Wednesday, March 5, 2025 | 8:15 p.m.
Bridges Hall of Music
As the standard-bearers of Afghan traditional music, rubab master Homayoun Sakhi and tabla virtuoso Salar Nader carry the rich and varied legacy of classical compositions and folk melodies of South and Central Asia.
At the heart of this musical odyssey lies the enchanting sounds of the rubab, Afghanistan’s revered 21-stringed lute, renowned for its hauntingly soulful timbre. Accompanied by the tabla’s rhythmic pulse, Nader’s innovative fusion of Afghan and Indian percussion draws out the musical parallels with Hindustani music, exploring the essence of ragas and the profound connection between two diverse yet harmonious traditions.
These master musicians have perfected their art in the traditional ustad-shagird apprenticeship in the wake of their families’ flight from Afghanistan following the chaos of the Soviet invasion — Nader, disciple of the legendary Ustad Zakir Hussain; and Sakhi, disciple of the revered Afghan Rubab maestro Ustad Mohammed Omar.