Bringing Sufi Rock Back to Rockland’s Doorstep

On February 22nd, Sherjan Ahmad will be bringing a fresh cultural experience to Rockland – Sufi Rock. Ahmad, a proud Rocklander, has had his band’s music featured on the BBC Radio Top 5 and has toured around North America, Dubai and Pakistan. He seems to be most excited to share his roots with his home county. “This event is a celebration of the multicultural connection between America and Pakistan,” said Ahmad.

Ahmad moved to Rockland from Pakistan when he was a young boy. The move came shortly after 9/11, which did not make things easy for young Ahmad. “People would look at you differently,” said Ahmad. However, his music helped to work as a bridge to invite those in his new culture and community to leave behind their prejudices. “When I started playing music, the same people that used to bully me ended up becoming friends.”

Ahmad inherited his love of music from his father, a prominent musician who used his talents to promote unity. Salman Ahmad is the founder of Pakistan’s biggest rock band Junoon. Junoon performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo in 2007, as well at the U.N. General Assembly Hall. The band’s name ‘Junoon’ translates to “obsessive passion, to the point of madness,” shared Ahmad. When Salman’s family moved back to Pakistan in hopes of their son becoming a doctor or engineer, Salman’s obsessive passion for rock music instead continued to consume him. Salman asked Brian O’Connell of Tappan to travel to Pakistan and play in his band in Pakistan – which O’Connell did. “It’s this insane hot weather and he’s in this big winter coat – and he ends up staying for fifteen years. They formed the band and they became ‘The Beatles of Pakistan’,” laughed Ahmad.

Ahmad’s father purchased him his first guitar at thirteen, and Ahmad began learning how to play simply by ear. Ahmad now passes along his knowledge of music to other budding Rockland musicians; when not on stage, he is teaching at Rockland music school Bach to Rock.

Ahmad describes the Nyack concert as a merging of the east and the west. The music is Sufi rock music, which combines “…Eastern traditions, like Eastern poetry and traditional musical instruments, with rock and roll from [the U.S.].” A key element of this style of music is the utilization of Sufi poetry. Sufi poetry focuses heavily on divine and transcendent love, and these ideas are infused into the music. Ahmad spoke on how during his performances he has seen the same joy on the faces of very different communities. “You might not really understand the words that are being said, but you connect to the feeling of the emotion and the music… you get lost in the experience.”

Rumi is one of the most notable Sufi poets, Ahmad calling him and other poets like him “The Shakespeare’s of Sufi”. A unique aspect of Sufi Rock is that many Sufi rock artists will use the same words of the poets but will put their own twist on them with various compositions and musical stylings. “It’s mystical music,” said Ahmad. “It’s like you’re connecting to a higher power through music… it’s a whole shared experience.”

The opening act for this intimate night of music is RichieBeans, a local musician from Rockland County who specializes in experimental music. The band is composed of Sherjan Ahmad, with Taylor Simpson on drums and Imraan Ahmad Khan on bass guitar. Simpson is an audio engineer and a Broadway musician, while Ahmad Khan is an accomplished filmmaker. O’Connell will also be making a guest appearance at the concert, to truly bring the experience full circle. Imagery of Pakistani arts and culture will be splayed across the walls, making it an entirely immersive experience.

Audience members are welcome to purchase tickets ahead of time on eventbrite.com or by paying $20 at the door. This event will take place at Club Andromeda in Nyack on February 22nd, with the opening act beginning at 8:00 p.m.