Sabri Brothers

The Sabri Brothers (Punjabi, Urdu: صابری برادران) were a musical band from Pakistan who were performers of Sufi qawwali music and were closely connected to the Chishti Order. They are considered one of the greatest Sufi qawwali singers of all times. The Sabri Brothers were led by Ghulam Farid Sabri and his brother Maqbool Ahmed Sabri. They are often referred to as Shahenshah-e-Qawwali (the King of Kings of Qawwali) and are also known as the roving ambassadors of Pakistan. The band was initially founded by Maqbool Ahmed Sabri at the age of 11 years and was known as the Bacha Qawwal Party. His elder brother Ghulam Farid Sabri joined after insistence from their father. He became the leader of the group, and the band soon became known as the Sabri Brothers. They were the first-ever Qawwali artists to perform qawwali in the United States and other Western countries; they were also the first-ever Asian artists to perform at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1975.
The Sabri brothers learned music from their father, Inayat Hussain Sabri. He trained his sons in qawwali and Indian classical music. Their family came from a musical background, and claimed direct descent from Mian Tansen, who had played at the court of the 16th-century Mughal emperor Akbar. Mehboob Baksh Ranji Ali Rang, their paternal grandfather, was a master musician of his time; Baqar Hussein Khan, their maternal grandfather, was a unique sitarist. Ghulam Farid Sabri, Kamal Ahmed Sabri, Maqbool Ahmed Sabri and Mehmood Ghaznavi Sabri furthered their knowledge of music under Ustad Fatehdin Khan, Ustad Ramzan Khan, and Ustad Latafat Hussein Khan Rampuri. They also furthered their knowledge of poetry under Hazrat Hairat Ali Shah Warsi, who was their mother's spiritual master.
Ghulam Farid Sabri's first public performance was at the annual Urs festival of Mubarak Shah in Kalyana (now in Haryana, India) in 1946. He had joined Ustad Kallan Khan's qawwali party in India. The family moved from Kalyana to Karachi, Pakistan following the Partition of India in 1947. In Pakistan, a wealthy businessman approached him and offered him a partnership in a nightclub, yet Ghulam Farid's reply was that he only wanted to sing qawwali, and he rejected the offer.
Maqbool Ahmed Sabri also showed musical talent from a young age, which was noticed by his school teacher who later asked Maqbool's father to further instruct him and guide him in the field of music. In 1955, when Maqbool was eleven years old, his brother-in-law got him a job singing at a theater in Karachi where he gave his first public performance. Later, with the help of his father, Maqbool formed a qawwali group at the age of eleven and named it Bacha Qawwal Party. The group's first public performance was in 1956 at an Urs ceremony held at the home of Jameel Amrohi, where he sang "Do Alam Ba Kakul Giraftar Daari" in the presence of many qawwals.
Soon afterwards, after insistence by their father, Ghulam Farid Sabri joined him and became the leader of the ensemble, which was initially known as Ghulam Farid Sabri Qawwal & Party. Afterwards, the name of the party was changed to Ghulam Farid Sabri – Maqbool Ahmed Sabri Qawwal & Party. During their 1975 American tour, their promoter Beate Gordon suggested the band name was too long, so they changed it to The Sabri Brothers.
The Sabri Brothers initially started their career by performing at Sufi Shrines and private gatherings, Their first recording was officially released in 1958 under the EMI Pakistan label, was the Urdu qawwali titled "Mera Koi Nahi Hai Tera Siwa", which later appeared in the 1965 Pakistani film Ishq-e-Habib.
1970s witnessed the rise of the Sabri Brothers. They are the only qawwali troupe with "first class" status on the Pakistan Television Corporation.
In 1970, the government of Pakistan sent them to Nepal as representatives for a royal wedding.
During the 1970s, the Sabri Brothers released their greatest hit qawwalis which included "[famous top 10 Naat’s list with audio (2024/25)]", "Tajdar-e-Haram", "O Sharabi Chord De Peena", "Khwaja Ki Deewani", and "Sar E La Makan Se Talab Hui."
Several qawwalis sung by them were even featured in films, which included "Mohabbat Karne Walo Hum Mohabbat Iss Ko Kehte Hai" in the 1970 film Chand Suraj, "Aaye Hai Tere Dar Pe Toh Kuch Le Ke Jaen Ge" in the 1972 film Ilzam, "Bhar Do Jholi Meri Ya Muhammad" in the 1975 film Bin Badal Barsaat, "Baba Farid Sarkar" in the 1974 film Sasta Khoon Mehnga Pani, "Teri Nazr-e-Karam Ka Sahara Mile" in the 1976 film Sachaii, "Mamoor horha hai" in the 1977 film Dayar-e-Paighambran and "Aftab-e-Risalat" in the 1979 Indian film Sultan-e-Hind.
