• By Mabel Pais

The World Music Institute, as part of its Collaboration Series, presents ‘Singing Together,’ a qawwali and gospel music collaboration between Texas-based Riyaaz Qawwali and The Harlem Gospel Travelers from New York City. The performance takes place on Friday, October 13 at the Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, Manhattan at 8 pm. Doors open at 7 pm.

PROGRAM

The program will consist of performances from both ensembles individually, followed by a collaborative set of repertoire performed by both groups. The collaborative pieces carefully interweave qawwali and gospel elements into a singular soundscape, where the listener doesn’t know where one genre ends and the other begins. In the creation of these pieces, the lyrics were also carefully arranged to honor both traditions. Don’t miss this unique show celebrating the unifying joy of spiritual music.

RIYAAZ QAWWALI 

Riyaaz Qawwali returns to NYC after their sold out performance at Cathedral of St. John The Divine which was presented by World Music Institute in January of 2019. The group performs qawwalis (or sufi music), bhajans, shabads and ghazals. They represent the diversity and plurality of South Asia. The ensemble’s musicians, who are settled in the United States, hail from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. Learn more about Riyaaz Qawwali at riyaazqawwali.com.

What is Qawwali?

Qawwali is a genre of music that has been used for centuries to spark religious devotion and bring listeners to a state of spiritual union with God. Qawwalis are often sung by Sufis as praise for religious teachers, saints, and scholars. Qawwali lyrics draw inspiration from Islam and use several poetry forms such as Ghazals, Hamd, and Kafi. However, spiritual love is expressed through the themes of worldly love and intoxication. Qawwali songs are mostly sung in Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi, Farsi, and Bengali languages.

How is Qawwali music performed?

Qawwali music is usually performed by an ensemble consisting of a lead singer, a harmonium and a tabla or dholak player, and several side singers that serve as the chorus. This type of music is characterized by the voices of the lead singer and chorus, as well as hand clapping. A concert (traditionally as part of a ‘mehfil-e sama’) in such a setting can bring a Sufi into a state of ecstasy.

THE HARLEM GOSPEL TRAVELERS

Born out of a non-profit music education program led by Eli “Paperboy” Reed, The Harlem Gospel Travelers—singers Thomas Gatling, George Marage, and Dennis Bailey—released their debut LP, ‘He’s On Time,’ to rave reviews in 2019, with Pop Matters hailing the album’s “musical transcendence”. Their 2022 release, ‘Look Up!,’ also produced by Reed, marked the group’s first collection of totally original material, which NPR Music praised as having a “70s vibe but subject material is of this moment”.

“Gospel’s at the root of everything,” says Thomas Gatling. “Country, folk, rock, soul, blues; we love it all, and it’s all in there.”

“When everything was stripped away, all we had left was the music,” he says. “Difficult as it was, we realized that God was opening a door, and it was up to us to walk on through to the other side.”

It’s on the other side that we meet a transformed Harlem Gospel Travelers, complete with a new album, a new lineup, and a new lease on life. Produced by Eli Paperboy Reed, ‘Look Up!’ marks the group’s first full-length release as a trio, as well as their first collection of totally original material, and it couldn’t have come at a more vital moment. Learn more at harlemgospeltravelers.com.

TICKETS

For Tickets to the performance, visit symphonyspace.org/events/vp-riyaaz-qawwali-and-the-harlem-gospel-travelers 

Pricing is tiered. Student, Senior (with valid ID) discounts and Member benefits apply.

(Mabel Pais writes on Spirituality, The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Education, Cuisine, Health & Wellness, and Business)