MELBOURNE: An exclusive free concert featuring the world-renowned Pakistan-based master Qawwali musicians, brothers Fareed Ayaz and Abu Mohammed’s sacred music will take place on the evening of 22 June, 2024 at the Federation Square.
Weaving together hypnotic vocals rich in poetic and mystical symbolism, backed by harmonium, tabla, dholak and hand-clapping, the brothers and their ensemble seek to transport audiences closer to the divine.
Travelling from Pakistan for this exclusive concert in celebration of Eid, the Qawwali brothers will be joined by Melbourne based Tarab Ensemble, a group dedicated to instrumental classical Arabic music.
The evening of music will also include food and craft.
Fareed Ayaz, Abu Muhammad and ensemble are among the world’s finest exponents of Qawwali – a hypnotic, vocal-driven Sufi devotional music rich in poetic and mystical symbolism. Their group is led by powerful vocalists who loop through multiple verse-chorus sequences.
Fareed Ayaz leads the group with his brother Abu Muhammad, while three generations of family members form the rest of the musical ensemble. Fareed and Abu were taught by their father, the esteemed Ustad Munshi Raziuddin, who hails from the Qawwal Bachchon Ka gharana, a tradition founded by Amir Khusrow students in 14th-century Delhi.
The group tour and perform to vast crowds all around the world, produce film music, make special appearances in international events, such as the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall in 2017, and were awarded the Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 2020.
The Tarab Ensemble is Australia’s largest group dedicated to instrumental classical Arabic music. ‘Tarab’ is an Arabic word that, while difficult to translate, encapsulates the pleasure and joy one gets from great, often classical Arab music.
Since its founding in 2019, Tarab Ensemble has evolved to be Australia’s leading and largest music group that is totally dedicated to instrumental classical Arabic music, but with a twist.
A Night of Sacred Music for Eid is presented by SalamFest and Fed Square with City of Melbourne.
