmitting the event on their radio channel.

DLF Mall of India has been trying to engage, not only shoppers but all sorts of audiences. As a result, they have hosted comedy shows by well-known as well as aspiring comedians. We have also heard the famous band Advaita at DLF’s CyberHub. Enrolling DLF Mall of India for musical events is perhaps the next step.

Sufi Samaa by DLF Mall of India was open to all – no entry charges – a Fun-Do that we look forward to attending again.