Abi Sampa is a British singer, Qawwali performer, multi-instrumentalist, and veena virtuoso known for bringing traditional Sufi music to contemporary international audiences. Born in northwest London to Sri Lankan Tamil parents, she combines South Asian classical music with Western classical arrangements, folk influences, and modern fusion.
Performance highlights and selected moments
Abi Sampa is a British singer, Qawwali performer, multi-instrumentalist, and veena virtuoso known for bringing traditional Sufi music to contemporary international audiences. Born in northwest London to Sri Lankan Tamil parents, she combines South Asian classical music with Western classical arrangements, folk influences, and modern fusion.
She is best known as the lead vocalist and co-founder of the Orchestral Qawwali Project, which reimagines traditional Qawwali through powerful vocals, orchestral music, and spiritual poetry.
Her work has earned international recognition, with performances at prestigious venues including the Royal Albert Hall and collaborations with leading musicians and orchestras.
Abi Sampa was born and raised in London, England, in a Sri Lankan Tamil family. Her parents had moved to the United Kingdom after fleeing conflict in Sri Lanka.
Growing up in a multicultural city exposed her to a variety of musical traditions. Her family's cultural background also connected her to South Indian classical music, particularly Carnatic music.
Abi began learning music during childhood and developed an interest in both singing and traditional South Indian instruments. Her early musical education became the foundation for her later work in Qawwali, Indian classical music, and contemporary fusion.
Abi received training in Carnatic classical singing and learned to play the veena, a traditional South Indian string instrument.
Her teachers included Saraswathi Pakiarasa and Sivadharani Sahadevan, who helped develop her vocal technique and instrumental skills.
Alongside her Indian classical training, she explored Western musical styles and contemporary performance. This combination of influences later became a defining feature of her artistic identity.
Abi also studied dentistry and qualified as a dentist in 2011. Her professional background outside music demonstrates how she developed her artistic career alongside another demanding field.
Abi Sampa first attracted wider public attention through her appearance on The Voice UK in 2013. Her performances introduced her voice to a broader audience and highlighted her ability to interpret music across different traditions.
Before and after the television competition, she performed at university events, cultural programmes, and music festivals.
Her musical work gradually expanded from Carnatic classical singing and contemporary fusion into Sufi devotional music and Qawwali.
This transition eventually led to the creation of the Orchestral Qawwali Project, the central project of her international music career.
One of the most important developments in Abi Sampa's career was the creation of the Orchestral Qawwali Project in 2020, alongside composer and producer Rushil Ranjan.
The project brings together traditional Qawwali, Sufi poetry, Indian classical music, Western classical orchestration, and choral arrangements.
Abi serves as the lead vocalist, bringing expressive singing and improvisation to traditional devotional compositions. Rushil Ranjan develops the orchestral arrangements that give the music a larger contemporary sound.
The project aims to introduce Qawwali to new audiences while preserving its spiritual themes and musical character.
Its performances have attracted audiences across the United Kingdom and internationally, establishing it as an important contemporary interpretation of Sufi music.
“Man Kunto Maula” is one of the most recognised recordings associated with the Orchestral Qawwali Project.
The traditional Sufi composition has a long history within South Asian devotional music. Abi Sampa and Rushil Ranjan released their orchestral interpretation in 2020, with Amrit Dhuffer also associated with the recording.
Their version combines Qawwali vocals with orchestral arrangements, bringing a centuries-old devotional tradition into a contemporary musical setting.
“Ya Mustafa” is another recording associated with Abi Sampa, Rushil Ranjan, and Amrit Dhuffer.
The track reflects the project's interest in devotional music and its ability to combine traditional vocal expression with modern orchestral production.
“Rang” is a collaborative recording by Abi Sampa and Rushil Ranjan. It forms part of their wider musical exploration of South Asian influences and contemporary arrangements.
Abi Sampa collaborated with Rushil Ranjan and Kurt Hugo Schneider on “Love Lies,” released in 2018.
The track demonstrates her involvement in contemporary collaborative music before the Orchestral Qawwali Project became the central focus of her career.
“Little Girl” is a collaborative release by Abi Sampa and Chris Cara from 2021, showing her continued interest in projects outside traditional Qawwali.
The album Orchestral Qawwali, released in 2023 under the Rushil and Abi Sampa project, brought together their approach to devotional music and orchestral composition.
The project demonstrates how traditional Sufi compositions can be presented through large-scale arrangements while retaining their spiritual foundations.
Abi Sampa's primary singing category is Sufi Qawwali. Her musical style also draws from several other traditions.
Her main genres and influences include:
Sufi Qawwali
Carnatic classical music
Indian classical music
Western classical fusion
World music
Contemporary fusion
Devotional music
Her voice combines the melodic precision of South Asian classical singing with the improvisational intensity associated with Qawwali.
In orchestral performances, her vocals interact with choirs, percussion, traditional instruments, and symphonic arrangements. This approach allows her to retain the devotional character of the music while reaching audiences who may be unfamiliar with traditional Qawwali.
In addition to singing, Abi Sampa is known for her skill with the veena, a traditional South Indian string instrument.
Her knowledge of the instrument connects her performances to Carnatic classical music and South Indian musical heritage.
She has also explored different instrumental and vocal styles, helping her move between traditional Indian music and contemporary fusion projects.
Her combination of vocal and instrumental ability is an important part of her artistic identity.
Abi Sampa has worked with musicians, composers, producers, and orchestras from different musical backgrounds.
Notable collaborators and ensembles include:
Rushil Ranjan – composer, producer, and co-founder of the Orchestral Qawwali Project.
Amrit Dhuffer – musician associated with the project's recordings and percussion.
A. R. Rahman – internationally recognised Indian composer with whom Abi has collaborated.
Nitin Sawhney – British musician and composer.
Engine-Earz – music group associated with her collaborative work.
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra – one of the major orchestras with which she has performed.
Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra – another prominent ensemble associated with her orchestral performances.
Manchester Camerata – an orchestra with which she has performed.
These collaborations have helped her develop a musical style that connects South Asian devotional music with contemporary orchestral performance.
Abi Sampa has performed at major cultural venues and music festivals in the United Kingdom and internationally.
Her performances include appearances at Glastonbury Festival and Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre. Through the Orchestral Qawwali Project, she has also appeared at leading concert venues, including the Roundhouse, Birmingham Symphony Hall, and the Barbican.
These performances have helped bring Qawwali to audiences who might not otherwise encounter the tradition in a live orchestral setting.
A major milestone in Abi Sampa's career came in May 2024, when the Orchestral Qawwali Project performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The concert combined Qawwali vocals, orchestral music, choral arrangements, and Indian classical dance. It was a landmark event for the project and attracted a large audience.
Following the success of the performance, Abi Sampa and Rushil Ranjan were appointed Associate Artists of the Royal Albert Hall in 2025.
This recognition reflected the project's growing profile and its contribution to presenting South Asian devotional music in major concert halls.
Abi Sampa continues to perform with the Orchestral Qawwali Project and develop its blend of Sufi devotional music, Indian classical influences, and Western orchestral arrangements.
Her 2026 performance activity includes an appearance with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in April. Announced event listings also indicate further Orchestral Qawwali Project performances in India in December 2026.
Her work continues to bring traditional Qawwali to new audiences through concert halls, orchestral collaborations, and contemporary recordings.
Abi Sampa is doing shows, events and concerts all over the world. It’s very easy to be approached and Booked for Events with Fankar Online, A Registered company with vast experience of artist facilitation & Event Planning.
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