qawwali Qawwali (Punjabi language, Punjabi: (Shahmukhi), (Gurmukhi); Urdu: (Nastaʿlīq, Nasta'liq); Hindi: क़व्वाली (Devanagari); Bengali language, Bengali: কাওয়ালি (Bengali alphabet, Bengali)) is a form of Sufi Isl ...

Sabri Brothers The Sabri Brothers (Punjabi, ) were a musical band from Pakistan who were performers of Sufi qawwali music and were closely connected to the Chishti Order. They are considered as one of the greatest Sufi qawwali singers of all times. The Sab ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance ( ur, ), officially known as Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sports, an ...

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces. (Ghulam Farid Sabri, Pride of Performance award info on Google Books website) Sabri was also a Sufi mystic connected to the

Chishti Order The Chishtī Order ( fa, ''chishtī'') is a tariqa, an order or school within the mystic Sufi tradition of Sunni Islam. The Chishti Order is known for its emphasis on love, tolerance, and openness. It began with Abu Ishaq Shami in Chisht, a ...

.

Early life

Ghulam Farid Sabri was born in Kalyana, a village in the district of

Rohtak Rohtak () is a city and the administrative headquarters of the Rohtak district in the Indian state of Haryana. It lies north-west of New Delhi and south of the state capital Chandigarh on NH 9(old NH 10). Rohtak forms a part of the National ...

in

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the I ...

,

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

in 1930. His family's musical lineage stretches back several centuries, to the age of the Mughal emperors. His family claims direct descent from

Mian Tansen Tansen ( – 26 April 1589), also referred to and commonly known as Sangeet Samrat () , was a Hindustani classical musician. Born in a Hindu Gaur Brahmin family, he learnt and perfected his art in the northwest region of modern Madhya Pr ...

, the musician of the court of

Akbar the Great Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...

, the Mughal emperor. Mehboob Baksh Ranji Ali Rang, his paternal grandfather, was a musician; Baqar Hussein Khan, his maternal grandfather, was a sitarist. His family belongs to the ''Sabriyya'' order of

Sufism Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality ...

, hence the surname Sabri was adopted by them. Ghulam Farid Sabri was raised in

Gwalior Gwalior() is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; it lies in northern part of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the Counter-magnet cities. Located south of Delhi, the capital city of India, from Agra and from Bhopal, the s ...

, India. In his youth, he wanted to turn away from the world and live in the wilderness; his mother's stern rebuke turned him back to his responsibilities. At the age of six, Ghulam Farid Sabri commenced his formal instruction in music under his father, Inayat Hussain Sabri. He was instructed in

North Indian classical music Hindustani classical music is the Indian classical music, classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani language, Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is ...

and

qawwali Qawwali (Punjabi language, Punjabi: (Shahmukhi), (Gurmukhi); Urdu: (Nastaʿlīq, Nasta'liq); Hindi: क़व्वाली (Devanagari); Bengali language, Bengali: কাওয়ালি (Bengali alphabet, Bengali)) is a form of Sufi Isl ...

. He was also instructed in the playing of the

harmonium The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. Th ...

and

tabla A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల� ...

. Before starting to learn music, Ghulam Farid Sabri along with his father visited the shrine of Sufi saint Khwja Ghaus Muhammad Gwaliori in Gwalior to seek blessings. Ghulam Farid Sabri initially learnt music from his father and many other musical teachers (Ustad) in Gwalior. Later, he and his younger brothers

Maqbool Ahmed Sabri Maqbool Ahmed Sabri (12 October 1945 – 21 September 2011) was a Pakistani qawwali singer and a prominent member of the Sabri Brothers, one of the greatest qawwali groups of all times which belonged to Pakistan. The Sabri Brothers were hono ...

and Kamaal Ahmed Sabri furthered their knowledge of music under Ustad Fatehdin Khan, Ustad Ramzan Khan, Ustad Kallan Khan, Ustad Latafat Hussein Khan Rampuri, and their spiritual master Hazrat Hairat Ali Shah Warsi.

