The traditional qawwali of the original Qawwal Bacchay Gharana, tracing its lineage to Amir Khusro, is having a remarkable moment on the global stage.
It was announced recently that Ustad Naseeruddin Saami will receive the prestigious Patron’s Award at the Aga Khan Music Awards being held in London, for his lifelong dedication to preserving the 800-year-old Khayaal tradition. Ustad Naseer Ahmed Khan Warsi and Nazeer Ahmed Khan Warsi, grandsons of the legendary Ustad Aziz Ahmed Khan Warsi Qawwal from the former princely state of Hyderabad Deccan, have also been honoured with the same award.
The multiple award-winning documentary Songs of the Sufi, based on this gharana, was invited amongst cultural projects from across the Muslim world to be screened at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, as part of Islamic Heritage Month and the Ishq Festival— marking its 30th international screening after screenings at leading universities, film and literary festivals.
From Karachi to Hyderabad Deccan, New York, London, Berlin, and Toronto, qawwali— rooted in the poetry of devotion and the discipline of classical music—continues to transcend boundaries
Kamran Anwar, producer of the film, remarked: “Traditional qawwali is the living expression of the subcontinent’s composite heritage — born from centuries of dialogue between poetry, mysticism, and classical music. Its power lies in its sincerity: a form so rooted in devotion that it resonates as naturally in Karachi or Kathmandu as it does in London or Toronto.”
Dr Katherine Schofield, Head of the Music Department at King’s College London, added: “The Qawwal Bacchay Gharana stands at the heart of the subcontinent’s musical heritage. Its survival into the twenty-first century, through oral transmission and deep spiritual commitment, is one of the most compelling examples of how sacred music traditions sustain cultural identity over centuries.”
This renewed international awareness of traditional qawwali follows a remarkable season of performances: Qawwal Najmuddin–Saifuddin and Brothers held 20 concerts across the UK this summer, while qawwali maestros Farid Ayaz and Abu Mohammad, and Abdullah Niazi Qawwal and Sons, continue to perform to sold-out audiences across the US and Canada.
Najmuddin Qawwal, son of Ustaad Bahauddin Qawwal of the same gharana, reflected: “This has been our tradition for 25 generations, and we are honoured that the words of the great Sufis continue to spread through our immediate and extended family.”
From Karachi to Hyderabad Deccan, New York, London, Berlin, and Toronto, qawwali— rooted in the poetry of devotion and the discipline of classical music—continues to transcend boundaries, carrying forward an unbroken legacy of song, devotion and culture.