Sanam Marwi had a childhood of hardship. Marvi started getting music training at the age of 7. She is from a Sindhi Family. Her step-father, Faqeer Ghulam Rasool, was also a Sindhi folk singer. Her initial classical music training, for 2 years, was from Ustad Fateh Ali Khan of Hyderabad, Sindh in the Gwalior gharana tradition. She says that she has also learned a lot from folk singer Abida Parveen.