A revival of aesthetics

The All Pakistan Music Conference is my constant 'high-factor' every year since 2004. This year the review published in Images had Abbu's name in it. I am a proud daughter! Another reason for blogging this article is due to my inability to write a review of the event myself. I feel very strongly that I'd never be able to do justice to the conference. It's beautiful and that's all I know. Thank you to the organizers and a big round of applause for making it all possible. - Insiya.


By: Sumera S. Naqvi

The third annual festival of the All Pakistan Music Conference-Karachi (APMC) ended on a jubilant note last week. It was heartening to note that the arts and the aesthetics of our culture are beckoning (or should one say reawakening) to the call of enlightened moderation.

One shouldn’t mince words in stating that the APMC takes the credit of doing the needful in this regard. For one thing, this writer witnessed the young people in the audience observing the etiquettes listed at the flap of the invitation card quite amicably, like not to clap or talk during a performance, etc, especially on Saturday when they waited in large numbers for the Mekaal Hasan Band.

For them listening to the classical performances lined up before the band must have been an alien experience. Though classical is enjoyed by a select few who have a taste for it, it is regrettable that the arts have been behind censors for a long time. “We have tried to revive the culture of classical music,” says Jamil Syed, the APMC chairman, “and judging by the number of people attending the event this year, I think we have been successful.” A tradition that one hopes will grow still further.

Acknowledging the effort made to pay due respect to the treasure trove of singers and instrumentalists who have kept the classical tradition alive,the APMC has brought us maestros like Ustad Hamid Ali, Ustad Zafar Ali Khan, Niaz Ahmed (Pride of Performance award recipient), Akhlaq Hussain (sitar nawaz), Mehnaz Begum, Nafees Ahmad Khan (sitar nawaz), Ustad Salamat Ali, Ustad Naseeruddin Saami, Ashraf Sharif Khan (sitar nawaz) and Ustad Abdul Sattar Tari (tabla nawaz).

Accompanied by the impeccable Ustad Abdul Sattar Tari, Ustad Hamid Ali performed the most delightful of renditions and the finale item on the first day, Pyar nahin hae sur se jiss ko, with heavenly control over his voice. Although the latter acknowledged that he was performing with Ustad Tari after a long time, the duo seemed to gel quite well while presenting a memorable performance. Ustad Tari played the tabla with bewitching charm, making it enliven the rendition sung by Ustad Hamid Ali. Now living in the US from where he flew in, Ustad Tari is the student of the Mian Shaukat Hussain and one of the most gifted tabla players today. His solo performance the following night was one of the most enthralling experiences as some people in the audience were seen wiping away tears as Ustad Tari played the tabla with his magical fingers.

It was also a pleasure to listen to Ustad Raza Ali Khan from India, and Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan from Lahore on the third and last day of the festival, both illustrious classical performers that the subcontinent has produced. On the first day, Ashraf Sharif Khan (sitar nawaz), who came from Germany, was another delight to hear. With Ustad Tari on the tabla, he presented raag Jai Jaiwanti, playing from a gradual enthral and working up to an elation that could also be noticed by the expression on the performer’s face as he reached an inexplicable state of euphoria. But then so did all in the audience when they heard Ikhlaq Hussain (sitar nawaz), inspired by Ravi Shankar, playing in Poorya Kalyan on the second day.

Amir Khusro’s Chhaap tilak sab chheen reminds one of Mehnaz Begum. Though it seemed she wasn’t putting up the best of performance, Gham-i-dil sunane ko ji chahata hai was an instant hit and also provided a refreshing break from the heavy classical performances on the night of Jan 20.

On all the three days of the festival held at the Hindu Gymkhana this year, the APMC constantly made a laudable effort to encourage the younger and budding lot of singers and instrument players by having them perform at the beginning of each day’s performance. The winners of the ISEO competition performed beautifully and showed tremendous potential and commitment to becoming great singers. Bazicha-i-atfal in raag Jonpuri was nice, though we seem to be hooked on Jagjit Singh’s version of the same.

The Karachi Chapter of the APMC has made a place for itself in the hearts of classical and serious music connoisseurs as the number of people attending the performances for the past two years has been growing constantly. A friend from Lahore recalled how people would bring things to eat from home and sit casually on the grass to listen to the performers. This year, however, it was quite encouraging to see people sitting through the night to listen to the singers and instrumentalists, though many believe that the audience in Karachi appears elitist and unlike the one in Lahore. “Music is instinctive,” says Jamil Syed, “I wouldn’t categorize it as elitist.”
Classical music culture has certainly evolved and as people attend the APMC festivals, the elitist tag will hopefully wash away with time.


First Published in DAWN, Images - Sunday, January 29, 2006.