Mekaal Hasan Band performs at PNCA

Event titled ‘Mera bhi to hai Pakistan’ (Pakistan is also mine) held with aim of raising money for flood hit populace.

ISLAMABAD: Mekaal Hasan Band is no stranger to the Pakistani music scene. Over the years, the band has successfully carved a niche for itself by creating exotic fusions and combining modern sound with esoteric sufi poetry.

Pakistan National Council of Arts recently invited the band to a successful concert which took place in PNCA auditorium on Tuesday. The event which was titled ‘Mera bhi to hai Pakistan’ (Pakistan is also mine) was held with the aim of raising money for the flood hit populace.

The acoustic rendition of Mekaal Hasan Band’s work was well received by the packed crowd at the auditorium. “Our performance tonight will be an amalgamation of traditional, classical, sufi and folk music. We are looking forward to play for the people of Islamabad,” said Mekaal Hasan, before the concert. The band was welcomed by enthusiastic cheers from old and young alike and the concert kicked off with high energy. In their performance, Mekaal Hasan along with the other members presented the critically and commercially acclaimed music with their trademark attention to detail.

However, the band also surprised the audience with improvisation and catchy alterations to the other original tunes.

“The strong connection with their own culture and identity and extremely talented musicians are two reasons why Mekaal Hasan band is so successful,” said Imtiaz, who was attending the concert.

Speaking about the event, Director General PNCA Tauqir Nasir said, “Our country has gone though a lot this year and people need something to cheer them up and brighten their mood.”

Representatives of various embassies and diplomatic missions were also invited to the event.

Highlighting the importance of sufi poetry and music in the region, Nasir said at the end of the performance, “Sufi poetry spreads the message of love and peace. By drawing attention to this beautiful feature of our culture, we can present a softer image of our society to the world,” he said.

The band had just returned after a successful international tour, in which they also performed at a number of European countries, including a prestigious international music festival in Belgium.

The band also toured Canada before coming back. “We are currently working on our new album which will again be inspired by traditional poetry fused with western and eastern music. The feel of the sound will be heavier to what we usually produce,” said Hasan.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2010.