Launch: Melody and harmony make a welcome return to Swat

Local musician launches an album, dedicates his music to the valley.

SWAT:

Music has returned to Swat. As life in the valley returns to normalcy, writers and poets are again writing odes to the land and its culture.

The first album of Sardar Yousufzai, a popular local Pashto singer, was launched at Swat Scouts Open Group auditorium last Sunday.

Yousufzai, a classical-style Pashto singer, is famous for his soft and graceful voice and mastering the art of ghazal. He became a direct target of the militants during the Talibanization and narrowly escaped when they made an attempt on his life, while he was returning from a musical evening with his chorus.

He was badly injured while one of his friends was killed and two sustained injuries in the attack.

“I love the people of this land who deeply value their culture and traditions. These people have witnessed some ugly phases of its history and rendered great sacrifices for peace,” Yousufzai said, adding that he had dedicated his album to the people of Swat.

He said, “We should not bow down in front of those uncivilised and barbaric Taliban. They are the enemy of the nation and our cultural heritage.”

The songs in the album revolve around the Pashtun culture and traditions, and pay homage to the valour of the people and the beauty of the land.

Muhammad Saleem, a resident of Saidu Sharif, said, “[Yousufzai’s] voice is really enchanting. It transports me to the peaceful past.”

During the performance, a young man who seemed to be enjoying the music, told The Express Tribune, “It is rightly said that music is the food of soul. This evening was a real treat for the senses. The music was soft, cultured and the poetry was of high merit.”

Rahatullah, a connoisseur of music, recalled how the Taliban targeted music in the valley by burning instruments, killing artists and banning all musical activities. “It was like a graveyard during the Taliban era. The silence was suffocating.”

The concert was attended by a large number people including civil society members, famous Pashto poets, media reporters and elders of the area.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2011.