Pakistani legend Ustad Naseeruddin Saami shares his unique range
CHICAGO (CBS) — For the first time in years, a legendary Pakistani musical artist held a live performance, and a crowd of 200 fans packed the South Asia Institute to experience the deep cultural impact in Chicago's South Loop.
Ustaad Naseeruddin Saami is an artist who stands between an ancient musical style and its extinction. He's believed to be the only person still living who has mastered the 49-note scale, earning him the title of Ustaad, which means master, and the reputation of a living legend.
The room is already full of music, and the famed Usad Saami and his sons, the Saami brothers, are just getting warmed up.
Their stage is situated on the second floor of the South Asia Institute in the South Loop. The rehearsal space will transform into a concert hall for their audience, as a father performing alongside all four of his sons is a rare sighting.
The Saami brothers have been on tour across the U.S. for the past month.
"Before this, we also have been performing from New York to Washington. Now we are performing here for SAI, and even after that, I have given 234 performances here and in this course," said Rauf Saami Saami.
But their father hasn't, and at just shy of 80, he's the last living Sufi master, a world-renowned maestro of microtones, 49 of them to be exact—that compared to the seven notes in the West.
"This knowledge of micro tones. This thing is 400 years ahead of 700-800 years. Meaning this is a thing of 1200-1300 years ago which our Azad brought from Arabia after our Swami Sahab," said Ustaad Naseeruddin Saami.
He sings in the style of Khayal, an ancient, pre-Islamic, multilingual music, and as of now, Saami is the only one keeping it from being little more than musical history.
"He's really a legend. It's his voice and his tradition of, of music that he sings that is so unique, and that and he's really the, I think the only one, who would the only practitioner that we living practitioner that we that we have."
Dr. Shireen Ahmad co-founded the South Asia Institute nearly a decade ago. When they saw the chance to book Saami for their recurring concert series, they knew they'd be able to fill up a room.
"I have been to America before. Whatever I have done here, a person knows that the people here. Understand the status of the sun. They are serious," said Ustaad Naseeruddin Saami.
Saami said he enjoys performing in the U.S. He and his sons feel like their audiences are diverse, and understand the true meaning of their music.
"It's a spiritual music. They talk about love. A love of God, love of people, and tolerance and and peace," he said.
A message Dr. Ahmad said perfectly fits within the mission of the South Asia Institute.
"We're here for everyone. Our audiences, too, at our music events, are probably 50% South Asian and 50% non-south Asian. So I think in that respect, we're really succeeding in bringing people together through the arts," Ahmad said.
Even after decades of studying and practicing the 49-note scale, Saami says he's still learning and, hopefully, still performing.
