Karim Gillani - singer-song writer & performer

"Karim's passionate and melodies Sufi compositions and soulful vocals transcend geographical and cultural boundaries" - City TV

Dr. Karim Gillani is an accomplished vocalist, acclaimed composer, music producer, singer-songwriter and an ethnomusicologist. He received his MA (2005) and PhD in Music and Religious Studies from University of Alberta (2012). Karim moves in the world of academia, on the performing stage and in a recording studio with equal ease – and that is what makes him special. Karim’s PhD dissertation, entitled "Sound and Recitation of Khoja Ismaili Ginans: Tradition and Transformation", is a pioneering work of ethnomusicological research that situates Ginan within the wider context of Muslim beliefs and South Asian musical contexts. Karim is also a graduate of The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK, where he was awarded a degree in Islamic Studies and Humanities. He has received various awards, grants and scholarships for his academic research and musical contributions. 

Dr. Gillani performs with passion and conviction, with his commanding stage presence and charisma, allowing his audience to be truly connected while they listen to his combination of carefully crafted lyrics, soulful melodies and heartfelt emotions. He began to follow his passion for music at a very young age. Taking music lessons, singing in ritual worship gatherings, crafting the art of music composition and song writing have all helped him realize that pursuing music truly is true calling. Karim was born and raised in Pakistan, educated in England and Canada, and chose Canada as his permanent home. He takes pride in his multi-cultural heritage and considers himself very fortunate to be exposed to diverse cultures.

Dr. Gillani has successfully released five original devotional albums worldwide including “Jhoom Jhoom: Celebration of a Lifetime” in 2008, Raah-e-Ishq: The Path of Love in 2014, “Ruh Ki Awaz: Sounds from the Soul” in 2017, “Masti-e-Tariqat: The Path of Ecstasy” in 2018 and “Chal Chal Bulleya: Let’s Go Bulleya” in 2022. Karim’s music has been received extremely well all over Canada, broadcast through a variety of radio stations and TV channels, including CJSR, CKUA, CBC, Salam Namaste, BT Television, and OMNI TV, and favorably reviewed in feature stories appearing in newspapers including the Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald, and Vancouver Sun. Music critic Roger Levesque of the Edmonton Journal wrote: “the disc ranks as one of this year’s most notable releases on Canada’s global music horizon.” He is a versatile composer and lyricist who has composed from nursery rhymes to philosophical songs of Allama Mohammad Iqbal (20th CE) and Bulleh Shah (18th CE). His recent music album videos have been viewed over 1.5 million viewers. He has extensively collaborated with accomplished award-winning international artists including Canadian Maria Dunn for her album “Malala” which was nominated for Juno award in 2017 and Pakistan’s Coke studio artists. Karim has performed globally and in the presence of various dignitaries including H.H Prince Karim Aga Khan and the former Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper.

As a professor of music, Dr. Gillani is an internationally recognized scholar of Islam and Muslim ritual performance, and a teacher of world music traditions, as well as an important Canadian performing and recording artist specializing in Sufi music. Dr. Gillani has taught various ethnomusicology courses at the University of Alberta which include, Introduction to World Music, Introduction to Ethnomusicology, Popular music of Bollywood (Hindi Cinema), and the Indian Music Ensemble and he has taught Hindustani classical vocals to both graduate and undergraduate students. He is currently working on his book monograph on the rich sounds of Ismaili Ginans. He has been involved in organizing various international conferences and performances at the University of Alberta, including "I Am a Bird from Heaven's Garden: Music, Sound and Architecture in the Muslim World" in 2013 and "Sound and Spaces of Muslim Piety: Tradition and Transformation" in 2011.

Dr. Gillani has been invited to share his both academic and musical contributions in various national and international forums including BBC world, CBC Canada, and TEDx to name a few. To promote cultural and religious harmony through the art and music, Dr. Gillani has organized various music camps entitled "Music and Arts in the Muslim World" for young children ages 9-16 at University of Alberta and Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. Karim ardently believes in continues learning to enhance his creative skills and his performances. He gets his inspiration from nature, poetry, storytelling, reading, writing and music.

“Using love rather than hatred to create a dialogue is central to the songs in his world music album “Raah-e-Ishq: The Path of Love” he explains, “but it is also about embracing diversity and pluralism, about appreciating tradition and the aesthetic of beauty in different parts of the world. It is about moving beyond the clash of ignorance, stereotyping and Islamophobia, and appreciating each other on a basic human level” - Calgary Herald

Check out his website karimgillani.com