Vivek Anand

Sukhawat Ali Khan and Cali Qawwali in a Sufi and Kirtan Concert
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Sukhawat Ali Khan and Cali Qawwali in a Sufi and Kirtan Concert

Sukhawat Ali Khan and Cali Qawwali in a Sufi and Kirtan Concert

In-person
$25 Day of | $20 In advance, use promo code SOULFUL

We appreciate advance registration.

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:
Allah Hu: https://soundcloud.com/caliqawwali/allah-hu
Ghulam Ali: https://soundcloud.com/casaganeshrecords/sets/laaj-review
Jogiya: https://soundcloud.com/caliqawwali/jogiya
Raste Juda Juda: https://soundcloud.com/casaganeshrecords/raste-juda-juda-sukhawat-ali
Ghoom Charakhana: https://soundcloud.com/caliqawwali/ghoom-charakhana
Heer: https://soundcloud.com/casaganeshrecords/heer-sukhawat-ali-khan
Door: https://soundcloud.com/casaganeshrecords/door-sukhawat-ali-khan

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

Vivek Anand, vocals – A vocalist deeply rooted in emotional and spiritual expression, Vivek hails from a musical family in Bombay and has studied with Sukhawat Ali Khan for sixteen years. His repertoire spans Hindustani classical, semi-classical, bhajans, Sufi songs, and ghazals. Vivek performs solo and in other ensemble concerts in the Bay Area with Rita Sahai, her Vasundhara Choir, and with Anhad Naad. Instagram: @vivek.anand.sf

Irum Aftab, vocals – A vocalist and passionate student of Sukhawat Ali Khan, Irum hails from Pakistan and now lives in Berkeley. Her musical focus is on understanding the raagas that form the foundation of ghazal, folk, geet, and qawwali music across South Asia. Instagram: @irum.out.west

Saima Jamshed, vocals and percussion – A multi-instrumental percussionist and vocalist, Saima began playing dholak at age six. Now a key member of the qawwali ensemble led by Sukhawat Ali Khan, she brings joyful energy to the stage through dholak, darbuka, tambourine, and shakers. Originally from Karachi and now based in Berkeley, she continues classical and qawwali training under Sukhawat Ali Khan and Rita Sahai. Instagram: @saimamilesaway

Varun Pattabhiraman, drum set and percussion – An Indian percussionist based in San Francisco, Varun seamlessly blends traditional Carnatic percussion with global rhythms. He explores hybrid setups that incorporate instruments like the cajón, Roland HandSonic, drum set and mridangam. Instagram: @varunrpraman

Craig Reiter, acoustic and electric bass guitar – Craig Reiter is a multi-talented creative spirit whose musical expression transcends form. Known for channeling the divine through any instrument he encounters, his eclectic interests include everything from card counting to feline domestication, all of which somehow feed into his musical persona.

Daljeet Singh, acoustic and electric guitar – Daljeet brings the magic as a music director and guitarist, fusing devotional, classical Indian, Sufi, old-school Bollywood, and rock influences into a sound that is both soulful and electrifying. A master at building bands and weaving traditions, he is the driving force behind the group’s unique sound. Instagram: @ka8mandude

Sevika Ford2026-01-12T21:42:34-08:00January 12th, 2026|Tags: Craig Reiter, Daljeet Singh, Irum Aftab, live spiritual music, Saima Jamshed, Sufi and Kirtan, Sukhawat Ali Khan, Varun Pattabhiraman, Vivek Anand|

Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs
Gallery
Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs

Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs

In-person | $25 Day of | $20 In advance, use promo code SUFI

Book now/In-Person

We appreciate advance registration.

Join us for exploration of traditional devotional music from the motherland of Yoga.

Anhad Naad Collective presents:
Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs.

We are sharing our own experience with Sufism through singing, music and poetry. Audience is encouraged to sing along with us, we will provide lyrics with English translations.
Historically, in South Asia, Sufism played a huge role in inter-faith syncretism and Sufi shrines (dargahs) have been pivotal to communal harmony.

Singers:

Divya Vyas, Faizan Ali, Irum M, Vivek Anand and Ashwini Sriram

Instruments:

Abhay Shankar Anand -Tabla
Craig Reiter – bass
Jun Qb Moda Jazz -keyboard , flute

Sevika Ford2025-09-26T14:31:16-07:00September 3rd, 2025|Tags: Abhay Shankar Anand, Anhad Naad Collective, Ashwini Sriram, Craig Reiter, devotional music, Divya Vyas, Faizan Ali, Irum M, Jun Qb Moda, Kirtan, Sufi music, Vivek Anand|

Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs
Gallery
Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs

Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs

Anhad Naad Collective presents:
Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs.

$20 In advance, use promo code SUFI | $25 Day of

Book now/In-Person

We appreciate advance registration.

Join us for exploration of traditional devotional music from the motherland of Yoga.

We are sharing our own experience with Sufism through singing, music and poetry. Audience is encouraged to sing along with us, we will provide lyrics with English translations.
Historically, in South Asia, Sufism played a huge role in inter-faith syncretism and Sufi shrines (dargahs) have been pivotal to communal harmony.

