PESHAWAR: A troupe of eight artists comprising three singers and five instrumentalists from Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad enthralled Peshawarites on Monday night.

The Urdu ghazal night was organised by Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) in collaboration with culture directorate of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Nishtar Hall to boost the soft image of the country and promote unity and patriotism among the people.

The entertainment-starved audience tuned to dance in the jam-packed hall and showered accolades on the guest singers for their well-articulated performance.

Some enthusiastic music lovers kept on tossing their heads while others kept saying encore after every performance. The mixed melodies of Urdu, Punjabi and Pashto ghazals and folk songs brought a joy and pleasure to the terrorism-affected Peshawarites.

Singers from Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad keep entrainment-starved audience spellbound

Expressing her views about the show, Palwasha Anwar Khan told Dawn that she dared to come out of her home along with her two daughters and son, who were off from school for summer break. She said that she enjoyed the musical concert as it gave her and her children great relief from the tough daily routine work.

“Such events are held rarely in a city like Peshawar. Tough daily routine, security concerns and scorching heat fill us with depression and tension. We need to dine out with our family and catch up with any such relief-giving event. I feel much relieved tonight,” Ms Khan said.

Naseem Jan, a young university student, said that although he did not know Punjabi language yet he and his friends enjoyed the tunes of some songs in Punjabi version. “I have friends in Lahore who cannot speak Pashto but still they enjoy Pashto songs sung by Zeek Afridi, Humayun Khan and Shahsawar Khan. I think, language, ethnicity and other considerations should not an obstacle to love each other,” Mr Jan maintained.

Families, youngsters and music lovers attended the event in large number as the city’s lone theatre echoed with Urdu, Punjabi and Pashto ghazals and popular songs.

Noted Urdu singers Farrukh Mehdi, Bakhtawar and Nirmal Shah not only sang Urdu and Punjabi ghazals but also presented few Pashto folk songs.

Waqar Hanif, the director of PNCA, in his remarks pointed out that taste of audience in Peshawar was quite different from that of Lahore and Karachi. He said that music being a universal language needed no explanation.

The basic objective behind such musical shows was to promote soft image of Pakistan and bring more unity among the people speaking various languages hailing from different ethnic groups, he added.

Bakhtawar was the first to set the ghazal tone by singing classical Urdu ghazal ‘Wo Ishaq Jo Hum Say Root Gia’ followed by ‘Tu Meri Zindagi Hai’ and a few Punjabi songs. She stunned the audience when she rendered a popular Pashto number ‘Qarara Rasha’.

Similarly, Nirmal Shah spellbound the tasteful Pakhtuns by singing famous Pashto folk song ‘larh Sha Pekhawar Ta Qameez Tor Ma La Rawrha’.

Aneesh Ahmad, music composer of the troupe, said that Pakhtun audience had good taste for Urdu light ghazal. He said they enjoyed music more than anything else as Pakhtuns had a rich music and folk poetry legacy.

“I felt no difficulty in arrangement of music. I found Peshawarites a vibrant audience who respect and appreciation to artists,” he added.

Bakhtawar told Dawn that it was her first performance in Nishtar Hall. “I found that people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had great love for music. I had heard, they love but don’t respect artists but contrary to this notion, I found that Pathans respect and love both,” she added.

Young ghazal maestro Farrukh Mehdi sang Ahmad Faraz’s ‘Ranjesh Hi Sahi’ and many other Urdu numbers. He too sang flawlessly a popular Pashto ghazal of late Dr Sahib Shah Sabir ‘Wariezay Rawala Baran Rawala’. Many years ago, Shahen Shah-i- Pashto ghazal Khial Mohammad had sung it. He received a standing ovation for his wonderful performance.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2015

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