Brooklyn Qawwali Party
Paying tribute to one of the world’s greatest vocalists, Brooklyn Qawwali Party formed to honor the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, reworking his thunderous songs for an eclectic, eleven-piece orchestra comprised of groundbreaking jazz musicians. Funky, smart, and loving, BQP captures the joyful spirit of this Pakistani folk music in a unique instrumental blend of jazz and Qawwali. With five horns, guitar, bass, harmonium, and three percussionists, this band’s buoyant rhythm will be sure to get you on your feet and clapping.
The ensemble includes:
Tony Barba – tenor saxophone
Loren Stillman – alto saxophone
Ben Holmes – trumpet
Ryan Keberle – trombone
Brian Drye – trombone
Robert Jost – French Horn
Noah Jarrett – acoustic bass
Mike Gamble – electric guitar
Kris Davis – harmonium
Conor Elmes – percussion
Brook Martinez – drums
The Extended Biography
A singer does not acquire the nickname “The Voice From Heaven” for no good reason. And anyone that has ever heard Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan knows this moniker to be fitting. Yet Nusrat was more than a singer; he was an ambassador of Sufi/Islamic culture and art, as well as the modern seed of a seven-hundred-year-old lineage of qawwali singers. In his all-too-brief life, he transformed the folk music of Pakistan into something ready for – some would say craved by – global audiences