Amjad Farid Sabri was a Pakistani qawwal, naat khawan and a proponent of the Sufi Muslim tradition. Son of Ghulam Farid Sabri and nephew of Maqbool Ahmed Sabri of the Sabri Brothers, he emerged as one of South Asia's most prominent qawwali singers, often reciting poems written by his father and uncle. The TTP Hakimullah Mehsud group has claimed responsibility for Sabri's death, saying that they carried out the assassination "for blasphemy."
Amjad Sabri
A very young Amjad Sabri seated between his father Ghulam Farid Sabri and uncle Maqbool Ahmed Sabri in The Sabri Brothers
Amjad Sabri with his father Ghulam Farid Sabri
A young Amjad Sabri with The Sabri Brothers led by his uncle Maqbool Ahmed Sabri in New York, 1996
Qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in South Asia. Originally performed at Sufi shrines or dargahs throughout South Asia, it is famous throughout Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and has also gained mainstream popularity and an international audience as of the late 20th century.
Qawwali at Ajmer Sharif Dargah
The diwan of the Nawab Wazir of Oudh, Asaf-ud-dowlah, who sits smoking a hookah listening to musicians in Lucknow, ca. 1812.