Abi Sampa is a singer and qawwali artist who holds an Associate Artist residency at the Royal Albert Hall in London, one of the most visible platforms for South Asian classical and devotional music in the United Kingdom. She is a core vocalist with the Orchestral Qawwali Project, a collaboration with Rushil Music that bridges the devotional Sufi tradition of qawwali with Western orchestral arrangements.
Qawwali is a centuries-old form of Sufi devotional music rooted in the Indian subcontinent, traditionally performed at shrines and dargahs to induce spiritual ecstasy through repetitive poetic verses and call-and-response vocal interplay. Sampa's work distinguishes itself by placing this vocal tradition within full orchestral contexts, expanding the harmonic and timbral palette of qawwali while maintaining its core devotional intensity. Her classical singing training informs her approach to both solo and ensemble performance, allowing her to navigate the intricate melodic ornamentation required by the form.
The Orchestral Qawwali Project has staged performances that integrate traditional qawwali repertoire with string sections, brass, and Western percussion, creating a hybrid sound that appeals to concert hall audiences unfamiliar with the genre's mosque and shrine origins. The project is produced in partnership with Rushil Music, a production entity focused on cross-cultural classical fusion. Sampa's work with the ensemble has been featured at the Royal Albert Hall and other concert venues across the UK.
Sampa's Associate Artist position at the Royal Albert Hall reflects the venue's ongoing commitment to showcasing diverse musical traditions and supporting emerging artists working at the intersection of classical and world music. The residency provides access to performance opportunities, rehearsal space, and institutional visibility within one of London's most historically significant music venues. Her association with the hall places her within a lineage of artists who have used the space to introduce South Asian music to mainstream British audiences.
Her current work centers on live performance with the Orchestral Qawwali Project and ongoing collaborations with Rushil Music. The ensemble continues to tour and develop new orchestral arrangements of qawwali standards, aiming to bring the genre to audiences beyond traditional South Asian communities. Sampa's vocal work draws on both the improvisational spontaneity of qawwali and the disciplined phrasing of classical voice training.
For listeners encountering qawwali for the first time, Sampa's orchestral collaborations offer an entry point into a devotional tradition that has sustained itself for centuries through live transmission and communal practice.
