What is Khayal?

Khayal—literally “imagination”—is a classical vocal tradition rooted in subtlety, depth, and emotional
precision. It privileges improvisation, offering a musical expression of inner thought and feeling—unfolding slowly, like a breath held in devotion. Unlike the Western scale of 12 notes, Khayal explores the microtonal spaces between notes—known as shrutis.

Ustaad Saami and his two eldest sons, Ustaads Rauf and Urooj Saami are the only living practitioners who perform using 49 microtones, a level of auditory refinement that takes decades to master. This is music not just heard—it is felt, tuned to the vibrations of the soul.
 

In an age of noise and speed, Khayal offers something quietly radical: a return to listening, to stillness, to the healing force of sound. The Saami family carries this ancient art forward—as a healing remedy.

What is Qawwali?

Qawwali is devotional music rooted in Sufism. It is designed not to entertain, but to elevate—to move the listener toward the Divine Beloved. Its origins lie in the Sufi ritual of Sama’a, where repeated verses (Qaul) and melodic improvisation guide the soul into a trance-like state of remembrance (zikr). Over 800 years ago, Amir Khusrau fused Persian modes with Indian ragas, creating the distinct form we know today: a lead vocalist (ustaad), chorus of qawwals, clapping, tabla, and harmonium, all building toward spiritual ecstasy.
Qawwali lyrics draw from poets like Rumi, Hafez, Saadi, Jami, and Khusrau, sung in languages like Farsi, Urdu, and Punjabi.
 

“Qawwali is the gentle stir within that elevates the mind, soul, and body. If you feel this, it is qawwali. If not, it was something else.”
-Ustaad Rauf Saami

WHY THIS MATTERS NOW

The Saami Brothers represent a rare and enduring presence in the music world, offering something that cannot be simply captured or replicated in the digital age. Their music isn’t just heard; it is experienced—lived, transmitted, and felt in the very breath of the moment.

What they offer transcends musical tradition. It is a technology for the inner self, honed over centuries to refine attention, elevate the spirit, and quiet the noise of modern life. Through the sacred power of raag,
microtones, and intricate rhythms, they engage with a deep, transformative tradition that nourishes the soul.

In an era that prizes speed and instant gratification, Ustaad Saami and The Saami Brothers stand as a countercultural force, devoted to the practice of sustained focus—staying in sur, finding the note, and
holding it in stillness. This commitment to deep, unhurried musicality is not just a performance, but an invitation to slow down, listen, and reconnect with something profound. 

This tradition stands at a critical juncture. Facing the pressures of commercialization, the diminishing of patronage, and the challenges of political forces, what they represent is increasingly rare. Their work
has persisted not because of widespread institutional support, but in spite of it—borne forward by the dedication and passion that has sustained it for generations.

To engage with their music is not merely to witness a living heritage—it is to experience a powerful connection to something timeless.

At the turn of the 14th Century, the great Sufi composer, poet and scholar Amir Khusrau assembled these concepts of samaa’a into specific chosen raags, enhancing their spiritual and musical impact, and the first qawwali was born. To achieve this impact, Khusro fused Persian musical modes with Indian ragas and added rhythmic patterns and instruments like the tabla (a pair of hand drums) and sitar to the performance. He also designed the first distinctive format of qawwali which you see replicated today, with a lead singer (the ustaad), a chorus of backup singers (qawwals), and a supporting instrumental and rhythmic clapping ensemble.

His sole student, Miyan Samat Bin Ibrahim, would birth what is today known as the Delhi Qawwal Bacha Gharana, who were charged with preserving the authenticity of this raag-bound qawwali. The Saami Brothers are living representatives of this tradition, one of the few who practice it authentically, without innovation.

This Gharana has produced famous Ustads like the late Ustad Tanras Khan Sahab, the Saami Brother’s direct ancestor, who was court musician and tutor in classical music of Bahadur Shah Zafar the twentieth and last Mughal Emperor whose rule ended at the end of the 19th Century. Ustad Tanras Khan Sahab popularized qawwali and khayal singing outside of the royal courts and into the public sphere.

Anyone in the world today who is performing true qawwali was a student of this family or students of their students. Much of the lyrics of the qawwali today are drawn from the works of famous Sufi poets, such as Rumi, Jaami, Hafez, Saadi & Amir Khusro. These poets wrote about Divine Love, the nature of God, and the mystical journey of the soul, sung in Urdu, Farsi, Punjabi, Hindi, Saraiki and beyond.

Today, the head living representative of this Gharana is the Saami Brother’s preeminent father and teacher, Ustaad Naseeruddin Saami Sahab, one of the most revered and respected names in the world of subcontinental classical music today. Saami Brothers, started their training at a tender age, training in classical music under the rigorous and critical tutelage by their two Ustaads: their maternal grandfather, late Ustad Munshi Raziuddin Ahmad Khan (student of their grandfather Abdul Hamid Khansahab) and their father, Ustaad Naseeruddin Saami.

Muhammad Rauf Saami 

Muhammad Rauf Saami is an accomplished vocalist, khayal practitioner, and lead member of the Saami Brothers Qawwal, the humble custodians of the traditions of Qawwali and Khayaal of Hazrat Ameer Khusrau and Ustaad Taanrus Khan Sahab. As the eldest son and disciple of the critically acclaimed Maestro Ustaad Naseeruddin Saami, he is well versed in several eastern classical genres, including Khayal, and is currently performing in a Riwayiti (traditional) Qawwali Group.

Rauf Naseeruddin Saami grew up in a family with rich musical heritage, referred to as the Qawwal Bachha Delhi Gharana. The lineage of this gharana leads back around 800 years, all the way to Saamat Bin Ibrahim, a principal student of Hazrat Ameer Khusro.

From an early age, they were blessed to have been taught the intricacies of classical music by the late Ustaad Mushi Raziuddin Ahmed Khan, the late Ustaad Nizamuddin Saami, and Ustaad Naseeruddin Saami. Muhammad Rauf Naseeruddin Saami’s maternal grandfather, Munshi Raziuddin Qawal, was also an internationally renowned performer and has one of the five main roads named after him in the “Qawwali Lane” section of Karachi’s Garden District. Now, Saami Brothers Qawwal are strict adherents to the classical tradition of qawwali, and they strive to maintain their distinct identity through a purist ideology; the roots and the originals have been perfected, and so they bring few changes to them, instead allowing modern audiences a sampling of the traditional qawwalis. A sampling of the different languages the troupe is fluent in—Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, and Persian, among others—exhibits the pluralism and diversity of their art form. Through their diverse language of expression, they highlight a message of tolerance and acceptance.