Abida Parveen

There are few artists who are spoken about with the same rapturous fervour as Abida Parveen. Perhaps only her spiritual brother, the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, has inspired the same level of devotion among fans.

Parveen has been described by The Guardian as “the greatest female Sufi singer in history”, and has played a crucial role in the evolution of an artform traditionally performed by men. She specialises in two forms of Sufi poetry – Ghazals and Kafis – but while these traditions date back centuries, Parveen has also attracted ecstatic admirers from younger generations and counts among her admirers the likes of Björk and John Tavener.

Now, in an Asia TOPA exclusive, this musical icon performs a rare concert outside of Pakistan along with her outstanding ensemble.

PRE-SHOW AND POST-SHOW PROGRAM

5pm–6pm
Hamer Hall Foyer
Dramatic Reading of Tilism-e-Hoshruba and roaming entertainment

This dramatic reading introduces Abida Parveen’s spiritual sister and actor Feryal Gauhar who reads Tilism-e-Hoshruba (the enchantment of the senses) which is written by Shahnaz Aijazuddin. Shahnaz introduces the literary work, which has Persian Sufi origins.

6pm
Hamer Hall
Abida Parveen live in concert

Abida Parveen performs live with her musicians Manzoor Hussain, Abid Hussain and Karam

SalamFest is a festival of peace, showcasing diverse culture and traditions from the Muslim world.