Afghan American rabab virtuoso Qais Essar has joined forces with Sikh American trumpet player and singer Sonny Singh in a new project that obliterates musical, political, and religious boundaries.

Listen to their first 3 singles.

Weaving together the ancient sound and haunting melodies of the rabab, a 2,500 year-old instrument from Afghanistan, with bold trumpet lines and anthemic Punjabi vocals, Qais and Sonny ground their music in ancestral wisdom and usher us into the future with their uplifting new sound. Drawing inspiration from hundreds of years old mystical poetry from the Sikh, Sufi, and radical bhakti traditions, their music centers oneness and connection in times of increasing division and hierarchy. 

Qais Essar and Sonny Singh began releasing new music from their forthcoming album SANGAT in Spring 2025. Their singles have been featured on WNYC, KEXP, The Hindu, India Currents, and SikhNet. The project is not only a meeting of diverse musical and spiritual traditions, but also a reflection of using art as a vehicle for connection, resistance, and healing. 

“Sangat is a term Sikhs use to refer to beloved community,” explains Singh. “We often use the term to refer to the congregation in a gurdwara [Sikh house of worship], but to me, sangat is something much broader. My beloved community transcends ethnic, religious and national boundaries.” Essar adds, “In this climate of increasing attacks on the marginalized, including the communities Sonny and I are a part of, we hope this new music inspires solidarity and unity.”