The Sabri Brothers is a music band from Pakistan who are performers of Sufi qawwali and are closely connected to the Chishti Order. They are referred to as Roving ambassadors of Pakistan. The band was initially founded by Maqbool Ahmed Sabri at the age of 11 years. Later his elder brother Ghulam Farid Sabri joined and led the band. They were the first exponents of qawwali to the West, when they performed at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1975 Sabri Brothers have given a number of soulful qawwali performances globally, and their stature in the Sub-continent is colossal.
The Sabri brothers learned music from their father, Inayat Hussain Sabri. He trained his sons in qawwali and Indian classical music. Ghulam Farid's public performance was at the annual Urs festival of Mubarak Shah in Kalyana (now in Haryana, India) in 1946. The family moved from Kalyana to Karachi, Pakistan following the Partition of India in 1947. Ghulam Farid Sabri, Kamal Ahmed Sabri, And Maqbool Ahmed Sabri furthered their knowledge of music under Ustad Fatehdin Khan, Ustad Ramzan Khan, and Ustad Latafat Hussein Khan Bareilly Sharif. They even furthered their knowledge of Poetry under Hazrat Hairat Ali Shah Warsi who was their spiritual master (Daada Peer) too. Ghulam Farid Sabri was performing as a supporting lead in the group of his teacher Ustad Kallan Khan Qawwal. Later, With the help of his father Maqbool Ahmed Sabri formed a Qawwali group at the age of eleven and named it Bacha Qawwal Party. Soon afterwards after insistence by their father, Ghulam Farid Sabri joined him and became the leader of the party, which soon came to be known as Ghulam Farid Sabri - Maqbool Ahmed Sabri Qawwal Party. During their 1975 American tour, their promoter Beate Gordon suggested the band name was too long, so they changed it to "The Sabri Brothers and ensemble from Pakistan".
Many consider the Sabri Brothers instrumentally more adventurous, than Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Aziz Mian mastered in presenting intoxication as closeness to God, and said more than 3,000 couplets in that metaphor, and even Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a perfectionist in discussing the beauty of the Creator of feminine attractiveness. although The Sabri Brothers even though recited many famous couplets and poetries in presenting intoxication and closeness to God as a part of Sufi culture. They mostly focused on Hamd (Praise of God), Naat (Praising of the Holy Prophet), and Manqabat (Praising of Holy People And Saints).
During the 1970s a squabble started between the two greatest Sufi singers when Sabri Brothers released one of their biggest hits Bhar do Jholi Meri, while Aziz Mian released his biggest hit Main Sharaabi. The rivalry became more aggressive when The Sabri Brothers released a thinly veiled taunt at Aziz Mian in shape of a Qawwali titled O sharabi, chord de peena (O drunkard, stop drinking). This qawwali became an immediate super hit, sung in the typically steady, controlled and hypnotic style. Aziz Mian was quick to strike back. He composed and recorded Haaye kambakht Tu Ne Pi Hi Hahi (O Unfortunate, you never drank!) on the third day of the release of Oh Sharabi Chord De Peena, And even Aziz Mian's reply was a quick super hit .
In his reply he disparaged the Brothers. Aziz Mian lamented that the Brothers were too conventional and that their spiritual connection with the Almighty was not as stark as his. When Aziz Mian criticized the Sabri Brothers regarding their knowledge of Sufism and love of god, they retaliated and replied with their super hit Saqia Aur Pila which was directly focused on their intoxicated love for God and based on their knowledge of Sufism. EMI-Pakistan, which released both the records, together claimed that Aziz Mian and Sabri Brothers, sold over two million LPs and cassettes from this brawl.
Even though The Sabri Brothers and Aziz Mian had a professional competition, they maintained good friendly relations with each other.
PTN-USA