Sabri Sisters featured on Spotify billboard in New York’s Times Square

NEW YORK: Pakistani qawwali duo the Sabri Sisters were featured on Spotify’s digital billboard in Times Square on June 17 under the platform’s EQUAL programme, which spotlights women musicians from around the world.

The pair, Sanam and Anamta Sabri, are among a growing group of Pakistani female artists to receive international exposure through the initiative. They come from a family long associated with qawwali, as nieces of the late Amjad Sabri and descendants of the Sabri Brothers, whose work helped define the genre across South Asia.

In a musical tradition historically led by male performers, the Sabri Sisters have emerged as one of the few female acts working in contemporary qawwali. Their work blends Sufi poetry and devotional themes with modern production, helping them reach audiences beyond conventional listeners of the genre.

The duo first drew broad attention in 2017 with a Persian-Punjabi manqabat released in memory of their uncle a year after his death. Since then, they have worked with mainstream musicians and contributed to television soundtracks, including Meri Zindagi Hai Tu with Asim Azhar. Spotify data shows the song stayed on Pakistan’s Top 50 chart for more than 30 weeks and became their most-streamed track.

Spotify also says the sisters have built an audience outside Pakistan, with the United States, the United Kingdom and Bangladesh among their biggest overseas markets. Nearly half of their listeners fall in the 18-to-24 age group, indicating increased interest in qawwali and Sufi music among younger audiences.

The sisters are also known for appearing on major platforms including Coke Studio. Their 2024 Coke Studio 15 track Maghron La with Rozeo, and said they have collaborated with artists including Farhan Saeed and Atif Aslam. Their song Meri Zindagi Hai Tu was described as an original soundtrack for the drama series of the same name starring Hania Aamir and Bilal Abbas Khan.

The update followed the duo’s announcement on Instagram that they were collaborating with Spotify as ambassadors for EQUAL Pakistan. Speaking about the recognition, the sisters said the selection carried added meaning because prominent Pakistani musicians had represented the country before them.

They added that joining the list of previous Pakistani representatives was a long-held ambition. "There was always a wish to be part of this prestigious list of musicians who have been selected as EQUAL Ambassadors in the past, and now it feels so surreal and exciting, especially knowing that legends like Abida Parveen and Sanam Marvi have represented Pakistan as well," they said.

The Sabri Sisters belong to the Sabri Gharana, the same musical lineage as Haji Ghulam Farid Sabri and Maqbool Ahmed Sabri. They are artists committed to classical Sufi qawwali while maintaining the spiritual and devotional character of the form.

The sisters are set to begin their debut UK tour in the summer of 2026, produced by Qawwali World, starting on July 31 at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and ending on August 2 at The Lowry in Manchester. They also performed at New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge on October 18, 2026.