$25 Day of | $20 In advance
Sukhawat Ali Khan leads Cali Qawwali, a soulful qawwali ensemble. Performances by Cali Qawwali bring you group singing and an instrumental sound, combining introspective prayer and joyful celebration. This music is performed both in unplugged and in electric abandon. Cali Qawwali’s unique spiritual music calls upon traditional Sufi and classical raag-based songs from Pakistan and India, new compositions, Bollywood, kirtan, ghazal and folk. The music is nourished by Sukhawat Ali’s immersion in the Shaam Chaurasi gharana, his musical family dating from the sixteenth century. Lyrics are in Urdu/Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic and Persian, sometimes combined effortlessly in one song. The audience is often invited to clap, sing and move with the band, creating a Cali Qawwali form of dhamaal, which is a song and dance seen at Sufi shrines. Instagram: @caliqawwali Soundcloud: Cali Qawwali
Sukhawat Ali Khan ji’s Sufi music samples:
Band leader Bio:
Sukhawat Ali Khan, vocals and harmonium – Sukhawat Ali is a classical vocalist from the Sham Chaurasi Gharana, a tradition founded in the 16th century. He is the son of legendary Indian-Pakistani vocalist Ustad Salamat Ali Khan and nephew of Nazakat Ali Khan. In addition to being a master of Hindustani classical music, he is an accomplished performer of North Indian and Pakistani devotional and folk music and ghazals. He began singing and playing music at the age of seven with his father Salamat Ali Khan, and has performed extensively around the world. Based in Sacramento he teaches individual students in the San Francisco Bay Area and leads Cali Qawwali. Instagram: @alisukhawat