HAMZA AKRAM QAWWAL & BROTHERS To Perform Sufi Chants OF Pakistan At Roulette In March

Robert Browning Associates, Lotus Music & Dance and Roulette present Pakistan's award-winning Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers, grandsons of the revered Munshi Raziuddin. The award-winning ensemble represents 26 generations of ecstatic qawwali music.

Pakistan's award-winning Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers, grandsons of the revered Munshi Raziuddin, will perform riveting interpretations of qawwali, the ecstatic improvisational Sufi vocal tradition made famous in the West by the late Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. With lively rhythmic handclapping and drumming, joyous melodies, inspirational poetry and powerful vocals (similar to gospel in its call-and-response manner), they will perform songs that range from 13th century mystical Persian poems to more recent Punjabi poems that speak of the intoxication of divine love.

Hamza Akram (lead vocals, harmonium) and his brothers Taimoor Akram (tabla - pair of hand drums, solo vocals) and Abdul Akram (harmonium, solo vocals) will be joined by their father Ghulam Akram (supporting vocals, chorus}, Shahzad Hussain (chorus, clapping) and Prakash (dholak - two-headed drum).

Qawwali is a musical tradition that dates back to the late 13th century and is typically associated with Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam popularized throughout the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa through various “brotherhoods.” Qawwali means “utterance” in Urdu and is derived from the Arabic word qaul (saying). Said to have been introduced to the Mughal court of India by the Persian mystic, poet, musician and philosopher Amir Khusrau, it is essentially a form of sung poetry. The qawwal engenders a state of transcendence in his audience, drawing on verses that ponder the meaning of Divine love through allegory, or are devoted to the sayings of the Prophet (Mohammed) or a particular Sufi saint.

Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers

Hamza Akram Qawwal & Brothers represent the 26th generation of the seven centuries-old Qawwal Bachon ka Gharana of Delhi founded by their ancestor Saamat bin Ibrahim, the first qawwal of the subcontinent and principal student of mystic Amir Khusrau. Hamza, who was born in Karachi, Pakistan in 1992, has studied with the renowned Naseeruddin Saami, as well as with his uncle, Farid Ayaz Qawwal, with whom he and his brothers Taimoor and Abdul have toured.  Hamza's father, Ghulam Akram, is a senior member of the Farid Ayaz Qawwal party. In 2017, Hamza became the first qawwal since Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to compose film music, writing and producing music for the Pakistani feature film Rangreza. That same year, the group won the Lux Style award. To date they have performed extensively, appearing throughout the US, Europe and the UAE.

More information

Friday, March 8, 2024 at 8:00 PM at Roulette, 509 Atlantic Avenue at 3rd Avenue, Downtown Brooklyn. Tickets: $35 in advance*; $40 at door; $30 students, seniors in advance* and at door *(+$2.50 processing fee per advance ticket). Box office 917-263-0363   

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