Unforgettable melodies: Pashto music, a shimmering summer mirage

Various musicians, underground bands perform at event

PESHAWAR:

A two-day summer festival kicked off on Saturday evening at Ladies Club in the provincial capital in a bid to revive Pashto music.

Various musicians and underground bands performed at the event and attracted considerable praise and applause from people who attended.

The event was organised by the district administration and Tourism Corporation Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Battle of the bands

Khumariyan, a local band, performed a variety of folk songs while the audience danced to the beats.

“The band’s performance was simply outstanding,” said Naweshta Nisar, one of the attendees. “The audience enjoyed it thoroughly. It took one on a trip down memory lane.”

Zeek Afridi, a Pashto singer who hails from Tirah Valley and catapulted to fame for his rendition of old Pashto melodies, also performed at the event. His performance was also lauded by the audience as they relived the golden era of Pashto music.

A series of traditional dances was also performed. Audiences were enthralled by spellbinding performance of khattak and attan dances. The performances continued until Sunday.

Moreover, various stalls which featured embroidered articles, accessories, arts and crafts and food were also set up at the venue.

Cultural awareness

“We are promoting our culture,” said Zarghuna, a stall owner. “The aim of this festival is to highlight our heritage and create awareness of our culture.”

She said the government was initially apathetic about preserving Pukhtun culture.

“However, they have now started a range of activities to promote culture and provide entertainment facilities to the youth,” he said. “The government should encourage such cultural activities and arrange more such programmes.”

A woman’s world

Urooj, another visitor, said the two-day festival is an attempt to highlight the merits of Pukhtun culture.

“There are limited opportunities for entertainment for women in Peshawar,” she said. “These festivals provide us with the chance to enjoy ourselves. Furthermore, people get the opportunity to learn about our culture.

According to Urooj, the fact that a large number of people attended the event shows that people are prepared to look beyond a history of militancy and warfare and embrace a trouble-free life.

“We want the government to arrange such events at least once a month,” she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2015.