Migration to Pakistan

Following the

independence Independence is a condition of a person, nation, country, or state in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the stat ...

of Pakistan in 1947, his family was uprooted from their native town and transported to a refugee camp in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

, Pakistan. Conditions in the camp were woeful, food was scarce and expensive, and the rewards for hard work were barely enough to sustain life. Malnutrition was rife and brought with it f tuberculosis and dysentery. Sabri found employment carrying bundles of bricks for the government house building or breaking rocks to build roads. At night, almost single-handedly, he built his own brick house to shelter his family. Eventually, he became ill. Worn out, he was told by a physician that due to the condition of his lungs, he would never again have the strength to sing. In despair, he went to his father for advice and the advice he was given was uncompromisingly tough. Every night for the next two years, he would have to sit in the middle of the camp for four to five hours making ''

zikr ''Dhikr'' ( ar, ذِكْر}, , also spelled ''Zikr'', ''Thikr'', ''Zekr'', or ''Zikar'', literally meaning "remembrance, reminder" or "mention") is a form of Islamic meditation in which phrases or prayers are repeatedly chanted in order to remem ...

''. All those days he bore the scars of beatings with wood sticks and stones thrown by his tired, sleepless neighbours and brawls he was in, when they were determined to stop him; but he would not be deterred and, as time went by, his lungs grew stronger and his magnificent voice was formed. Soon, Sabri started to mix with a small group of people who appreciated qawwali.

Career

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Ghulam Farid Sabri 4

Ghulam Farid Sabri's first public performance was at the annual Urs festival of the Sufi saint Mubarak Shah Sahab in Kalyana in 1946. Before his family migrated to

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

in 1947, he had joined Ustad Kallan Khan's qawwali party in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. In Pakistan, a wealthy businessman approached him and offered him a partnership in a nightclub, yet Sabri's reply was that he only wanted to sing qawwali, and he rejected the offer. Later in 1956, Sabri joined his younger brother Maqbool's qawwali ensemble which was earlier known as Bacha Qawwal Party. After Sabri joined and became the leader of the group, they were initially known as Ghulam Farid Sabri Qawwal & Party as Maqbool withdrew his name due to love and respect for his brother. Later, after insistence from his well-wishers, Maqbool gave his name as a co-lead singer of the ensemble and they started to become known as Ghulam Farid Sabri - Maqbool Ahmed Sabri Qawwal & Party. Later the group became known as the Sabri Brothers. They became widely acclaimed for their singing. Their first recording, released in 1958 under the EMI

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

label, was a popular hit called "Mera Koi Nahi Hai Tere Siwa." Their qawwalis are still very popular worldwide. Their greatest hit qawwalis include "Bhar Do Jholi Meri Ya Muhammad", "

Tajdar-e-Haram "Tajdar-e-Haram" () is a qawwali performed by the Pakistani musical group, Sabri Brothers and written by Mirza Muhammad Hakim, a 16th century Mughal prince and brother to Emperor Akbar. 1982 version In 1982, Sabri Brothers recorded this ...

", "O Sharabi Chore De Peena", "Khwaja Ki Deewani", and "Sar-e-La Makan Se Talab Hui." They have sung many qawwalis in Persian like "Nami Danam Che Manzil Boodh", "Chashm-e-Mast-e-Ajabe", etc. by

Amir Khusro Abu'l Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrau (1253–1325 AD), better known as Amīr Khusrau was an Indo-Persian culture, Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar who lived under the Delhi Sultanate. He is an iconic figure in the cultural his ...

and also "Man Kunto Maula" and "Rang" by Amir Khusro. They have also sung a ''kalaam'' by Imam Ahmed Raza Khan which is in four languages—

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

, Persian,

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

. Ghulam Farid Sabri was also a poet and wrote some famous qawwalis which were sung by him and his brothers, including "Aawe Mahi" and "Auliyao'n Ke Maula Imam Aaye Hai."

