When we first met the Saami family, we stepped into a living tradition that has carried the breath of imagination for nearly 800 years. The art of Khayal—meaning “imagination”—is among the oldest forms of Hindustani vocal improvisation, passed carefully from master to student, generation to generation. Through our partnership with the…...
Applications Open: Cohort 3 – Khayal Apprenticeship with The Saami Family
We are thrilled to announce the opening of applications for Cohort 3 of the Khayal Apprenticeship, a rare, four-week intensive with The Saami Brothers alongside their father, Ustad Naseeruddin Saami. This immersive program offers group training sessions and optional one-on-one lessons focused on the fundamentals of voice culture—discovering your true…...
Presenting Ustad Noor Bahksh, Master of the Balochi Electric Benju
This coming September and October, Noor Bakhsh, a legendary instrumentalist from the Makran coast of Pakistan will bring the electric benju to U.S. audiences for a rare performance of a unique and fascinating sound. The Markan coast is the semi-desert coastal strip of Balochistan on the Gulf of Oman. Noor…...
Khayaal: teaching to heal mind and spirit
Early this summer, we supported the launch of a new, transformative project in Lahore, Pakistan. “Healing Khayaal” follows the preeminent family of an ancient Islamic traditional musical practice as they engage with a cohort of apprentices to continue their practice and explore how traditional music and teaching methods can heal…...
Healing Khayaal: the music of Ustadh Naseer-ud-din Saami
We are over the moon excited about our next project, which just launched in Lahore, Pakistan. Healing Khayaal centers around the work of Pakistani vocalist and spiritual teacher Ustadh Naseer-ud-din Saami, the living master of khayaal, who traces his lineage back to the foundation of the now-rare 49-note scale in…...
