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Abida Parveen

,Barbican Hall
contemporarymusic_2019_Abida_Parveen

The Pakistani artist and one of the finest Qawwali vocalists of the modern era performs a selection of traditional Sufi music with her ensemble.

Parveen’s uniqueness and star quality in the industry is part of her shine. Her specialism lies in performing musical forms that have been traditionally showcased by men – she sings ghazals and kafis in Urdu, Sindhi, Saraiki, Punjabi and Persian, accompanied by her wider band. Her hypnotic music focuses on themes of spirituality, as each song speaks of praising god. 

Growing up in the north-western city of Larkana, where the historic Indus River flows amongst the Holy Alams, Parveen’s father, a renowned singer and music teacher who ran his own music school, raised her to be equally, if not more musical. She has masterfully learnt pump organ, keyboard and sitar and her talents now lie among the 500 most influential Muslims of the world. Her music has inspired countless global fans across four decades.

Tagged with: Contemporary music

Discover

Photo of a lady singing into a microphone

Watch: Abida Parveen on Coke Studio

Take a look at Abida Parveen's performances on Season 7, Episode 6 of Pakistani television programme Coke Studio.

photo of man playing sarod in an empty conference room

Barbican Sessions: Soumik Datta

 

Deep within the Barbican, British Indian composer Soumik Datta performs ‘From Raag to Reel’ on his custom built, fretless sarod (a 19-stringed instrument).

Photo of two men dancing

Listen: Sufi Music

Sufi music is the devotional music of the Sufis, inspired by the works of Sufi poets, like Rumi, Hafiz, Bulleh Shah, Amir Khusrow and Khwaja Ghulam Farid.

Take a listen to some Sufi music.

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Barbican Hall

Location
The Barbican Hall is located within the main Barbican building. Head to Level G and follow the signs to find your seating level. 

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
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