I recently received the distinct pleasure of connecting with Qais Essar, a musician whose musical talents transcend mere entertainment and present him in the realm of spiritual devotion. In this interview, we explore a range of topics from his musical career, his latest album release, spirituality, culture, the creative process, and Tawhid.

Be sure to check out his latest release “The Ghost You Love the Most”, available everywhere digital music is bought and streamed, and on his website. In fact, start playing it now, as you read this post.

Act 1: Understanding Qais through Music

Abbas: What was your relationship to music growing up?

Qais: Music has always been an incredible force in my life. A brilliant force like that of the sun, whose gravitational pull commands the planets, my life too revolves around music. And much like the sun, it has been the only constant in my life. The pursuit of music is endless. Practice is endless. This was true in my adolescence as it is now – it’s a lifelong dedication. It has always been a refuge, a warm embrace. Socially inept, I found early on it’s the only way I am able to communicate clearly and be comfortable in a group of people. I learned it as much as I devour, music from here and there, this instrument, that instrument. Then I started to hear music beyond the songs and instruments but in nature and the world around us. The pitch of the cicada’s calls, the melodies of birds. The realization when music is all around, and that everything is making music and is not aware of it. Your heartbeat is the best back beat you were never aware of, and it’s in your chest. And just as when the sun sets in our sky, any absences of music in my life have been a cold, dark, and starless night. Music will always be everything for me.

A: Did you always want to be a musician as a career? What was the turning point for you that made you go all in with the music?

Q: It was not so much that I wanted to make a career from music, it’s just that there is nothing else I would rather do. So, I had to figure it out along the way, begrudgingly. I found out there is no such thing as just being a musician – you have to wear a lot of hats. Independent artists are, in reality, juggling a few careers. I had my parent’s blessings, begrudgingly, to do whatever I wanted, after I deliver a degree from a university. It was about two months after graduating where I put my foot on the throttle and started to find some opportunities. You can do anything you want, you just have to do the work. And that’s exactly what I did, from coffee houses to concert halls.

A: What was your family’s reaction to your choice of pursuing a creative path, full time?

Q: I would not be where I am today, neither physically, nor my ability to learn and pursue music, had it not been for my parents. My parents are the only family and community that I have, and albeit they were hesitant at first when I wanted to make a career out of music, they have been my strongest pillars. Anyone that loves you will be hesitant when you do something crazy and wanting to pursue art as a career is crazy. It’s time-consuming – there’s no money, little respect, expectations, hustle, etc. I’m sure my parents would have felt more comfortable had I gone the doctor/engineer route, knowing that would provide a more stable life. However, I never really wanted all that… I wanted to blaze my own path. And so, I took the work ethic of the doctor/engineer and applied it to music, and I think that some point it dawned on them that I was going to make this happen on way or the other because I worked so hard. This is not a mere career, but a life path. I think that’s what anyone that loves someone really wants, not for someone to just fill in another slot in the societal machine, but to carve a niche or your own and flourish.

Act 2: Understanding Music through Qais

A: What is your creative process like when you are creating/writing a song?

Q: It always starts with a seed, a melody of the sort: that’s all it really takes. If it’s the right seed, it grows by itself, aside from the occasional watering. Sometimes you get a bad seed, and you grow something halfway and its rubbish and so you start over. There’s always something floating around in my head, it’s a matter of preparing myself to retrieve it all. And to do this, everything has to s l o w down. That’s the hard part.

A: What is your creative process when you are performing on stage?

Q: I check out on stage, mostly. At this point, I have learned to trust in the efforts of daily practice and study and not be in my head. I just want to present the music, it’s really not about me on stage, so I try not to be in my body either. Checking out leaves room for something else to check in – becoming an empty vessel essentially and letting the music channel through you. Virtuosity can be appreciated, but it seldom is moving if it’s a show based on how amazing your skills are. It should be your skills that accentuate how amazing the music is. Nothing is worse than ego on stage, its ugly to watch, to listen to, to feel – because you’ve lost track and aren’t doing service to the music, you’re only serving yourself.

A: What role do you believe music plays in culture in today’s world?

