With his tall, burly frame, glossy locks and a tiny circle of gold glinting at his ear, Amjad Farid Sabri naturally commands attention. But when he starts singing, it is his rich baritone that captures one completely. The voice is new, yet strangely familiar. Indeed, it is hardly surprising that the son of the legendary Ghulam Farid Sabri has inherited the quality of his father’s voice and talent for qawwali.

Musicians:

Amjad Farid Sabri – vocal, harmonium; Talha Fareed – chorus; Salamat Ali – chorus, second vocal; Islam Hussain Sabri – tabla; Mr Jamil Jamil – dholak; Muhaddad Saleem Sabiri - chorus, second vocal; Raza Hussain - harmonium, chorus; Zahid Uddin – chorus

About the group:

Son of the legendary Haji Ghulam Farid Sabri and heir to the Sabri heritage, Amjad Farid Sabri at the young age of 34 has risen to be one of the leading Qawwals in Pakistan today.His musical lineage stretches back over many centuries, the vocation being passed down through generations of great musicians.

His career started at the age of five touring all over the world with the Sabri Brothers, his father Ghulam Farid and uncles Maqbool, Kamal and Mehmood Sabri. His own career, accompanied now by two of his brothers, has taken him all over the world where he has thrilled audiences with his stunning virtuosity, brilliant exposition and with the tremendous power, subtlety and sensitive beauty of his singing.

Amjad’s music, Qawwali, is the devotional music 'sema' of the Sufis, the mystics of Islam, "the divine message which stirs the heart to seek God". Whilst the poetry is all important to the Sufi, the passion and intensity of the music also have the power to move someone who cannot understand the words,seeming to touch the heart and stir the spirit directly, causing an intoxication, a rapturous joy and an understanding which speaks in a transcendent language.