Singers:
Divya Vyas, Faizan Ali, Irum M, Vivek Anand and Ashwini Sriram

Instruments:
Abhay Shankar Anand -Tabla • Craig Reiter – bass • Jun Qb Moda Jazz – keyboard , flute

Sevika Ford2025-04-16T15:13:14-07:00April 16th, 2025|Tags: Abhay Shankar Anand, Anhad Naad Collective, Ashwini Sriram, Craig Reiter, Divya Vyas, Faizan Ali, Irum M, Jun Qb Moda Jazz, Sufi music, Sufi poetry, Vivek Anand|

Vivek Anand in a Hindustani Vocal Concert: Jog aur Tyaag
Gallery
Vivek Anand in a Hindustani Vocal Concert: Jog aur Tyaag

Vivek Anand in a Hindustani Vocal Concert: Jog aur Tyaag

In-person |$20 In advance, use promo code VOCAL, exp. 11/22 |$25 Day of

Book now/In-Person

Please review our In-person Safety Guidelines.

Please join us for a South Asian Hindustani Classical Vocal Concert by our neighbor Vivek Anand, joined by Bay Area artists – Nikhil Pandya on Tabla and Ben Kunin on Sarod. This trio recently presented Vivek’s solo concert, Now My Boat – Ab Mori Naiyya, at Noe Valley Ministry. We are delighted to host them in sharing a brand new concert, composed just for Integral Yoga Institute, titled Union and Renunciation – Jog aur Tyaag, Songs exploring the Connection between Romantic Love and Transcendence. Many of you know that Jog or Yoga is a joining, a Union, whereas Tyaag is a letting go, a Renunciation. The songs will explore both themes in dialogue with each other, through romantic and reflective ragas and lyrics.

Come and experience musical forms such as khayal, tarana, bhajan and sufiyana bandish. Khayal gayaki or the art of singing khayal music consists of elaboration of the raga and lyrics through exploration and improvisation. Vivek is part of a Bay Area musical community in which this music is explored through fresh and alive interactions between exponents of musical traditions, which in turn are hundreds of years old. Please reserve your tickets now for this exciting concert, in an intimate setting within the Integral Yoga Institute.

Vivek Anand is a vocalist with a focus on emotional and spiritual meaning. He is also a poet, lyricist and life-long student, practitioner and champion of South Asian Classical/Hindustani Classical vocal traditions. Vivek has studied and sung with his guru, Rita Sahai (vocalist of the Seni Alāuddin Gharānā and Benāres Gharānā, and accomplished student of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan) for the last twenty-five years, and with his ustad, Sukhawat Ali Khan (vocalist of the Shām Chorasi Gharānā, and son of Ustad Salamat Ali Khan) for the last sixteen years. Through this training he has acquired his emotional and spiritual focus, a knowledge of rāgas, composition, lyric writing, elaboration, rhythm, and language. His extensive repertoire includes Hindustani classical, semi-classical, bhajans, Sufi songs, ghazals, and raga-based collaborations with jazz and world musicians.

Nikhil Pandya, tabla
Nikhil Pandya is a well-known virtuoso tabla player and figure within the Hindustani music community of the Bay Area, and has been inspiring audiences for over 25 years. Nikhil has a unique ability to relate and communicate with vocalists and other musicians on stage. Nikhil’s training under Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri has given him a strong foundation in the subject of tabla. He has had the privilege of performing with many senior musicians and vocalists, and has also collaborated with western musicians and other performers of non-classical Indian music, making him an extraordinarily versatile performer.

Ben Kunin, sarod
Ben is one of today’s most accomplished sarod players in the Bay Area. He learned his instrument and the tradition of North Indian classical music over more than 25 years of study under the legendary Maestro Ali Akbar Khan at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, CA. He also learned tabla from Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. In 2006, he began training with Pandit Chitresh Das and the Chandam School of Kathak Dance as an accompanist on the sarod. Ben performs frequently as a soloist and as well as accompanist.

Sevika Ford2024-10-16T15:52:31-07:00October 7th, 2024|Tags: Ben Kunin, bhajan, khayal, Nikhil Pandya, South Asian Hindustani Classical Music, sufiyana bandish, tarana, Vivek Anand|

Join us for exploration of traditional devotional music from the motherland of Yoga.

Anhad Naad Collective presents: Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs.

Singers:

Instruments:

Anhad Naad Collective presents: Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs.

Join us for exploration of traditional devotional music from the motherland of Yoga.

Singers: Divya Vyas, Faizan Ali, Irum M, Vivek Anand and Ashwini Sriram

Instruments: Abhay Shankar Anand -Tabla • Craig Reiter – bass • Jun Qb Moda Jazz – keyboard , flute

Anhad Naad Collective presents:
Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs.

Anhad Naad Collective presents:
Music and Poetry of South Asian Mystics: an exploration of Sufi songs.

Singers:
Divya Vyas, Faizan Ali, Irum M, Vivek Anand and Ashwini Sriram

Instruments:
Abhay Shankar Anand -Tabla • Craig Reiter – bass • Jun Qb Moda Jazz – keyboard , flute