Q: Music is the audible representative of a culture. There are simply things that can be represented by music that cannot be painted or put into words. For so many of us, the swing in our folk beats is just as an identifiable trait of our culture as our food or clothes. Music is the purveyor of culture. Music can penetrate and permeate through any cultural norms or boundaries. Given the current geopolitical climate, music is the best way to take a look at each other, without the media bias or coloring, and begin to understand one another. I can say most cultures I have known of or come about have all had music as a common denominator.

A: What kinds of music do you listen to in your own time?

Q: I used to listen to a lot of different music, but not so much anymore. Though I will always listen to Indian classical music every day. I have also been listening to The Beatles (circa 1964-1970) daily for a very long time now as well. My last favorite record was Devendra Banhart’s ‘Cripple Crow’ when I was 18 or so.

A: You write that your latest album, “The Ghost You Love the Most” was an artistic statement, in comparison to your previous work which was exploration and setting the stage. What is the statement or narrative of this new album?

Q: Borrowing from Islamic and Eastern lore, the album tells the story of a protagonist’s search for meaning and unanswered questions at the end of a wretched life, wherein after death, begins the quest through the land of Qaf. In this alternate realm, land of djinn and other fantastical creatures lives the Simurgh on the top of the Mt. Qaf- an emerald mountain whose ascension represents the pilgrims’ spiritual state. In conference with the Simurgh is where the protagonist hopes to find peace and resolution. What is said between these two is, however, unknown to even me, hence the last track being left “untitled”. Ultimately salvation means different things to different people and should be left to be interpreted by the individual listener.

Act 3: Accessing the Divine through Music

A: How do you view your personal relationship with the Divine through music, through sound?

Q: At the onset of existence as we know it, there was sound. Be it the command of God or be it a big bang, everything since has followed that sound. For those that look at music as more than just entertainment, music can be an interpretation of the original sound that has been vibrating and rippling outward since the beginning of time. With the correct intention, it can be transcending, it can be a form of prayer.

A: Do you think that music could play a more active role in the spiritual expression of Muslims?

Q: The promotion, and nurturing of self-expression within the community is more the issue. It is only in this environment where people will gravitate to what suits them. The average Muslim’s connection to God is personal, and they should be able to incorporate that relationship into their own lives in their own way and to some that maybe spiritual expression through music. And for some maybe not. And that’s fine- Islam is not a monolith. All rivers flow no matter the route will flow to the ocean.

A: What kind of ma’rifa (gnosis as opposed to knowledge) is embedded in melody, and how does that relate to emotions?

Q: How much do you think can be actually said with words? Think of all the complexities of emotions at a given moment, or of a beautiful sunset. Can you ever truly convey what you experience in these instances with words? No. If we learn to listen for things not obvious, many things can reveal itself in places not expected.

Act 4: Accessing Music through the Divine

A: You mention music as the sonic/acoustic baseline and background of the cosmos, but I have not heard singing in your songs. What would you say is the power of sounds as they relate to words (and singing, chanting, Dhikr, prayers, daily conversations), and their relationship to music?

Q: I think its so much more a physical connection. With singing, you are in essence becoming the instrument. The addition of words or lyrics create clear intent and focus. It is very deliberate. Whether in exalting God with the recitation of one word, or portrayal of emotion in the lyric, it’s much more powerful. This is why words are paired with melody, because of the powerful effect it has- to traverse, to penetrate, to inspire, to heal, to console.

A: How can Tawhid be experienced through music?

Q: It’s the same with anything really, there’s all one source. You compose knowing these sounds existed before and will exist long after and that it all came from one source. You listen knowing the same.

A: What is the mindset that will allow a seeker to actively engage with a piece, as opposed to passively consuming it as entertainment or background music?

Q: To sit and actively listen. No one takes time for anything anymore. When eating, sit, chew well, and take your time. When listening to music, sit, and really listen. Listen to the different parts, listen to the changes, and see how it makes you feel. Someone put thought into these things, it’s supposed to convey something. Most people have music on now, not to listen to but to have in lieu of silence, which in itself is very important. Not all music is entertainment per say and should be consumed like you would consume a nourishing meal, with care. Both do the body good.