Sammi Brothers

Experience the spiritual power of Qawwali through hypnotic rhythms, soaring vocals and powerful call-and-response singing.

The Sammi Brothers are among the world’s foremost practitioners of traditional Qawwali. They carry forward an unbroken Sufi musical lineage that stretches back nearly 800 years. As hereditary musicians of the legendary Qawwal Bacha Delhi Gharana, founded by the 13th-century poet, musician, and mystic Amir Khusrau, they preserve one of the oldest and most revered traditions of devotional music in the Islamic world.

They were trained from childhood by their father, Ustaad Naseeruddin Saami. He is one of the last living masters of the subcontinent’s 49-note microtonal vocal system. The brothers bring an unusually expansive musical vocabulary to Qawwali. They draw on a profound classical knowledge of raag, microtonality, improvisation, and voice.

Their family tradition moves between two musical worlds. One is the calm, reflective style of Khayal, rooted in breath, silence and tone. The other is the energetic devotion of Qawwali, driven by rhythm and collective participation. Together, they create performances where classical mastery and spiritual expression are closely connected.

In 2025, Ustaad Naseeruddin Saami and the Saami Brothers received the prestigious Aga Khan Music Awards Patron’s Award in London. The award recognised their work in preserving and passing on the musical and spiritual legacy of Amir Khusrau.

Their repertoire spans centuries of devotional and classical poetry across Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Farsi and other languages. A performance can move from quiet, meditative Khayal to beloved Qawwali poetry, intricate vocal improvisation and exhilarating collective refrains. No two performances are quite the same. The music responds to the musicians, the poetry, the audience and the moment. It moves from profound stillness toward wajd, the transcendent state of spiritual ecstasy at the heart of Qawwali.