Saami Brothers Qawwal Concert

Asia Society presents a deeply moving evening of Khayal and Qawwali, timeless musical forms rooted in the rich spiritual heritage of Sufism. Ustad Rauf Saami and Urooj Saami, torchbearers of the legendary Delhi Qawwal Bacha Gharana and direct descendants of Ustad Tanras Khan Sahab, guide audiences through the intricate and transcendent realms of Khayal. Their performance will be followed by a powerful and soul-stirring Qawwali by the Saami Brothers, who carry forward a centuries-old legacy of devotional music.

This joyful gathering offers a rare opportunity to witness the sacred soundscape of Khayal and Qawwali in its most authentic form—an immersive journey through rhythm, melody, and mystic verse drawn from the poetry of Rumi, Amir Khusrau, Hafez, and other Sufi luminaries.

This concert is presented in conjunction with the Lahore Literary Festival in New York 2025, where living legend Ustad Naseeruddin Saami discusses the practice and history of Khayal and Qawwali in a panel with Zeb Bangash and Nusrat Durrani, among others.