Mehfil-e-Qawwali: Songs from a Sufi Shrine | Concert Information

Qawwali is a Sufi expression of devotion, known as “path of the heart”. Qawwali’s present form can be traced back to 13th century India, when musician, politician and Sufi poet from the Chisti order in Delhi, Amir Khusru, wrote songs that combined elements from Persian, Turkish and Indian music to create qawwali’s signature, exciting sound. From hallowed shrines to bustling Bollywood, qawwali music and lyrics—it is Sufi poetry that is sung—have permeated the mainstream.

In this concert, one of India’s most celebrated qawwali singers The Qutbi Brothers presents a rousing performance of this ancient devotional form, in multiple languages including Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Farsi and Arabic. With a lineage of over 800 years in the Sufi tradition passed on from the great mystics and saints, the award-winning The Qutbi Brothers are renowned for their distinct singing style and modern qawwalis. They are regular singers at the dargah (mausoleum or Sufi shrine) of Hazrat Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, a Sufi saint and scholar who is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of Sufism.

Concert Details

• Mehfil-e-Qawwali: Songs from a Sufi Shrine
• Date: 30 Apr - 1 May 2023
• Time: 8.30pm
• Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall | Esplanade Outdoor Theatre
• Address: Esplanade Dr, Singapore

Registration

• Available on Esplanade
• Free, Registration is required for the show in Esplanade Concert Hall on 30 Apr
• Priority Registration for Esplanade&Me members: 6 – 9 Apr
• Public Registration: from 10 Apr
• Admission Age: 10 and above (30 Apr) | 0 and above (1 May)
• Language: Hindi, Urdu

Information Source: Esplanade