Entertainment: Islooites enthralled by rare display of folk music
Event makes effort to highlight nation’s cultural diversity.
Afghan artists Ustad Ghulam Hussain and Ustad Faqeer Hussain with Pashto singer Zarsanga (top), Sada-e Pamir from Gojal (left) and a musical band from Hunza (right) showcase their musical talents. PHOTO: WAQAS NAEEM/EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
When Daulat Wali Baig, Fazlur Rehman and Javed Ali Khan of the “Sada-e Pamir” band struck the chords for a Wakhi-language folk song, it was evident that music transcends geographical boundaries and language barriers.
The crowd at the jam packed Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) auditorium cheered and applauded as romance filled the air when the band played “Lal-e-Badakhshan” (Ruby of Badakhshan), in which the poet compares the beauty of his beloved with the famed gemstone.
The band was one of several performers who thrilled with folk music at the “Dialogue through Tradition Bearers - Mystic Mountain Music” show on Sunday.
The musical evening was organised by the PNCA and the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan in collaboration with the French Embassy.
The show brought together artists from Chitral, Hunza, Peshawar and Afghanistan.
Baig, who is also director of the Initiative for Promotion of Pamiri Arts & Culture (IPPAC), said the event presented a wonderful opportunity to promote the work of folk artists.
He said such performances would help protect the cultural heritage of Pakistan, especially poetry and music in regional languages which are often ignored.
The audience, comprising mostly Gilgit-Baltistan natives and Islamabad residents, crooned to the tender Wakhi tunes of Sada-e Pamir.
However, the show’s main act was a performance by Afghan musicians Ustad Ghulam Hussain and Ustad Faqeer Hussain with Pashto singer Zarsanga handling the vocals.
Ghulam Hussain, a Rubab virtuoso, opened with a tantalising solo “alaap”. His nimble fingers explored a universe of musical notes on the Rubab’s chords with breathtaking precision, creating music as serene as the sight of a swan on a silent lake.
He then combined with Faqeer Hussain on tabla to perform a Pashto folk song.
The two maestros were later joined by Zarsanga, who performed popular Pashto songs, luring the audience from an exotic instrumental experience into a wonderland of vocal delight.
Their performance was followed by Chitrali singers.
Ustad Ali Gauhar and his team from Chitral performed the famous songs, “Ashur Jaan” and “Doshi ke dandoshi.”
Mehr Angaiz, Amber and Gulbaz Khan also presented mystic songs in Persian, Brurushaski and Urdu, including a poem by Rumi.
PNCA Director Tauqir Nasir said the musical evening was an attempt to promote peace through art. He said the PNCA tries to focus on all regions of Pakistan, ensuring that the culture of these regions gets its due representation in the federal capital.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 18th, 2013.
When Daulat Wali Baig, Fazlur Rehman and Javed Ali Khan of the “Sada-e Pamir” band struck the chords for a Wakhi-language folk song, it was evident that music transcends geographical boundaries and language barriers.
The crowd at the jam packed Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) auditorium cheered and applauded as romance filled the air when the band played “Lal-e-Badakhshan” (Ruby of Badakhshan), in which the poet compares the beauty of his beloved with the famed gemstone.
The band was one of several performers who thrilled with folk music at the “Dialogue through Tradition Bearers - Mystic Mountain Music” show on Sunday.
The musical evening was organised by the PNCA and the Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan in collaboration with the French Embassy.
The show brought together artists from Chitral, Hunza, Peshawar and Afghanistan.
Baig, who is also director of the Initiative for Promotion of Pamiri Arts & Culture (IPPAC), said the event presented a wonderful opportunity to promote the work of folk artists.
He said such performances would help protect the cultural heritage of Pakistan, especially poetry and music in regional languages which are often ignored.
The audience, comprising mostly Gilgit-Baltistan natives and Islamabad residents, crooned to the tender Wakhi tunes of Sada-e Pamir.
However, the show’s main act was a performance by Afghan musicians Ustad Ghulam Hussain and Ustad Faqeer Hussain with Pashto singer Zarsanga handling the vocals.
Ghulam Hussain, a Rubab virtuoso, opened with a tantalising solo “alaap”. His nimble fingers explored a universe of musical notes on the Rubab’s chords with breathtaking precision, creating music as serene as the sight of a swan on a silent lake.
He then combined with Faqeer Hussain on tabla to perform a Pashto folk song.
The two maestros were later joined by Zarsanga, who performed popular Pashto songs, luring the audience from an exotic instrumental experience into a wonderland of vocal delight.
Their performance was followed by Chitrali singers.
Ustad Ali Gauhar and his team from Chitral performed the famous songs, “Ashur Jaan” and “Doshi ke dandoshi.”
Mehr Angaiz, Amber and Gulbaz Khan also presented mystic songs in Persian, Brurushaski and Urdu, including a poem by Rumi.
PNCA Director Tauqir Nasir said the musical evening was an attempt to promote peace through art. He said the PNCA tries to focus on all regions of Pakistan, ensuring that the culture of these regions gets its due representation in the federal capital.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 18th, 2013.