Obituary: Maqbool Sabri of Sabri Brothers passes away
Renowned qawwal Maqbool Ahmed Sabri died of a heart attack on Wednesday in Cape Town, South Africa.
He was 60 and had been under treatment in South Africa for two months and was also suffering from diabetes. He leaves behind his widow, three daughters and a son.
Born in 1941 to a lower-income class family in Kalyana, India, Sabri migrated to Karachi with his family and settled in Liaquatabad. He received his qawwali and music training at an early age and recorded his first qawwali at the age of 17 in 1958 with his elder brother Ghulam Fareed Sabri and then formed a group called Sabri Brothers.
In 1970, he was awarded the Pride of Performance Award. His first international performance followed soon after, when in 1975, he performed in New York. Some of his most important qawwalis include ‘Bhar do jholi’ and ‘Mera koi nahin hai tere siwa’.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 22nd, 2011.#mce_temp_url#
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@amina: Thank you. May his soul rest in peace. Ameen
Good person and big loss
He was a talented qawal as was his brother. I too saw the Sabri brothers live in London and know the two rascals who used to push past me to get on stage and throw the notes. I also remember you too dressing up in beads and mirror jackets and topis and doing your own qawali performances and we used to throw monopoly money at you.LOL. Why don't you perform your own double act as I'm sure someof their talent must have rubbed off on you.
Yes he always performed brilliantly in London @nAv:
RIP....first nusrat, aziz mian, elder sabri and now maqbool sabri...a whole generation of qawwals gone...may god grant them jannah... Saw sabri bros in London and my uncle took me to meet them in their hotel room. Qawwali industry will never be the same again
I am inconsolable. Sabri introduced me to Sufi. Sufi is the centre of all music to me now. Through Sabri I have softened toward Pakistan as a people and now realize Sabri did what he was meant to do - bring the 2 countries together. I am extremely grateful that I heard his music and pray his soul rests in peace. It may be too much to ask but I fervently hope his brother continuous to enthrall their fans. I think Pakistan has lost another star.
Very sad news i use to go watch sabri brothers whenever they came to preform in london areas, may allah grant them both a place in heaven.
He was an outstanding singer (Qawal) whom I knew personally. A very big loss. May His Soul Rest In Peace, Amen.
RIP Pakistan has top notch cardiologists. Coronary artery disease from which the heart attack comes can easily be managed by meds, stents or bypass surgery. All of which is available home.
A physician
Sad neww, but guy is lucky, died of natural causes, a rare phenomenon these days.
SUCH A SWEET AND MELODIOUS VOICE. A LEGEND OF OUR AGES WITH A UNFORGETTABLY UNIQUE STYLE. WHICH MESMERIZED WITH ITS CREATIVE DELIVERY OF WORDS.HE WAS A STAR WHICH ARRIVES ON THE HORIZON ONLY ONCE NOT TO BE SEEN AGAIN FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.THE WORLD MOURNS YOUR PASSING. MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PEACE
RIP...You will always remain in our heart.
Very sad news.may Allah give him rest&peace ameen.
May he rest in peace. I guess he did not trust the health care in Pakistan.
Such a big loss... May his soul rest in peace
RIP