Ruhbaru, a new cultural platform from Cultural (Mis)fits, will debut in December with The Orchestral Qawwali Project, a four-city India tour led by composer Rushil Ranjan and vocalist Abi Sampa.
The tour begins on December 5 at Yashobhoomi in Delhi, followed by Terraform Arena in Bengaluru on December 6. It then moves to Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad on December 12 and closes at JW Marriott Sahar in Mumbai on December 13.
Qawwali dates back to the 13th century, when it took shape in the Sufi shrines of South Asia as devotional music. Its call-and-response structure and improvised vocals were passed down through generations of qawwals. Artists such as Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and the Sabri Brothers later carried the form to global audiences.
Ranjan and Sampa reportedly met in 2016, and the project was founded in 2020. Its first breakout was an orchestral version of “Man Kunto Maula,” a devotional piece traditionally attributed to Amir Khusrau, which crossed 7 million views.
The project has since played the Royal Albert Hall, and Symphony Hall Birmingham, among others. Ranjan and Sampa were named Royal Albert Hall Associate Artists after their 2024 show there, according to the organizers. Ranjan has also worked on a co-written piece with A.R. Rahman, performed at the Royal Albert Hall in April 2026 with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and London Voices. Sampa was the first singer of an Asian classical tradition to appear on The Voice UK.
Ruhbaru is built as an anthology, with each chapter spotlighting a different artist, sound, or tradition. “India doesn’t have a shortage of extraordinary music. It has a discovery problem,” said Ishita Chauhan, founder and CEO of Cultural (Mis)fits.
Tickets are exclusively available on District.
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