Personal life

Ghulam Farid Sabri loved his younger brother

Maqbool Ahmed Sabri Maqbool Ahmed Sabri (12 October 1945 – 21 September 2011) was a Pakistani qawwali singer and a prominent member of the Sabri Brothers, one of the greatest qawwali groups of all times which belonged to Pakistan. The Sabri Brothers were hono ...

the most among all his companions as they spent most of their time together. Sabri was married to Asghari Begum around the age of 18. He was survived by his wife, five sons, Sarwat Farid Sabri, Azmat Farid Sabri, Amjad Farid Sabri, Asmat Farid Sabri, Talha Farid Sabri, and six daughters. Sabri possessed a deep and powerful voice and presented ''

wajad or is a Sufi term for the religious ecstasy induced by ''dhikr'' (the remembrance of God) by means of ''sama Sama or SAMA may refer to: Places * Sama, Burkina Faso, a town in the Kouka Department, Banwa Province, Burkina Faso * Sama, Chin ...

'' energy during his performances. He was acknowledged as a deeply religious man, yet a warm, simple man with a great sense of humour, who was devoted to his family and friends. Shortly before his death, he began growing a beard. Ghulam Farid Sabri had been initiated into the Warsiyya order of Sufism by Hazrat Ambar Ali Shah Warsi. The name bestowed upon Sabri was Alam Shah Warsi. Ghulam Farid Sabri lived in the heavily congested and overpopulated Pakistani suburb of

Liaquatabad Liaquatabad, also known as Laloo Khait or Lalukhet ur, لیاقت آباد), is a neighborhood in Liaquatabad Town, within Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Liaquatabad was named after Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan. ...

,

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

. At night, he used to lay on his bed listening to the sounds of surrounding lanes and alleyways. His sleep was minimal and his night was filled with constant ''zikr'', made using his 1000-bead ''tasbih''. He wore this ''tasbih'' around his neck during recordings and live performances. Ghulam Farid Sabri initiated his sons into classical music at a young age. One of his younger sons, Amjad Farid Sabri, once recalled: "The hardest part was being awakened at 4:00 AM. Most ''

riyaz Riyaz () is the systematic practice of music, dance or any other art form usually under the guidance of a teacher or preceptor. In Hindustani classical music tradition, it is employed as a repertoire of exercises to cultivate the musicality of on ...

'' is done in '' Raag Bhairon'' and this is an early morning raag. My mother would urge our father to let us sleep but he would still wake us up. Even if we had slept after midnight, he would get us out of bed, instruct us to make ''wuzu'', perform ''tahajjud'' prayers, and then take out the ''baja''. And he was correct in doing so because if a raag is rendered at the correct time, the performer himself enjoys it to the fullest".

Death

The night before he died, Ghulam Farid Sabri and the

Sabri Brothers The Sabri Brothers (Punjabi, ) were a musical band from Pakistan who were performers of Sufi qawwali music and were closely connected to the Chishti Order. They are considered as one of the greatest Sufi qawwali singers of all times. The Sab ...

were about to tour Germany later that week. His appearances in Britain and the United States set a pattern and began to build an audience for what has now come to be known as world music. Ghulam Farid Sabri died on 5 April 1994 in

Liaquatabad Liaquatabad, also known as Laloo Khait or Lalukhet ur, لیاقت آباد), is a neighborhood in Liaquatabad Town, within Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Liaquatabad was named after Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan. ...

,

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

following a massive heart attack. He died en route to a hospital and beside him was his beloved younger brother, Maqbool. His funeral was attended by approximately 40,000 mourners. He was buried at ''Paposh Qabristan'', in nearby

Nazimabad Nazimabad ( ur, , sd, نئون ناظم آباد) is a suburb of Karachi, Pakistan. It was established in 1952, and is named after the second Governor General of Pakistan Khawaja Nazimuddin. History Before the independence of Pakistan, the are ...

. His modest white grave is situated near his father's grave. His legacy was carried on by his younger brothers Maqbool Ahmed Sabri, Mehmood Ghaznavi Sabri, and Kamal Ahmed Sabri, who performed as the leading and senior members of the Sabri Brothers after his death. Later, Sabri's son

Amjad Sabri Amjad Farid (Fareed) Sabri (23 December 1976 – 22 June 2016) was a Pakistani qawwal, naat khawan and a proponent of the Sufi Muslim tradition. Son of Ghulam Farid Sabri and nephew of Maqbool Ahmed Sabri of the Sabri Brothers, he emerge ...

also helped carry on his legacy and the qawwali tradition while other students and relatives also inherit his legacy by performing qawwali. On 21 September 2011, his younger brother

