Sufi opera singer enthrals audience

Sufi opera singer Saira Peter, a British-Pakistani soprano recognised as Pakistan’s first Sufi Opera singer mesmerised the audience with her magical voice at a musical evening at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).

Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Syed Jamal Shah was the chief guest at the event held at PNCA.

Saira and her husband music director Stephen Smith started the performance with classical opera receiving high applause from the audience and from there, Saira went on to perform Sufi Kalam.

Saira Peter has also the distinction of being the world’s first Sufi opera singer. Saira Peter has received an overwhelming response to his live performance in the jam-packed PNCA Auditorium.

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Saira presented opera and classical songs, Urdu, Pashtu, ‘thumri’, ‘ghazals’, film, Sindhi, Balochi and Punjabi songs.

She also sang an Arabic song during her performance. She is currently working with a team of British artists to develop the world’s first full-scale “Sufi Opera”, a musical stage drama based on the story of Umar Marvi, one of Latif’s “seven heroines” of Sindh.

Saira has also pioneered a fusion style of the qawwali genre in which she incorporates both Western operatic and South Asian classical styles of singing.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2023.