Music wins hearts as Abida Parveen, Asim Azhar perform in Karachi

Unique charity music festival appeals to tastes of both pop and Sufi music lovers; attracts celebrities as well as pol

KARACHI:

A charity music festival in Karachi brought together music, celebrities and a good cause. The event featured both pop music and Sufi kalam, attracting people with different musical tastes. However, some problems with the event management were also seen.

The Charity Musical Fest 2, organised by Prem Nagar, was held at Moin Khan Academy. Several well-known celebrities attended the event, including actors Hania Aamir, Parveen Akbar, Nadia Hussain and Adnan Jilani. A number of political and social figures were also present.

The concert had two different types of audiences. Many young people came to enjoy the popular songs of pop singer Asim Azhar, while another group of music lovers came especially to listen to the Sufi kalam of Abida Parveen.

Asim Azhar performed some of his popular songs, including 'Dosti', 'Ehad-e-Wafa' and 'Kaisi Dil Lagi Hai'. His performance was especially enjoyed by the young audience, who responded with great excitement.

Later, Abida Parveen took the stage and changed the mood of the concert with her powerful Sufi music.

She performed several Sufi kalam, including 'Man Kunto Maula', 'Mahi Yaar Di Gharoli', 'Yaar Ko Maine Ja Baja Dekha' and 'Tu Jhoom'. The audience enjoyed her unique voice and style of singing and gave her a warm response.

One of the most memorable moments of the concert came when Asim Azhar and Abida Parveen appeared together on stage. The two singers performed two songs together, which were greatly enjoyed by the audience.

The concert brought together two different styles of music Asim Azhar's pop music and Abida Parveen's Sufi kalam.

However, some problems were also seen in the event management. Several attendees and media representatives could not find proper seating. Some celebrities also faced problems finding seats.

Prem Nagar chairman Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani acknowledged the issue and apologised to the audience from the stage. He said there had been some mismanagement during the event.

The main purpose of the charity music festival was to raise funds for welfare projects. According to the organisers, the money collected from the concert will be used for Prem Nagar's education, healthcare and social welfare projects in Tharparkar.

Despite the management issues, the concert gave the audience an evening filled with music, entertainment and a mix of pop and Sufi traditions.

Abida Parveen was born and raised in Larkana into a Sindhi Sufi family. She was trained by her father, Ustad Ghulam Haider, who was a famous singer and music teacher. She plays the pump organ, keyboard, and sitar. Parveen started performing in the early 1970s and came into global prominence in the 1990s. Since 1993, Parveen has toured globally, performing her first international concert at Buena Park, California. She is regularly referred to as one of the world's greatest mystic singers.

Asim Azhar rose to fame through his performances in Coke Studio 8 in 2015. In February 2020, He received The Best Stylish Performer award at PSA in Dubai. His song "Jo Tu Na Mila" featuring Iqra Aziz hit 100M views on YouTube making him the fourth Pakistani singer to cross 100M views after Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Momina Mustehsan in May 2020.

In 2019, Azhar also had an album with an Indian record company and a Bollywood single planned for release. As a result of the cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, Azhar's plans with his record company, Universal Music India, came to a halt.