• 20 Feb 2025
  • Aga Khan Centre
  • Talks and Lectures

“Songs of the Sufi” Screening

This event will begin at 18.00 GMT.

In an unbroken chain spanning over 800 years, a form of music has inspired, entranced and enlightened people. Songs of the Sufi (2023) takes viewers on a musical and artistic journey that catalogues traditional Qawwali, the mystical music tradition of the Indian Subcontinent associated with 13th-century Sufi seminaries, which is enjoyed globally today. 

The Institute of Ismaili Studies is pleased to present this multi-award-winning film at the Aga Khan Centre. Join us for an exclusive screening followed by a moderated discussion with producers Kamran Moin Anwar and Professor Katherine Butler Schofield. Watch the trailer below.

Songs of the Sufi trailer

Songs of the Sufi is told from the lens of two families—A Qawwali lover who grew up with Qawwali around him, his mother a Sufi disciple who reminisces about her listening experiences as a teenager in India; and Qawwali singers who have been paying homage to this genre for 25 generations. The film features live performances, connecting the 13th century tradition with modern practices to create a meditative experience.

Speakers

Kamran Moin Anwar

Producer and Executive Producer

Kamran took a year-long sabbatical from his finance career to create Songs of the Sufi, driven by his passion for Qawwali and his desire to conserve classical Qawwali roots and inform others about the unknown nuances of this spiritual music genre. Prior to this endeavor, he directed Rung, a widely acclaimed collection of traditional Qawwali CDs featuring extensive insights on the genre, performers, and Qawwali translations, each amassing 5 million+ YouTube views. He also researched and narrated Hidden Gems of Lahore, a Destinations Media series uncovering Lahore’s unique historic sites. He is a frequent speaker on art and culture and is an avid collector of miniature paintings, Indian silver, and contemporary Pakistani art.

Katherine Butler Schofield

Co Producer

Katherine Schofield is Head of the Department of Music at King’s College London and one of world’s leading scholars on rāga-based music of the Mughal period. She has written and lectured extensively on the subject, is the recipient of a European Research Council Grant and a British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship. She is co-editor of Tellings and Texts: Music, Literature and Performance in North India (2015) and Monsoon Feelings: A History of Emotions in the Rain (2018).

Please note filming and photography may take place during the event and be used across our website, newsletters and social media accounts. These could include broad shots of the audience and lecture theatre, speakers during the talk, and of audience members participating in Q&A.

Views expressed in this discussion are those of the presenters, not necessarily of IIS, the Ismaili community or its leadership. Promotion of this event is not an explicit endorsement of the ideas presented.