Artists from Indian Kashmir cheer Lahoris
LAHORE:
It doesn’t matter what language its in - if there’s great music, it’s bound to find fans.
This is exactly what artists from Indian Kashmir proved with their performance at Alhamra in Lahore on Thursday night. Artists including Syed Tariq Pardesi, Syed Kamal and Mussarat Nazi sung folk songs in Gojri, Kashmiri and Urdu.
While the audience couldn’t understand the words, the performances were powerful enough to elicit applause and a standing ovation. One of the artists heralded was Mussarat Nazi, who performed a song in Gojri.
The group of musicians s had earlier performed at Lok Virsa in Islamabad before performing in Lahore. They are in Pakistan on the invitation of the Kashmir Cultural Academy.
Audience member Umair Ahmad said that he had enjoyed the simplicity of musical instruments and the flow with which the artists sung. “I didn’t understand the wording but I did enjoy the melodies and tunes. The energy these artists showed in performance is remarkable,” he said.
An Alhamra official said that the Lahore Arts Council organized the evening to give a chance to people to learn about the cultural activities in Indian Kashmir. He said that the response of the people had been excellent and Kashmiri artists had been wonderful with their energy and skill.
After the performance, the artists said that they had really enjoyed performing in Lahore. “The audience here is very encouraging and responsive. We have heard about the Lahori audience but we have been able to witness it for ourself.” They were also glad to be able to change the perception that Kashmir was only associated with terror and not a place that great music could be found.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2010.
It doesn’t matter what language its in - if there’s great music, it’s bound to find fans.
This is exactly what artists from Indian Kashmir proved with their performance at Alhamra in Lahore on Thursday night. Artists including Syed Tariq Pardesi, Syed Kamal and Mussarat Nazi sung folk songs in Gojri, Kashmiri and Urdu.
While the audience couldn’t understand the words, the performances were powerful enough to elicit applause and a standing ovation. One of the artists heralded was Mussarat Nazi, who performed a song in Gojri.
The group of musicians s had earlier performed at Lok Virsa in Islamabad before performing in Lahore. They are in Pakistan on the invitation of the Kashmir Cultural Academy.
Audience member Umair Ahmad said that he had enjoyed the simplicity of musical instruments and the flow with which the artists sung. “I didn’t understand the wording but I did enjoy the melodies and tunes. The energy these artists showed in performance is remarkable,” he said.
An Alhamra official said that the Lahore Arts Council organized the evening to give a chance to people to learn about the cultural activities in Indian Kashmir. He said that the response of the people had been excellent and Kashmiri artists had been wonderful with their energy and skill.
After the performance, the artists said that they had really enjoyed performing in Lahore. “The audience here is very encouraging and responsive. We have heard about the Lahori audience but we have been able to witness it for ourself.” They were also glad to be able to change the perception that Kashmir was only associated with terror and not a place that great music could be found.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 7th, 2010.