The Saami Brothers: Qawwali Masters from Pakistan (5 pm show)
Schedule
Sat, 21 Mar, 2026 at 05:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
221 Water St E, Charlottesville, VA, United States, Virginia 22902 | Charlottesville, VA
Advertisement
The Front Porch and the Center for Cultural Vibrancy team up again to bring you TWO SHOWS with The Saami Brothers, another exciting installment of our 2026 Global Roots series!Hailing from Karachi, Pakistan, the Saami Brothers are the living custodians of one of the world’s oldest and most powerful musical legacies. A Sufi dynasty with an unbroken lineage spanning nearly 800 years, the family are master practitioners of two deeply spiritual and technically demanding traditions: Khayal and Qawwali.
Passed down solely through oral tradition, their vocal artistry embodies a rare level of mastery. The Saami family uniquely blends the contemplative stillness of Khayal—rooted in breath, silence, and tone—with the ecstatic, rhythmic devotion of Qawwali. This expert juxtaposition creates performances that are both meditative and electrifying, offering a transcendent serenity found only in such profound command of form. Equally at home performing each tradition on its own or weaving them together in a single set, they are dynamic, genre-defying artists whose range continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Each performance is spontaneous, deeply felt, and entirely unique.
In recent years, this ancient tradition has found new resonance in the United States. Over the last 18 months, the Saami Family, with support from the Center for Cultural Vibrancy, the group has spent significant time in the New York region, becoming the de facto qawwals of the Big Apple and cultivating a passionate following across the city’s diverse musical communities. Their time in the U.S. commenced with a month-long Khayal teaching residency, imparting their ancient wisdom to a new generation of American students. Since then, they have headlined sold out performances across the U.S., including with World Music Institute, The Barns at Wolftrap, Seattle Town Hall and have been featured at major cultural events like the Richmond Folk Festival and The Imagine Gathering. Looking ahead they are set to be featured at the Big Ears Festival this Spring in Knoxville and will launch their second U.S.-based teaching residency in NYC this winter.
Advertisement
Where is it happening?
221 Water St E, Charlottesville, VA, United States, Virginia 22902Event Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
