fareed Ayaz and Abu Mohammad Qawalli

Hailing from Pakistan, Ustad Fareed Ayaz and Ustad Abu Muhammad are the preeminent Sufi Qawwals of our time. They belong to the Qawwal Bachchon ka Gharana of Delhi, which was formed in the 13th century by Amir Khusro, the creator of the Qawwali art form. Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad are the
sons of Ustad Munshi Raziuddin, who trained them in classical genres, such as tarana, thumri, and khayal, in addition to Sufi Qawwali.

Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad have performed in countries all across the world for over 40 years. Their qawwalis cover a wide range of languages, including Farsi, Arabic, Hindi, Purbi, Sindhi, Punjabi, and Urdu.

The Government of Pakistan has decorated Fareed Ayaz with the Pride of Performance award. The group continues the family tradition of spreading the peaceful message of Qawwali with performances across the world. The  current ensemble is composed entirely of the sons of Fareed Ayaz and Abu
Muhammad, each of whom is an acclaimed musician in his own right.

The form of qawwali practiced today was invented by Hazrat Amir Khusrao in the thirteenth century. A poet, scholar, philosopher, politician, and musician, Khusrao defined, documented and established the Khusravi tradition of qawwali, and trained twelve young men – the Qawwal Bachay – in the theory and practice of Khusravi qawwali. Miyan Saamat Bin Ibrahim was the leader of this first group of qawwals. The tradition established by Khusrau has been preserved for more than eight centuries by scions of the Qawwal Bachay and is followed by qawwals all over the world today. Ghayoor-Moiz-Mustafa Qawwal are direct descendants of Miyan Saamat Bin Ibrahim and represent the twenty-seventh generation of the original thirteenth century qawwals. Masters of music, poetry and rhythm, heirs to the institution of Khusrao’s music, expert musicians, and the torchbearers of the Khusravi tradition of qawwali, the brothers are considered to be the foremost young qawwals in the world today. They are known for the authenticity of their musical tradition, a huge repertoire of ancient qawwalis, and an extensive knowledge of raag (musical modes) and taal (rhythm). The qawwali that they perform is the same as the one that was practiced more than eight hundred years ago. Nothing has been allowed to change.