Maqbool Ahmed Sabri

Maqbool Ahmed Sabri was a Pakistani qawwali singer and a prominent member of the Sabri Brothers, one of the greatest qawwali groups of all times which belonged to Pakistan. The Sabri Brothers received the Pride of Performance award by the President of Pakistan in 1978. He was born in Kalyana, a village in the district of Rohtak in Punjab, British India in 1945. His family's musical lineage stretches back several centuries, to the age of the Mughal emperors. His family claims direct descent from Mian Tansen, the musician of the court of Akbar the Great, the Mughal emperor. He started his career in music under his father, Inayat Hussain Sabri. He was instructed in North Indian classical music and qawwali. He was also instructed in the playing of the harmonium and tabla. He migrated to Pakistan in 1947 and settled in Karachi. He formed the Sabri Brothers with his brother Ghulam Farid Sabri and other relatives. They became famous for their qawwali performances, which were based on the poetry of Sufi saints and mystics. They sang in Urdu, Persian, Punjabi and Sindhi languages and used traditional instruments like harmonium, tabla, dholak and sarangi. They also incorporated elements of western music like guitar and keyboard in some of their songs. They performed in many countries and festivals and recorded many albums. Some of their famous songs are "Tajdar-e-Haram", "Bhar Do Jholi Meri", "Balaghal Ula Be Kamalehi" and "Ya Sahib-ul-Jamal". Maqbool Ahmed Sabri died of a heart attack in Cape Town, South Africa on 21 September 2011 at the age of 65.