Samia Mahbub Ahmad is a Hindustani (North Indian) classical vocalist who has received her apprenticeship over the last two decades from Sri Tapan Kanti Baidya, a pioneer of this genre of music in Bangladesh and Vidushi Sumitra Guha (Padma Shri awardee), one of India's premier classical vocalists. Samia has leveraged her classical base to also specialize in Nazrul Sangeet, Bhajans, and global fusion, melding the Hindustani Classical sounds with the rhythms of South Africa and the West. Her published albums are "Srijana Chhande" (2003) - a tribute to the work of Rebel Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam of Bengal - and "Tulku: Doors to Paradise" (2007) and "Tulku: The Way of the Mystique" (2009) -- both global compilations produced by Grammy winner Jim Wilson which features seven of Samia's songs composed and performed with Ismail Mohammed, one of South Africa's top musicians.

Through her practice of Hindustani Classical music, Samia has been exploring the notions of spiritual unity in religions that share a common cultural base. Samia has performed live and on television in South Africa, India, Bangladesh and the USA and in the process has received many awards and recognitions, including, performing for Nobel laureates, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and President Jimmy Carter and Mrs. Rosalyn Carter. In January of 2009, Samia was selected to be included in the Artists and Scholars Roster of the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (State of Maryland), and in July of 2009, she was one of the recipients of the FY 2010 Maryland Traditions Folk Arts and Culture Apprentice Award, given by the Maryland State Arts Council.  She is one of the winners of the Montpelier Arts Center (Laurel, MD) Classical Recital Series Competition, 2010-12. Since January 2012, Samia was selected in the Strathmore Music Center artist roster.

Samia's teachings include the traditional one-on-one "master-apprentice" method as well as presenting workshops on theories and applications of Indian classical music at universities and schools for a diverse set of audiences. While Samia's teachings emphasize voice training, for both South Asian and non-South Asian music genres.

Samia holds an MA and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Maryland, College Park, USA.