Qawwali is a musical tradition from present-day India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, dating back 700 years. The group Riyaaz Qawwali brings 13th-century Sufi music to life by overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers, translating lyrics to unravel the cultural heritage of South Asian devotional music. Trained in Eastern and Western classical music, the members have been professionally performing qawwali for the past twelve years.

Riyaaz Qawwali represents the diversity and plurality of South Asia: the ensemble’s musicians, who are settled in the United States, hail from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and represent multiple religious and spiritual backgrounds. Click here to learn more about the ensemble.

$10 – General Admission

$4 – UCSC Students with ID

Day-of-event ticket window opens at 6:30PM
Doors open at 7:00PM
Parking permit: $5 (cash or credit via attendant in Arts Lot 126)

Presented by the Kamil and Talat Hasan Chair in Classical Indian Music, the Ali Akbar Khan Endowment for Indian Classical Music, and the UC Santa Cruz Music Department. Co-sponsored by the Center for South Asian Studies and The Humanities Institute.