Pakistani musicians Ustad Naseeruddin Saami with his sons, Rauf, Urooj, Ahmed, and Azeem, aka The Saami Brothers, return to SAI for a very special performance exploring the spiritual healing power of khayal music! Joining the family, Pakistani pop sensation of Coke Studio fame, Zeb Bangash, who is one of Ustad Saami's star students, will open the evening by debuting a khayal work.

Khayal, which means "imagination" in Persian/Urdu, is one of the most dynamic forms of South Asian classical vocal music with roots in the 13th century Sufi devotional genre of qawwali.

Ustad Saami, the last living practitioner of a mesmerizing ancient 49-note microtonal vocal scale, is a master of both khayal and qawwali. The brothers carry forward the family's khayal and qawwali music legacy.

Award-winning Chicago music writer, Aaron Cohen recently said this about their incredible talent: "They push forward dramatic vocal dynamics with a stirring call-and-response between the lead voice and the ensemble, subtly reworking repeated phrases that ultimately praise the divine.".

Click the button below to reserve your seat and keep scrolling to view CBS News Chicago's coverage of Ustad Sammi's exciting last visit to South Asia Institute!