RECENT TOURS PRODUCED BY ROBERT BROWNING ASSOCIATES

Asif Ali Khan Qawwali Ensemble 
US TOUR, March 19 - April 4, 2014

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Asif Ali Khan, a premier disciple of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, has shot to the forefront of Pakistan's Qawwali musicians over the past few years.  He traces his musical ancestry back more than 350 years. His ensemble includes he father,  seven brothers and a nephew. In 1999, he was elected “Best Young Pakistani Qawwali” by Lok Versa (National Institute of Folk Heritage of Islamabad). While continuing to offer his singing at religious shrines throughout Pakistan, he has made numerous tours in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East, performing at festivals and major concert halls. This is his first US tour and is organized by  Robert Browning Associates. 

WED MAR 19       Cleveland Museum,  Gartner Auditorium
FRI MAR 21         UMS, Rackham Aiditorium,  Ann Arbor, MI
SAT MAR 22        Zankel Hall, New York City (Carnegie Hall)
TUES MAR 25      Savannah Music Festival, Savannah, GA
SAT MAR 29        University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

SUN MAR 30   Tsai Center, Boston U, Boston,MA presented by World Music Inc.
TUES APR 1     Stanford University, Stanford, CA concert
WED APR 2       Stanford University - Educational program
THU APR 3       University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
FRI APR 4         UC Santa Barbara, Educational programs

ABOUT QAWWALI
Qawwali is a musical tradition that dates back to the late 13th century and is typically associated with Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam popularized throughout the Middle East and South Asia through various “brotherhoods”. Said to have been introduced to the Mughal court of India by the Persian mystic, poet, musician and philosopher Amir Khusrau, it is a form of sung poetry. Drawing on verses that ponder the meaning of Divine love through allegory, or are devoted to the sayings of the Prophet (Mohammed) or a particular Sufi saint, the Qawwal engenders a state of transcendence in his audience. Through rhythmic handclapping, drumming and repetition of particular verses or phrases, he builds a state of ecstasy. While originally a form of prayer associated with Sufi shrines, over the past thirty years Qawwali has been performed on secular stages throughout the world.