Ali Sethi turns mundane Sunday evening into a lovelorn affair

Salt Arts dedicated a night to love, and Ali lit it up in his signature style

KARACHI: Known for his signature classical singing style, Ali Sethi pulled off yet another mesmerizing performance at the Avari Tower on Sunday, tugging at the audience’s heartstrings with his soulful renditions by the poolside, under the beautiful moonlit sky.

The organisers seemed to have brought their A-game for the night, managing to contain a sizable crowd within traditional seating arrangements. With the theme of the night being red, Ali brought just the right kind of feel to it with his voice – the audience and him seemed like a perfect match for the balmy weekend. Think, a sea of red, made up of lovelorn people with sensuous ghazals and ballads playing in the background.

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Raising one for the women on the organizing team, Raania Durrani – the executive advisor and cofounder of Salt Arts - opened the show with an emotional speech saying, “Women on our team, please feel really proud of your-selves. You all are stepping out of your comfort zone.”

Finally, Ali took to the stage, opening the night with a classic Ali Sethi rendition of a  ballad. “I don’t deserve these red roses,” he exclaimed to the audience at one point, referring to them as roses. Safe to say, the audience responded right back at him, showering him with even more of their attention and love.

He stuck to his usual brand, especially keeping in mind the theme of the night, and delivered a list of his biggest hits live – from Chandni Raat and Ranjish Hi Sahi to Khabar-E-Tahayyur-E-Ishq. Making sure to keep the audience engaged, Ali was a powerhouse on the stage, managing to strike a unique chord with his fans in the crowd. Not just that, but he also added his Coke Studio hit Tinak Dhin to the set list, bringing the crowd to a supreme high with its upbeat chorus.

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One interesting thing to note is that the crowd wasn’t just made up with who you’d expect, i.e. young guys and girls. It also comprised of men and women of all ages, even seniors, making it an event that was truly fit for all ages.

“He is so good and energetic, and my mother is his biggest fan. She always comes with me to his concerts and enjoys as much as I do,” an attendee, Farah, told The Express Tribune. Another attendee, Sarah, said, “I am attending an Ali Sethi concert for the first time and I loved it! I really like how it’s brought together both the young and old. I feel like that’s how it should be.”

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Safe to say, Salt Arts managed to pull together another decent weekend night for entertainment starved Karachiites, and we can only hope that they keep this streak up. With Shamoon Ismail and Strings putting up a surprisingly good spectacle just a week ago, this Ali Sethi show is another feather in their cap. Kudos to the team!

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