Coke Studio Season 9: Amjad Sabri’s last qawwali is now out

Coke Studio has dedicated this qawwali to Amjad Sabri. It is being seen by his fans as a fitting tribute to the slain goliath qawwal, Sabri, who was murdered on June 22 in Karachi.

The rhythm of the two resounding voices presenting 700 years old kalaam of Amir Khusro will leave you in a state of awe.

Around 40 years ago, a shrine echoed with the sound of a traditional qawwali performed in an epic collaboration by the maestros, Ghulam Farid Sabri, Amjad’s father, with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat’s uncle. The divine kalaam of Amir Khusro – ‘Aj Rang Hai’ – soared through the skies.

In what has been deemed as the most anticipated performance of Coke Studio’s Season 9, the two families return to the platform for the first time since, as Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Amjad Sabri collaborate to perform the very track, four decades later.

Recorded in the first and only take, as the song’s melodic heart unfolds Rahat’s vocals float over the top, forging ahead into well-known territories.

With the rasp of Sabri’s rumbling vocals fuelled by a momentary key change, combining the sounds of the past and the present whilst igniting the sense of nostalgia most gracefully – carrying you off to somewhere else entirely.


Embodying the classic traditional essence, the kalaam comes alive enriched by the raw, soulful inflections warming your heart and soul for many more decades, a Coke Studio public announcement said. This kalaam recited by Amjad Sabri has simply enchanting effects; people are left looking for words to express their feelings and wishing him Return If Possible.

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