A landmark cultural evening at New York’s Town Hall brought Pakistan’s qawwali to an American audience when Ustad Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad Qawwal Brothers joined acclaimed gospel ensemble Chorale Le Chateau for a shared performance that celebrated spiritual music across traditions.
The Consul General of Pakistan in New York, Aamer Ahmed Atozai, attended as Chief Guest and congratulated the artists while commending The Town Hall and Vagabond Media for organising the collaboration. “We are deeply proud to see Pakistan’s celebrated qawwals make history as the first Pakistani artists ever presented by The Town Hall,” he said, noting the role of such events in promoting harmony and understanding.
The concert, produced by Vagabond Media in partnership with The Town Hall NYC, drew around a thousand people who braved severe weather to attend. The programme juxtaposed qawwali and gospel repertoire to highlight common themes of devotion, transcendence and communal uplift.
Musically, the night underscored how qawwali and gospel can resonate with each other despite different languages and settings, using call-and-response, layered vocal harmonies and emotive delivery to reach listeners. The collaboration offered an inspiring message of peace, love and human unity that resonated with both Pakistani and international attendees.
Organisers emphasised the historic nature of the engagement: in its hundred-year history The Town Hall presented Pakistani artists for the first time. The Consulate reaffirmed its commitment to supporting future artistic collaborations that advance intercultural dialogue, peace and coexistence through the arts, and the success of this event positions Ustad Fareed Ayaz and his ensemble as cultural ambassadors for Pakistan on the global stage.
New York, 1 November 2025
