Folk maestro mesmerises audience with Sufi renditions

The National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) hosted a soulful Sufi music concert featuring renowned folk musician Arieb Azhar at its Zia Mohiuddin Theatre on Thursday.

The concert, titled "Qalandar Safar Bana Sarhadiyon Ke Geet", presented a beautiful blend of folk and Sufi renditions, captivating the audience with a journey across musical traditions.

The concert opened with the iconic "Shaam-e-Qalandar", in which Arieb Azhar used the melody popularised by legendary singer Madam Noor Jehan. He then performed Bulleh Shah's "Asaan Ishq Namazan", followed by a rendition of a song by Canadian singer Leonard Cohen.

Two other Bulleh Shah devotional poems, "Tone Ka Mann" and "Chup Kar Kein Guzare", were presented in a soulful Sufi style.

Arieb Azhar also paid tribute to Faiz Ahmed Faiz with his rendition of the poem "Bol Ke Lab Azaad Hain Tere", and reimagined 1980s resistance music from the band Voices, blending traditional and contemporary elements.

The audience was further treated to performances of Dhamal, Chal Malanga, Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love", and Heer by Waris Shah. Popular Sufi folk songs like "Saif-ul-Muluk" were also featured.

The concert included a Bosnian song "Amina", followed by spiritual pieces such as Dhamal, Dhargra, and an Irish devotional song "Lord of the Dance".

Later, Arieb presented Khawaja Ghulam Farid's Kafi, Husn-e-Haqiqi, and the Sufi Dhamal "Lad Lagiyan Di Lajpal".

Accompanying Arieb were Juwa Amjad on dhol, Akmal Qadri on bansuri, and Gul Muhammad on sarangi.

Most of the pieces were creatively reinterpreted by Arieb, adding his unique signature to the traditional melodies.

The audience warmly received the performance, applauding NAPA for promoting and celebrating the rich legacy of Sufi and folk music in Pakistan.