Sukhawat Ali Khan and Cali Qawwali

Join Sukhawat Ali Khan and Cali Qawwali for a Sufi Qawwali concert in which they will present a celebration of two giants within the world of South Asian music: Ustad Salamat Ali Khan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. 

Sukhawat Ali Khan is a master Hindustani musician and leader of Cali Qawwali, a soulful qawwali ensemble. He is a classical vocalist from the Sham Chaurasi Gharana, a family vocal tradition founded in the 16th century. He is the son of legendary Indian-Pakistani vocalist Ustad Salamat Ali Khan and nephew of Nazakat Ali Khan.

In addition to being a master of Hindustani classical music, he is an accomplished performer of South Asian devotional and folk music and ghazals. He began singing and playing music at the age of seven with his father Salamat Ali Khan, and has performed extensively around the world. Based in Sacramento he teaches individual students in the San Francisco Bay Area and leads Cali Qawwali.

Performances by Cali Qawwali bring you the uplifting power of a vocal chorus with expert instrumental abilities, combining introspective prayer and joyful celebration. This music is performed both in unplugged and in electric abandon. Cali Qawwali's unique spiritual music calls upon traditional Sufi and classical raga-based songs from Pakistan and India, new compositions, Bollywood, kirtan, ghazal and folk. The music is nourished by Sukhawat Ali’s immersion in the Shaam Chaurasi Gharana, his musical family dating from the sixteenth century. 

Lyrics are in Urdu/Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic and Persian, sometimes combined effortlessly in one song. The audience is often invited to clap, sing and move with the band, creating a Cali Qawwali form of dhamaal, which is a song and dance seen at Sufi shrines.

Cali Qawwali features Vivek Anand (vocals) and Rajnish Kamat (vocals). Both are lifelong devotees of South Asian classical, and both are long time students of Sukhawat Ali and are solo performers in their own right.

Craig Reiter (guitar and bass) and Ali Ziyad (cello) bring the 'fusion' to Cali Qawwali by combining western instruments with a raga-based format. Craig is a multi-instrumentalist who was drawn in by the depth of Hindustani classical music. Ali has Kashmiri roots and is a recent graduate from the music department at UC Berkeley.

Wajahat Ali Khan (percussion) is the son of Sukhawat Ali, and represents the next generation in the centuries-old family tradition of excellence in musicianship. 

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door general admission; $15 for students with ID. Children under 12 are free. Advance tickets are available here, or if the show is not sold out, you may purchase your tickets at the door before the show.

Doors open 30 minutes before show time. We accept cash or Venmo only at the door.

The Back Room is an all-ages, BYOB (for those 21+) space, dedicated to (mostly) acoustic music of all kinds. You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages. The venue is ADA accessible. If you need more information or have any questions, please call us: #510-381-1997.

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Please refrain from using your phone during performances, and if you use your camera or video, please disable the flash.

Although masks are no longer required, we strongly encourage their use to keep everyone safe in our intimate space.

Thank you for your support!