In 1972, they performed a charity concert for the construction of Pakistani Children School in Abu Dhabi. In the same year, with the co-operation of Oriental Star Agencies, the Sabri Brothers performed in various cities in England such as London, Bradford, Birmingham and Manchester, which was very popular. The proceeds of these programs were donated to an Earthquake Relief Fund in Pakistan.
The Sabri Brothers were the first-ever qawwali artists to perform in United States, Europe, and other Western countries. They were the first exponents of qawwali to the West when they performed at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1975, promoted and sponsored by Beate Gordon of the Asia Society. The Sabri Brothers performed in the United States and Canada under the auspices of the Performing Arts Program of the Asia Society in 1975 and recorded a qawwali program at Brooklyn College Television Center.
In 1975, the Sabri Brothers toured and performed at live concerts in South Africa. Inspired by their live concerts in South Africa, Chevrolet gifted an automatic car to the Sabri Brothers, which they donated for the development of poor children. They also donated the proceeds of their live concerts on that tour towards famine relief in South Africa.
The Sabri Brothers performed at Royal Albert Hall on 20 June 1976 at the World of Islam Festival. In April 1978, the album Qawwali was recorded in the United States, while the Sabri Brothers were on tour. The New York Times' review described the album as "the aural equivalent of dancing dervishes" and the "music of feeling."
In 1977, the Sabri Brothers toured India; their concerts were attended by many Bollywood celebrities. During that tour they recorded Aftaab E Risalat Madine Mei Hai which was featured in the 1979 Bollywood film Sultan E Hind Khwaja Garib Nawaz. Aftab E Risalat's music video even featured an appearance by the Sabri Brothers and was a blockbuster hit.
In 1977, they recorded the album Pakistan: The Music of the Qawwal for the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music which was later released in CD form by Auvidis in 1990.
In 1979, they performed a charity concert for the construction of Karachi School of Art which was later released in album Sabri Brothers Live in Concert at Ali Bhai Auditorium.
In June 1981, the Sabri Brothers performed at the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam which was released on the album Tasleem.
In 1982, they appeared in the film Sahaaray with their famous qawwali "Tajdar-e-Haram." The same year they performed at Midway Hotel for the construction of Al Shifa Hospital near Karachi Airport.
In 1983, they recorded the album Nazre Shah Karim to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of His Highness Prince Aga Khan, sponsored by Tajico Group. The proceeds from this album were donated to Aga Khan Hospital, Karachi. On 3 August 1985, a program was held at Sheraton Hotel, Karachi and collected Rs. 141,500/- for the Bangladesh Flood Relief Fund.
In 1985, Maqbool Ahmed Sabri recorded a solo ghazal album in front of a live audience in Karachi; the album was released as Awargi, which was a blockbuster hit. The album had a collection of light playful poetry written by Farhat Shahzad.
In 1988 EMI Pakistan released another solo ghazal album by Maqbool Ahmed Sabri titled Tere Ghungroo Toot Gaye to Kya, which was a hit. The same year, he recorded a qawwali song for music director Anu Malik in the Indian movie Gangaa Jamunaa Saraswati, which was picturised on Mithun Chakraborty.
In 1989, the Sabri Brothers performed at WOMAD festival concerts which were held in UK and France. During their tour of the UK in 1989, the Sabri Brothers recorded an album which was released as the album Ya Habib in 1990 by Peter Gabriel's Real World Records. The album Ya Habib consists of four long songs, each combining powerful, sensitive, often improvised vocals with rhythmic percussion, thudding tabla and mesmeric harmonium drones, which proved to be one of the Sabri Brothers' greatest hits. The same year, they performed at International Flamenco Festival held in France.
In 1989 and 1992, Sabri Brothers performed at various South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation festivals.
In 1990, the Sabri Brothers performed at various qawwali concerts in England.
In 1991, Ghulam Farid Sabri toured Europe and performed qawwali in the United Kingdom and Germany. He also performed at Heimatklänge Festival held in Germany in 1991. The same year, Maqbool Ahmed Sabri toured and performed in various qawwali concerts held in South Africa.
In 1992, the Sabri Brothers, led by Ghulam and Maqbool, toured Australia and performed at the Hope Theater in Melbourne, Australia. Their tour of Australia was sponsored by the Friends of the University of Wollongong. The same year they performed at a fundraiser in Dubai to benefit Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital. In 1992 they also performed in various countries for the SAARC festival.
In 1993, the Sabri Brothers once again toured the United States and performed at various qawwali concerts there.
In April 1994, The Sabri brothers were set to begin on a tour across Europe. They were to perform at around 30–35 shows, covering almost the entire continent. On 5 April 1994, Ghulam Farid Sabri suddenly complained of chest pain. He suffered a massive heart attack and was rushed to hospital but he died en route in the arms of his brother Maqbool Ahmed Sabri. Maqbool Ahmed Sabri was left heartbroken but still carried on his and his elder brother's mission. To devote an album entirely to the Persian poetry of Jami, a luminary of the Sufi tradition, was one of Ghulam Farid Sabri's cherished ambitions. He made the recordings in July 1991 at the SFB studios in Berlin, but the CD was not released while he was still alive. Thus, it becomes a memorial not only to the Persian poet, but also to Ghulam Farid Sabri. After the death of Ghulam Farid Sabri in 1994, Maqbool Ahmed Sabri became the sole leader of The Sabri Brothers with his youngest brother Mehmood Ghaznavi Sabri taking the role of second lead vocalist and harmonium player.
