World Music Institute to Kick Off 2021-2022 Season With Riyaaz Qawwali

World Music Institute will return to presenting live music after last year's COVID pause, celebrating its 36th year in NYC with an exciting and eclectic lineup of global artists. The season kicks off with an encore performance from multinational devotional group Riyaaz Qawwali on Friday, September 17.

ORIGINS SERIES Riyaaz Qawwali Friday, September 17, 2021 Doors: 7PM | Show: 7:30PM Kaufman Music Center 129 W 67th St Manhattan Tickets: $30 | $45

Following a sold-out WMI performance at the historic Cathedral of St. John the Divine in 2019, Riyaaz Qawwali is back in NYC. The ensemble consists of an ethnically and spiritually diverse group of musicians from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who are dedicated to promoting awareness of qawwali and honoring the 700-year old tradition of this devotional musical form. In June, Riyaaz Qawwali's Artistic Director Sonny K. Mehta joined the "WMI Plus at Home" virtual series for a conversation with South Asia Institute Executive Director, Asad Ali Jafri, to explore the past, present, and future of this devotional music tradition.

WMI continues to present this free, monthly, online series, with Leyla McCalla on Sept 13 and Natu Camara on Sept 27, and more to come.

See WMI's full Fall/Winter schedule, with venue, artist, and ticketing information at the WMI website: https://www.worldmusicinstitute.org. About World Music Institute: Founded in 1985 as a not-for-profit, World Music Institute (WMI) has served as one of the leading presenters of world music and dance within the United States. WMI is committed to presenting the best in traditional and contemporary music and dance from around the world with the goal of inspiring wonder for the world's rich cultural traditions, promoting awareness and appreciation and encouraging cross-cultural dialog and exchange. WMI presents at venues throughout the city and depends on both public and private funding to accomplish its mission.

The program is made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.