Depending on alms from music lovers, folk musicians and vocalists at Lake View Park barely make ends meet.
The earn a few thousand rupees per month, which is not sufficient to provide their families with basic necessities. Despite having diverse exposure and, in most cases, ample talent, their art has been unable to bring fortune to their children.
However they are motivated to perform and excel in their respective fields.
Shaukat Hussain, a singer at Lake View Park, seemed reluctant to talk at first. “I don’t need money; I have enough resources to run my family,” he said.
But, when assured that his information will not be misused, he said that he is getting Rs10,000 per month from the Capital Development Authority, which barely covers his bills. He used to get Rs15,000 per month, but CDA cut down his stipend by Rs5,000 without telling him the reason, he added.
In his 30-year career, he has performed with Noor Jahan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. “Fateh used to call me Khan Sahab,” he reminisced. He said he has visited Canada, Dubai and India with cultural groups on their tours.
Mumbai is where his heart is, and that is where he would want to return to perform. “People over there, value our skill.”
Hamid Dohaan has been playing rubab for 19 years, and is getting Rs9,893 per month. Dohaan has travelled to America and Malaysia with cultural groups and can play tunes from Pashto, Persian, English and Urdu music.
He said he had worked with Pakistan Army and had gotten the first prize in an international rubab playing competition, which was held at National Defence University Islamabad, beating Sri Lanka and Bhutan to second and third prizes respectively.
He lamented that terrorist attacks in the country have decreased the number of visitors to public places, which compounds the financial crises of these artists.
Ehsan Khan, a visitor, said that his son had insisted on going to the park to listen to the music. “Such singers deserve to be awarded for their merit,” he said.
Amna, a student from Wah Cantt, said, “The presence of experienced singers at public parks makes them more fun to go to.”
Yasir Naveed, another visitor, said, “Ideally, there should be a separate hut for these musicians, where they can concentrate on their creative abilities.”
CDA is not responsible for the singers and musicians who perform at the park, said CDA Spokesperson Ramzan Sajid. He added the singers were willing to perform free-of-charge but CDA decided to give them a monthly stipend. He said there is no compulsion on them to stay and are free to perform anywhere they want.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2011.
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