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Saturday, October 27, 2012 • 7:30 p.m.
The Theatre
$10

In the 13th century, Hazrat Yameenuddin Abul-Hasan Amir Khusrou, a legendary musician, unparalleled poet, soldier, Sufi and philosopher, trained a group of 12 young men in the art
of qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music. Named the Qawal Bachchay Gharana of Delhi (or Delhi Gharana), this prominent musical tradition has been practiced by descendants of the
original members for more than 700 years.

Qawal Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers (direct descendants of Khosrou) of Pakistan, live in Karachi on an alley named Qawwal Bachhon Ki Gali (literally translated to “Qawwal children’s
alley”). They have toured throughout Europe performing in seminars, festivals and symposiums for the general public and government dignitaries.

The award-winning ensemble presents qawwali singing in various languages including Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Punjabi, Sindhi, Saraiki, Birj Bhasha, Poorbi and Sunskirt, as well as in English.

The Doudna Fine Arts Center is in its second year of a two-year partnership with Arts Midwest as the only Illinois location to host World Fest performances. An Arts Midwest initiative, the
2011-13 Arts Midwest World Fest is generously sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, 3M Foundation and MetLife Foundation.