Wadali Brothers

• Genre: Devotional
• Hometown: Guru Ki Wadali

About

Puranchand and Pyarelal Wadali received their first musical training from their father, Thakur Das. Despite some initial resistance -- Purachand wanted to be a wrestler more than a musician -- the boys made headway and in 1975 were discovered by N.M. Bhatia, who brought them to All India Radio to record. While deeply influenced by their Sufi faith, the brothers have branched out from qawwali and into Hindustani classical music, training under Durga Das and the great Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. They also perform various folk forms. While their lack of interest in commercial success has meant few recordings, the brothers are getting more and more recognition, which has led to soundtrack work on films including 2003's Partition epic Pinjar.

- Sarah Bardeen