PESHAWAR: Artists and folk singers here on Tuesday asked the government to rebuild the music street for promotion of a soft image of the province through cultural activities.

The singers and artists gathered to celebrate World Music Freedom Day and demanded of the government to take steps for ameliorating the plight of needy artists by providing opportunities to them.

“The theme of the World Freedom Day for the year 2020 is ‘art across borders’ to reach out to a larger audience and learn new skills and artistic techniques and stimulate their creativity,” said the participants of the event.

Noted poets Laiqzada and Prof Abaseen Yousafzai were also present on the occasion.

The artists through several resolutions demanded of the government to turn its rhetoric into action by issuing Sehat Insaf Card and award projects directly to them instead of contactors to ensure quality cultural events throughout the province.

Function held in press club to mark World Music Freedom Day

They also asked government to draft a policy for preventing exploitation of artists by running and showing their songs on the state-run and private Radio and TV channels without their permission.

The colourful event was organized under the auspices of Hunari Tolana Welfare Society (HTWS) in collaboration with Cultural Journalists Forum (CJF), cultural committee of Peshawar Press Club and Da Hunar Warisan at the press club.

A large number of artists, folk singers, literati and music-buffs attended the event.

The artists presented Punjabi, Hindko, Seraiki, Chitrali and Pashto songs and garnered appreciation from the audience.

Senior singers Ustad Nawab Ali, Ahmad Gul, Fayyaz Kheshgi, Faraz Afridi and Kabul Jan performed at the event while sitar, tabla and flute artists also exhibited their art.

Opening the event, artist Rashid Khan highlighted the salient features of folk music and also pinpointed issues of the artists, seeking rebuilding of

music street in Peshawar for practicing, marketing and preservation of folk music.

He said the Dabgari music street was destroyed many years ago, fetching great loss to folk music and artists at large.

The folk artist said the government should issue Sehat Insaf Cards to deserving artists on war footings as most of the senior artists had been bedridden since long.

“Our third demand is that government should award projects of organising cultural events directly to professional artists instead of non-professional contactors,” said Mr Khan.

Senior folk singer Fazal Wahab Dard; Ihtisham Toru, the president of CJF; Gohar Jan, chief of Da Hunar Warisan; Bakhtiar Khattak; and Ustad Nazeer Gul also shared their views at the event.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2020