Roxy Art House, Tuesday, May 26th: Doors open 6.30, music should begin around 7.30

We’re extremely happy to be able to welcome back the Ahmad Sham Sufi Qawali Group. The Ahmad Sham Sufi Qawali group is the most famous Qawali group in Afghanistan at the moment. They will be performing at the Roxy Art House on Tuesday, May 26th. The doors will open at 6.30 and music should begin around 7.30. We aim to convert the Roxy into as close an approximation of an Afghan Sufi house as possible for this. As such we won’t have a fixed price for entry, but will ask for £5 suggested donation. More of course will be much appreciated by the sufi group, all money will go towards covering their costs and any left over will be donated to an Afghan Charity. Last year the group raised £7000, which they donated to widows and children disabled by war.

We met the group for the first time when visiting a Sufi House in the old quarters of Kabul in 2006. Sufi Houses exist all over Afghanistan and come from an ancient tradition which has existed for over 700years. The tradition consists of 24 to 48hours of non-stop music, played by alternating musicians. The sessions are always free, food is provided and the audience come and go as they please. The
audience and the musicians collaborate to create a musical and spiritual journey, aimed at reaching a state of ecstasy. This state is viewed by certain Sufi groups as the point at which one is closest to
God.

Sufi music is not viewed as a performance, but as a spiritual and healing journey through music and dance. People do not clap at the end of a song, but they clap and dance throughout. The music is improvised according to the atmosphere and mood of the audience and the audience share a responsibility in creating this energy.

The Taliban banned Qawali music along with all other music, during their reign and Qawali music was the first to return after their expulsion. This is due to Qawali being an important form of healing within Afghan culture.

The Sham Qawali group have been playing for over 30years and is one of the most highly regarded Qawali groups of Afghanistan. They have toured India, Russia, Tajikistan, all over Afghanistan and last year came to London and Scotland, brought over by Reel Festivals during the first Afghan Festival in the UK.

In Edinburgh the group played in the Reed Music Hall, and the Queen’s Hall http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdfhVcimANQ
Both concerts were a huge success and due to public demand, we have bringing the group back this year as part of the Great Game Festival in
the Tricycle Theatre, London http://www.tricycle.co.uk/.

The group will also be touring Scotland, playing in the CatStrand in New Galloway as part of Dumfries and Galloway 30th Arts Festival http://www.dgartsfestival.org.uk/, and Knockengorroch World Music Festival in Dumfries and Galloway http://www.knockengorroch.org.uk/

This is a rare opportunity to see one of Afghanistan’s most talented bands and learn about their unique history and culture. You can here them in session on BBC Radio 3 here – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kh0ts

A chance to see a more human side of Afghanistan and its people. I can’t recommend this group highly enough, please do come along and spread the word!