Melodious treat: Ghazal singer Munni Begum enthralls audiences in city

Two-hour performance was held with a view to bring people closer

PESHAWAR: Ghazal singer Munni Begum enthralled fans in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with her melodious voice during her first-ever performance in the city on Thursday night.

A large number of people poured into the venue at Pearl Continental Hotel to watch the spellbinding performance.

Through a two-hour long performance, Munni Begum captivated audiences and proved that her talent and ability to draw an emotional response with her vocals has not diminished with age.

The singer started her performance from her famous ghazal, Ek bar muskara do and concluded with Joom sharabi. However, the performance did not stop there as Munni Begum received an unprecedented applause from the audience. She finished the performance with famous Dama Dam Mast Qalandar.

Prior to Munni Begum’s performance, famous Tambourine expert Sabz Ali performed before the audience. Tahir Mahmood Khan then sang a few ghazals. Tambourine expert Sabz Ali accompanied her during the performance. Munni Begum thanked her fans and audience for showing her respect and honour.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, she said, “I am here with a message of peace. I pray for peace in this region and request Pukhtuns to remain peaceful and cordial towards each other.”  She thanked the fans and audience who came to her first-ever ghazal event in Peshawar.

Javed Iqbal, a senior academic said, such events play a key role in bringing people closer.

Ali Nawaz Gillani, a banker by profession, said, “I have never witnessed such an [enthralling] event in the city.”

Speaking on the occasion, Pearl Continental Hotel General Manager Rashid Banday thanked the audience for their unstinted support. He said the event was organised to pay special tribute to Munni Begum.

Munni Begum started her career in the 1970s and released her first ghazal album in 1976. The legendary singer was awarded Pride of Performance Award in 2008.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2016.