Humaira Channa, Ghulam Abbas win music lovers' hearts

Pakistan Film Festival features established, emerging singers; draws large number of music enthusiasts, families

KARACHI:

Renowned singers Humaira Channa and Ghulam Abbas won the hearts of music lovers with their memorable performances as the three-day Pakistan Music Festival 2026 continued at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, bringing together established singers and emerging musical talent on one platform.

Held at Jaun Elia Lawn at the Arts Council Karachi, the festival featured a diverse mix of classical, folk and contemporary music, with performers presenting songs from different traditions and genres. The event drew a large audience of music enthusiasts and families, who responded warmly to the performances.

On the second day, Humaira Channa captivated the audience with her melodious voice and evergreen songs. The veteran singer received enthusiastic applause as she performed some of her popular numbers, creating one of the evening's most engaging moments.

Humaira Channa entered the Pakistani entertainment industry influenced by her father who was a filmmaker. She first sang for her father's film at the age of nine. Then she was given an opportunity to sing folk songs of Sufi Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai on Pakistan Television, Karachi. She rose to fame in the early 1990s. She sings in Urdu, Punjabi, Saraiki and Sindhi languages. She has sung over a thousand songs in her career.

Initially, she was a substitute singer for Naheed Akhtar during the 1980s, after Naheed Akhtar retired from the Pakistani film industry. In 2017, some of the iconic playback singers of Pakistan were complaining about lack of work due to introduction of new trends in Pakistani film industry where the emphasis now was on pop musicians and music bands instead of film songs that these playback singers used to sing.

Humaira Channa has also gone on concert tours to the United States, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh and across Europe.

Ghulam Abbas, known for his distinctive voice and contribution to Pakistani music, was among the performers who received an enthusiastic response from the audience. Playback singer Mehdi Hassan had first noticed him as a young boy and introduced him to his mentor Ismail Khan. Abbas got advanced classical training in singing from him.

Ghulam Abbas started his playback singing career with a Punjabi film "Aashiq Loag Soudai" in 1975. His first breakthrough was a song in the film "Ajnabi" (1975), under the musical direction of Nisar Bazmi. The song was "Wo aa to jaye magar intezar hi kam hai" and its popularity established him as a playback singer. Then musician Robin Ghosh gave him a career-boosting song, "Aise wo sharmaye jaise megha chaye" for movie "Do Saathi" (1975). From there on, Abbas gave voice to 129 songs in 120 films.

Apart from playback singing for movies, Abbas has also sung many ghazals, semi-classical songs, and national songs for Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television. His ghazal "Main ne roka bhi nahin aur wo thehra bhi nahin" won the award of having most broadcasts on Radio Pakistan.

The festival's second day also featured performances by Salman Alvi, Imran Abbas Khan, Sagheer Ahmed, Imran Javed, Muzhar Amrao, Bindu Khan, Aziz Warsi, Muhammad Zubair, Arman Rahim, Uroosa Ali, Maham Tahir, Waqar Hussain, Shah Rukh Abbas, Faisal Latif, Narodha Malani and Shoukat Faqeer.

The evening was hosted by Noman Khan, while Chairman of the Music Committee Amjad Hussain Shah attended the event along with a large number of music lovers.

The festival opened with a Grand Melodies Night, featuring veteran singers as well as emerging artists, including performers who gained recognition through the Pakistan Idol platform.

Ghulam Abbas, Mehmood Ali Khan, Rashid Ali Haidri, Akhlaq Bashir, Noman Khan, Intizar Hussain, Mumtaz Sabzal, Kamran Saggu, Imran Nashad, Shehbaz Ali, Hira Qaiser, Kashia Kaif, Naila Saleem, Sonia Khan and Esha Adhiwal performed on the opening day.

The opening night set the tone for a festival celebrating the country's varied musical traditions.

Speaking at the opening, the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi President said the festival aimed to provide opportunities to new and emerging singers while bringing different musical traditions together.

He said Pakistan had no shortage of young musical talent and that emerging artists needed platforms and encouragement to develop their abilities. He also highlighted the participation of singers associated with Pakistan Idol.

The Pakistan Music Festival aims to showcase the diversity of Pakistani music by bringing together different languages, regions and musical styles. Alongside established voices, the inclusion of emerging singers gives younger artists an opportunity to perform before a live audience.

The three-day Pakistan Music Festival 2026 will continue at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi until September 27, offering audiences another opportunity to experience performances by established names and rising talent.