ISLAMABAD: A stunning instrumental performance was delivered by two maestros at the auditorium of the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) on Wednesday.

Popular raags like darbari, bhairvi and yaman were performed by tabla maestro Ustad Abdul Sattar Tari along with sitar maestro Ustad Ashraf Sharif Khan. The programme was called Saaz Samandar.

PNCA Director General Hassan Raza Saeed welcomed the distinguished guests and thanked them for agreeing to perform on his special invitation.

Ustad Khan is the son of legendary sitar master Ustad Mohammad Sharif Khan Poonch Wala and as competent at playing the instrument as his father and grandfather.

Mr Khan’s music combines astonishing technical proficiency with perfection in musical expression. The melodic beauty of his style, accentuated by rhythmic technique produce a unique musical experience, equally appreciable to novices and connoisseurs of South Asian music. His music transcends regional boundaries.

Ustad Tari belongs to the Punjab gharana of tabla players and is a disciple of Ustad Mian Shoukat Hussain Khan. Mr Tari started his career by accompanying vocalists like Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali, Pandit Jasraj, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Roshan Ara Begum. Later, he developed an interest in singing after receiving training from Mehdi Hassan. The audience was spellbound when the performance started and his skill was evident.

Earlier, Mr Raza in his welcome remarks praised the two maestros and said they are the pride of Pakistan, adding, PNCA is committed towards promoting and preserving the work of great artists.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2021