Qawwali is a Sufi devotional form known as the “path of the heart”. Popularized by the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, qawwali songs are based on the mystical poetry of Sufism. The traditional music works its way to ecstatic peaks with strong voices and percussive handclaps, seeking to transport musicians and audience closer to the divine.

Fareed Ayaz, Abu Muhammad Qawwal and Brothers are masters of Qawwali Sufi music as well as classical genres such as tarana, thumri, and khayal. They belong to the Qawwal Bachon ka Gharana of Delhi, a music school founded in the 14th century that remains the best-known gharana today. Weaving together devotional and secular traditions, Ayaz and company have been bringing South Asian music to international audiences for over 30 years.

This program is part of Asia Society's ongoing initiative Creative Voices of Muslim Asia.

Download the program notes here. 

Held in conjunction with the Lahore Literary Festival. Major support for performances at Asia Society is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Helen and Will Little, the Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc. and the New York State Council on the Arts.

For information on the morning session of LLF, click here.

For information on the afternoon session of LLF, click here.