Cairo resonates with Pakistani Qawwali | The Express Tribune

Pakistan joined the 18th ‘World Samaa International Festival for Chanting and Spiritual Music’ in Egypt on Thursday as an honorary guest, marking a significant cultural presence at an event regarded as one of the region’s most prominent platforms for spiritual performance traditions. The Badr Ali and Bahadur Ali Qawwal Group represented Pakistan and delivered an enchanting performance before a large audience that included diplomats, foreign visitors and local attendees, earning strong applause for their command of classical Qawwali and cohesive musical delivery.

The Pakistan Embassy in Cairo arranged the group’s participation and confirmed that both performers would continue to represent the country throughout the festival from November 27 to 30, reflecting a broader effort to highlight Pakistan’s devotional and musical heritage abroad.

The event is marking 18 years of innovation in Sufi chanting and religious recitation, with the programme designed to bring together established performers whose work reflects longstanding musical traditions as well as newer interpretations of devotional expression.

The festival has developed into a major international gathering featuring prominent reciters, Sufi ensembles and dervish dance groups from multiple regions, creating a diverse artistic environment that encourages cross-cultural engagement and shared appreciation of spiritual performance styles.

During the opening ceremony, Egyptian and international groups presented their work to an enthusiastic audience, with organisers noting that this year’s participation demonstrated the festival’s growing reach and its capacity to attract performers from across a broad geographical spectrum.

A central feature of the programme is the 11th edition of the interfaith dialogue segment, which is being presented under the theme ‘Here We Pray Together’, encouraging participants to explore shared values while presenting their respective spiritual musical traditions.

Organisers said the festival continues to highlight Egypt’s cultural identity while creating a collaborative space where visiting performers can exchange artistic ideas, build connections and contribute to an event now considered an important fixture on the global spiritual arts calendar.