Also in 1994, Sabri Brothers led by Maqbool Ahmed Sabri and Mehmood Ghaznavi Sabri performed at the Womex festival and New Jazz Festival held in Germany.
In 1995, Maqbool Ahmed Sabri was about to perform at the Meltdown Festival held in the UK. A week before the event, he suffered a major accident in Lahore. He was in critical condition during that time, and people worldwide prayed for his health. He recovered miraculously within a month, though he had a damaged leg after the accident and had to undergo multiple knee surgeries.
In 1996, The Sabri Brothers performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music – Next Wave Festival, as part of a double-billing with alternative rockers Cornershop, and released an album titled Ya Mustapha (or Ya Mustafa). The album became one of their greatest hits.
In 1997, The Sabri Brothers once again performed at the Royal Albert Hall in front of the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles for the Celebration of 50 Years of Independence of India and Pakistan together with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. They were one of the few artists who have performed at the Royal Albert Hall multiple times. The Sabri Brothers also performed Waqt E Dua Hai which is one of their popular qawwalis at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, for the celebration of 50 Years of Independence of India and Pakistan together with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
In 1998, The Sabri Brothers toured Australia and also performed at the Sydney Opera House. Shortly after the program at the Opera House, Kamal Ahmed Sabri (second eldest of the brothers), the supporting vocalist and instrumentalist of the group, suffered a heart attack. Though he survived, he could not take part due to poor health.
In 1999, The Sabri Brothers participated in the Voices of God festival in Marrakesh, Morocco in May. The group also performed at various qawwali concerts held in Morocco in 1999.
The Sabri Brothers performed at Musica Sacra International Marktoberdorf Event concerts during the year 2000 in Germany. They also performed at Sufi Soul Festival held in Kall, Germany.
Maqbool Ahmed Sabri and Mehmood Ghaznavi Sabri did several tours of India and recorded various albums which were released by Tips Music.
In 2001, Kamal Ahmed Sabri, the second eldest of the Sabri Brothers, died after suffering a second heart attack. After his death, the use of instruments such as swarmandal (zither) and chidya tarang (Flexatone) came to an end in the Sabri Brothers group. Later the same year, the Sabri Brothers performed live in DOM at the On The Carpet Oriental Culture Festival on 17 November 2001 in Moscow, which was later released in 2003 as the album Live in Moscow – Diwani.
In 2005, The Sabri Brothers performed at Virsast Festival held in Dehradun, India. The same year, Maqbool Ahmed Sabri was invited to perform in different cities in Madhya Pradesh, India, and was awarded the Tansen Samman Award by the government of Madhya Pradesh.
In 2006, the Sabri Brothers performed at Ajmer Sharif and in Pune, Maharashtra. The same year, Maqbool Ahmed Sabri rerecorded and re-released his old hit qawwalis including "Khwaja Ki Deewani", "Mera Koi Nahi Hai Tere Siwa", "Mann Bole Mann", and "Hum Panjatani Hai" which were released by SB Studios in Karachi and proved to be a big hit worldwide.
The Sabri Brothers led by Maqbool Ahmed Sabri and Mehmood Ghaznavi Sabri continued to tour and performed in Russia in the year 2007.
Maqbool Ahmed Sabri went on various tours and performed at qawwali concerts until his death. He performed in Hyderabad, India in 2008. He also performed at Ajmer Sharif during the annual Urs celebrations of Khwaja Garib Nawaz in 2011. His last concert was organized by Hilton Hotel in South Africa in 2011. After that, since then his health was not good. On 21 September 2011, Maqbool Ahmed Sabri died in South Africa due to cardiac arrest after being treated for two months for health problems. He was buried near his elder brother Ghulam Farid Sabri.
The group was then led by the youngest brother Mehmood Ghaznavi Sabri, who was the last brother alive leading the group after the deaths of Ghulam Farid Sabri and Maqbool Ahmed Sabri. Mehmood Ghaznavi Sabri led the Sabri Brothers until his own death on 21 June 2021. He organized many programs in Europe to collect donations for the Namal Institute located in Mianwali District, Punjab, which was established by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan. The funds collected were sent home after the many programs hosted in Europe. Mehmood's qawwalis were well-received across the globe, including in Germany and several European countries.
With the death of Mehmood Ghaznavi Sabri on 21 June 2021, the Sabri Brothers group came to an end. Other family members and disciples of the Sabri Brothers continue to perform in their own separate qawwali groups to carry on the legacy of Ghulam Farid Sabri, Maqbool Ahmed Sabri and the Sabri Brothers.
Several of their qawwalis were featured in films.