Music Today in association with Punjab Heritage and Tourism Board brings it in the form of Sufi Festival – Amrit-de-Sur, a musical extravaganza spread over 2 days at Guru Nanak Auditorium, City Centre, Amritsar on 17th & 18th October 2013.
Sufi music is the devotional music of the Sufis, inspired by the works of Sufi poets like Rumi, Hafiz, Bulleh Shah and Khwaja Ghulam Farid. Amrit-de-Sur brings together the stalwarts of various forms of Sufi music on one platform.
This 2 days festival will feature power packed performances by the Jugni King, Arif Lohar from across the border and Hans Raj Hans from the soil of Punjab. The other artistes who will be performing include Nizami Brothers, Nooran Sisters, Tarun Khyapa, and Prahlad Singh Tipaniya among others.
Arif Lohar is a Punjabi folk singer from Pakistan. The son of prominent folk singer Alam Lohar, Arif has had more than 50 foreign tours around the world. He also has more than 150 albums to his credit and more than 3000 songs recorded. Arif Lohar has also sung many famous Bollywood tracks out of which his “Jugni” for the movie “Cocktail” tops the chart.
Hans Raj Hans is well known Sufi & Folk singer from Punjab. In his young age, Hans Raj Hans learned from renowned music director Charanjit Ahuja. He then started Punjabi folk, devotional and Sufi music. He has released his solo Indi-pop albums and has also sung for movies such as Bend It Like Beckham, Patiala House & Mausam. He has also worked with renowned Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in the movie Kachche Dhaage.
Nizami Brothers is an Indian Qawwali musical group consisting of Ghulam Sabir Nizami and Ghulam Waris Nizami. They perform all over the world for various cultural events.
Nooran Sisters - Jyoti and Sultana were recognized after they performed at MTV Coke Studios and the Sufi song “Allah Hu”. The duo belongs to the Sham Chaurasi Gharana of classical music and had trained with Gulshan Meer, their father. They are the great granddaughters of Bibi Nooran the classical Sufi and folk singer.
Tarun Khyapa– Tarun Khaypa is a celebrated name across the world and not just for the sheer energy he brings to the stage but also because of the deeply touching lyrics of his songs. He performs Baul music written by various legends such as Lalan Fakir, Radhasham Goswamy and more.
Prahlad Singh Tipaniya– Prahlad Singh Tipaniya is an Indian folk singer who performs Kabir bhajans in the Malwi folk style. He has performed worldwide including US, UK & India. He has received several awards including the Padma Shri in 2011. He has also performed at the annual Sufi music festival, Ruhaniyat.