Musical evening: Kathak dancers sway audience

City comes to life with event held at PC Hotel

PESHAWAR: Practitioners of the traditional Kathak dance and ghazal singers left the audience spellbound at the Pearl Continental Hotel Peshawar on Wednesday night. A large number of dance and music lovers from across the city thronged the hotel auditorium for the event.

Performers from across the country were invited to entertain the lively audience. However, Saima Khushnood’s performance took the cake. Khushnood is a renowned Kathak dancer who lived up to her reputation and left the attendees wanting for more.

Blast from the past

Dance acts were followed by a ghazal singing session. Tehmeena, an established vocalist hailing from Islamabad, sang popular melodies from the past and even entertained live requests. Her performance was complemented by a powerful performance by Tahir Khan, another vocalist who sang both Urdu and Pashto songs.

Something for everyone

“The Kathak dance was astounding and very well-choreographed,” said event attendee Zeeshan Anwar, who was with his family in the front row. “I have never seen such a beautiful dance performance in Peshawar. It is something new for us,”



Sheharyar Mirza, the organiser of the event, said the management did not expect such a large turnout.

“The enthusiasm of the people just goes to show how much they yearn for such cultural activities,” he said.

Positive image

Mirza maintained he will continue to arrange such programmes in future as they foster a positive image of Peshawar and its people. “The hall was jam-packed,” he said. “This speaks volumes about how successful the event was.”



According to Mirza, the event was aimed at promoting cultural diversity in music.

“This is why we invited singers and musicians from other parts of the country,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2015.