Literature and Art: LAC brings back Gosha-i-Adb-o-Fun back to life with musical evening

Guitarist Tafu says council will support gifted performers.

LAHORE: The Lahore Arts Council (LAC) revived the Gosha-i-Adb-o-Fun at Alhamra, The Mall, on Wednesday with a musical evening. 

Ali Haider’s rendition of Rag Aiman on the sitar, the evening’s opening performance, had a profound impact on the audience. 10 year-old Subhan, who has been learning the guitar, also stood out among the performers by flawlessly playing popular Bollywood tracks on his guitar.

LAC Executive Director Capt (retd) Atta Khan said performances at the Gosha had been initiated a few years ago. He said they had been discontinued two years ago. Khan expressed hope that the revival of the Gosha would encourage young artistes to come forward and promote music nationwide. “Performing in the classroom is one thing, performing before an audience is a completely different ballgame,” he said. Khan said the administration intended to dedicate the space to artistes in an effort to further creative growth and expression. He said it was open to anyone wishing to stage a performance. Khan said the administration was ready to accept performance requests in advance due to time constraints.

Guitarist Sajjad Tafu, a Tamgha-i-Imtiaz recipient who teaches at the academy, appreciated the initiative. He said music was an important alternative activity that could provide the young with an outlet. Tafu said having the chance to perform in public was good exposure for students. Activities will be organised at the Gosha every Wednesday evening.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2015.