Music of the Mystics - Sufi Qawwali Night with Fanna-Fi-Allah

It is our joy to invite you to a very special evening with Fanna-Fi-Allah Sufi Qawwali, one of the very few internationally recognized ensembles dedicated to carrying traditional Qawwali in its pure form. 

In an era where many groups blend qawwali with pop arrangements, guitars, or electronic beats, Fanna-Fi-Allah remain committed to the authentic doāba qawwali tradition — slow, expansive, devotional, and unbroken in its form.

Qawwali is the devotional music of the Sufi saints — a tapestry of soaring voices, harmonium, tabla, and clapping that together awaken the heart and invite us into remembrance. The poetry, drawn from great mystics such as Amir Khusrau, Bulleh Shah, and Baba Farid, speaks of longing, surrender, and divine love.

What makes Fanna-Fi-Allah unique is not only their fidelity to tradition but also their diverse makeup: a rare ensemble where Pakistani, Indian, and international musicians come together, creating a living bridge of cultures united in devotion. Over more than 25 years, they have performed in hundreds of Sufi shrines across India and Pakistan as well as at major concert halls and festivals in over 50 countries.

The ensemble is led by Tahir Qawwal, a student of the lineages of Faisalabad and Lahore, who studied under great masters including Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Bakshi Salamat. Tahir is also the founder of the Samā School of Music, the first international classical qawwali school, and the producer of the acclaimed film series Qawwali – Music of the Mystics.

At a Fanna-Fi-Allah performance, the air is alive with rhythm and poetry — a gathering where the spirit of centuries-old Sufi devotion is carried faithfully into the present. Audiences often find themselves moved to stillness, to tears, or to ecstatic dance, joined in a shared circle of devotion and humanity.

We warmly welcome you to join this gathering, not simply as a concert, but as an authentic living tradition carried forward with humility, discipline, and love.