Rabab - Masterclass & Recital with Ustad Daud Khan Sadozai

Join us in a celebration of South Asia’s boundless musical heritage, intertwining culture, history, and the masterful artistry of Ustad Daud Khan Sadozai. Let the soulful notes of the Rabab resonate with you, connecting past and present, tradition and innovation.

The Rabab carries both spiritual and musical significance, making it a distinctive hallmark of syncretic central asian and Indic tradition. In India, it was very first instrument used in sikh history by Bhai Mardana a companion of the first guru. Whenever a shabad was revealed to Guru Nanak ji, he recited it to the accompaniment of bhai mardana’s rabab.

The instrument feature a wooden belly with a skin membrane and two or three strings. As with traditional instruments it lacks a finger board requiring great skill and precision to be played. Today, the Rabab appears in diverse shapes, such as pear and boat designs, and has influenced a number of instruments that are thus played in the subcontinent.

If the intriguing tales of the Rabaab have caught your interest, then don't miss this special workshop and recital with Ustad Daud Khan Sadozai.

Daud ji, born into a family of music enthusiasts based in Kabul, developed a passion for the Rabab after hearing it on Radio Afghanistan. At 17, he became a disciple of "Sultan of Rubab" Ustad Mohammad Omar. Dedicated to preserving his master's style, he later studied the Indian sarod under Padma Vibhushan Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, who’s forefathers brought with them the Rabab and evolved from it the sarod as we know it today. After years of intensive musicianship, he was honoured twice with the Hafiz Ali Khan Award and has also been a laureate of the prestigious Aga Khan Music Awards, among such artist as Ustad Zakir Hussain. Having completed his engineering from Berlin, he now resides in Cologne, Germany, working as a full time teacher and performer at the Academy of Indian Music at Cologne.

Enjoy the unique tonality of this rare Afghani instrument as we bid goodbye to the winter and welcome the spring in the coming year.