Following an acclaimed show at Sage Gateshead in 2017, the internationally renowned Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwals return for an evening of majestic and entrancing Sufi music.

Drawing on a rich vein of Islamic and Sufi poetry, Qawwali is a form of Sufi devotional music from the Indian subcontinent and Rizwan-Muazzam come from a direct family line of spiritual Qawwali singers that spans five centuries.

Continuing the legacy of their legendary Uncle, Qawwali maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rizwan-Muazzam are the contemporary torchbearers of this rich musical tradition. Performing together since the late 1990s, the brothers’ have developed a devoted worldwide following with their exceptional live shows and acclaimed albums, including A Better Destiny and Days of Colour.

“Intoxicating and entrancing, Rizwan and Muazzam’s voices climb and swoop as if riding air currents“. BBC

Recent highlights have included performances at the Commonwealth Games, Australia, in April 2018, and an exciting new collaboration with Susheela Raman in Abu Dhabi. The group have also been working on new material, so you can expect new music alongside Qawwali classics, as Rizwan-Muazzam continue to push the boundaries of the genre.

Their imaginative reinterpretation of classic Sufi texts breathes fresh life into this rich centuries old tradition.


Presented by GemArts with Sage Gateshead and Asian Arts Agency.

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