Maqbool Ahmed Sabri Maqbool Ahmed Sabri (12 October 1945 – 21 September 2011) was a Pakistani qawwali singer and a prominent member of the Sabri Brothers, one of the greatest qawwali groups of all times which belonged to Pakistan. The Sabri Brothers were hono ...

died due to cardiac arrest and was buried near his grave. On 22 June 2016, during Ramadan, his son

Amjad Sabri Amjad Farid (Fareed) Sabri (23 December 1976 – 22 June 2016) was a Pakistani qawwal, naat khawan and a proponent of the Sufi Muslim tradition. Son of Ghulam Farid Sabri and nephew of Maqbool Ahmed Sabri of the Sabri Brothers, he emerge ...

was shot dead in Karachi, and was buried near his grave. On 3 October 2018, his son Azmat Farid Sabri died. On 27 May 2020, his wife Asghari Begum died. On 21 June 2021, his youngest brother Mehmood Ghaznavi Sabri died in Karachi and was buried inside their mother's grave, making it now a double-storey grave which is located nearby the graves of Ghulam Farid Sabri, Maqbool Ahmed Sabri, and Amjad Sabri.

Qawwalis featured in films

Several of their qawwalis were featured in films: * "Mera Koi Nahi Hai Tere Siwa" appeared in the 1965 Pakistani film ''Ishq-e-Habib'' * "Mohabbat Karne Walo Hum Mohabbat Iss Ko Kehte Hai" in the 1970 Pakistani film ''Chand Suraj'' * "Aaye Hai Tere Dar Pe Toh Kuch Le Ke Jayen Ge" in the 1972 Pakistani film ''Ilzam'' * "Baba Farid Sarkar" in the 1974 Pakistani Punjabi film ''Sasta Khoon Mehenga Paani'' * "Bhar Do Jholi Meri Ya Muhammad" in the 1975 Pakistani film '' Bin Badal Barsaat'' * "Teri Nazr-e-Karam" in the 1976 Pakistani film ''Sachaii'' * "Mamoor Ho Raha Hai" in the 1977 Pakistani film ''Dayar-e-Paighambran'' * "Aftab E Risalat" in the 1979 Indian Hindi film ''Sultan-e-Hind Khwaja Garib Nawaz (RA)'' * "

Tajdar-e-Haram "Tajdar-e-Haram" () is a qawwali performed by the Pakistani musical group, Sabri Brothers and written by Mirza Muhammad Hakim, a 16th century Mughal prince and brother to Emperor Akbar. 1982 version In 1982, Sabri Brothers recorded this ...

" in the 1982 Pakistani film ''Sahaaray''

Awards and recognition

*

Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance ( ur, ), officially known as Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sports, an ...

(''Tamgha E Husn E Kaarkardagi'') Award by the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces. * Spirit of Detroit Award by the

federal government of the United States The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...

to both Ghulam and Maqbool Sabri in 1981. * ''Khusro Rang'' to both Ghulam and Maqbool Sabri by the Raag Rang Society of India in 1980. * ''Bulbul E Pak O Hind'' by the Shrine of

Nizamuddin Auliya Muhammad Nizamuddin Auliya (sometimes spelled Awliya; 1238 – 3 April 1325), also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin, and Mahbub-e-Ilahi () was an Sunni Muslim scholar, Sufi saint of the Chishti Order, and is one of the most famous Sufis from the India ...

to Ghulam and Maqbool Sabri in 1977. * Charles de Gaulle Award by

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Governm ...

to Ghulam and Maqbool Sabri in 1983. * A doctorate degree was awarded to the Sabri Brothers as an honor for their hit record ''Shikwa Jawab E Shikwa (Of

Allama Iqbal Sir Muhammad Iqbal ( ur, ; 9 November 187721 April 1938), was a South Asian Muslim writer, philosopher, Quote: "In Persian, ... he published six volumes of mainly long poems between 1915 and 1936, ... more or less complete works on philos ...

)'' by the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sabri, Ghulam Farid 1930 births 1994 deaths Pakistani qawwali singers Performers of Sufi music People from Gwalior People from Rohtak district 20th-century Pakistani male singers Chishti-Sabiris