As part of the South Asia Series, Salt Arts presents, Hamza Akram Qawaal and Brothers.
These are men who represent the young voices of Karachi’s space within the realm of Qawaali. They belong to the 26th generation of Qawaals who trace their lineage to Sufi poet, mystic and musician Hazrat Amir Khusro. Hamza who is now the leader of his young troupe says, ‘Keeping the family tradition alive is a necessity, but catering to the modern-day listener is the need of the hour. Qawaali loses its purpose if people don’t get the message.’ In the search for a contemporary view of his own music, he enrolled to study Western musical theory with Pakistani keyboardist and saxophone player Leonard Massey, at the National Academy of Performing Arts in Karachi. Hamza has engaged in multiple cross-border collaborations including the ‘Borderless Skies’ project launched by Mahesh Bhatt, as well as a trance track in collaboration with DJ Damian Lazarus. He currently serves as the music director for upcoming Pakistani film Rangreza, the music for which is yet to be released. Hamza Akram produced and released his first album Sada-e-Sufi in India with the endorsement and support of Times Music India. The brothers reside in Karachi's Qawaal Galli and perform accross the region.
Collaborators
Khaula Jamil
Special mention to our creative collaborator Khaula Jamil, who has worked with our team to incorporate her 'God is Painting' photo series with this campaign. At Salt Arts we believe in cross genre collaboration and the power of inter-disciplinary arts.
