The greatest qawwals of our time, Fareed Ayaz – Abu Muhammad Qawwal & Party wowed the Pakistani diaspora in Dallas, Texas, with a deeply spiritual performance at the residence of Sharoot and Ally Adnan, on Thanksgiving Day. The couple, whose home has come to be known as the cultural hub for South Asian arts, had mounted an elegant affair to celebrate their twenty-eighth wedding anniversary with the close friends and family members. The lively party began with an elaborate multi-course dinner prepared by the hosts themselves. Sharoot and Ally Adnan do not believe in having their parties catered and put their heart and soul into cooking for the sixty guests who attended the event. Food was but one of the highlights of the evening, second only to the heartfelt qawwali performance by the venerable qawwals.

Fareed Ayaz – Abu Muhammad Qawwal & Party’s emotionally-charged renderings of classical qawwalis greatly moved listeners, a number of whom found themselves crying involuntarily, simultaneously elated and wistful. An evening that will undoubtedly be remembered for years as one of the finest parties in Dallas ended in the wee hours of the morning with a masterly rendition of Amir Khsurau’s Aaj Rang Hai.

Noor Akbar Chishti is a graduate of IBA and a lover of art, culture and history. He is a freelance writer and can be reached at nakbar@khi.iba.edu.pk.

Photographs by Atif F. Sheikh