ISLAMABAD: Serena Hotels hosted a soulful qawwali night on Friday midnight which featured renowned qawwal Ustad Asif Ali Santoo Khan.

Mehfil-i-Sama started at midnight and ended with a sumptuousSehri. The event was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, government dignitaries and individuals from the corporate and development sectors.

Aziz Boolani, CEO Serena Hotels, said this was the third consecutive year that Serena Hotel had organised a Mehfil-i-Sama to share and promote Sufi Kalaam in Ramazan.

“Qawwali is a part of our heritage and people love Qawwali but they do not get a chance to experience it live. The appreciation and encouragement we get from our guests is outstanding and we continue to do things that showcase our heritage and introduce our younger generations and friends to these aspects of our culture,” Mr Boolani said.

The night was a tribute to Sufism with traditional soulful melodies that had the crowds swaying in unison. Keeping with the traditionl format of a Mehfil-i-Sama, the performance began with aHamdfollowed by aNa’at. Perennial favourites,Tu Kuja Man KujaandAllah Hu, and ghazals such asDil-i-Umeed Tora Hai Kissi Newere also performed on request.

Ustad Santoo said: “When we ended the performance with Sakhi Shahbaaz Qalandar’s dhamaal, all foreigners were also swaying atLaal Meri Pat Rakhiyo Bala Jhoole Laalan, Sindri Da, Sehvan Da, Sakhi Shabaaz Qalandar.

Ustad Asif Ali Santoo Khan said: “Programmes of this sort are very important and should happen. In this day and age for people to gather together at an event related to Ramazan is wonderful. People from different professions and walks of life were entertained with soulfulkalaamand Sehri. As Pakistanis, as Muslims, as people, this sort of gathering increases feelings of brotherhood.”

He went on to say that the audience was exceptional.

“We also took a moment to say a prayer for peace and prosperity in Pakistan,” he added.

Ustad Santoo is a student of the legend Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and is the youngest son of the famous music producer Manzoor Hussain. He belongs to the world famous Santoo family whose musical heritage can be traced back 350 years. Among his family members are his great grandfather Mian Maula Baksh, one of the most famous classical singers of the subcontinent.

What made the evening even more special for Ustad Santoo was that his young son, Mohammad Ali Haider Shah Azlan Santoo Qawwal, also performed with him.

Aziz Boolani presented Ustad Santoo and his son with a beautiful blue pottery shield.

The event was hosted under the Cultural Diplomacy initiative of Serena Hotels which aims to promote discourse around plural thought, cultural appreciation and to further mutual understanding and tolerance amongst all.

Qawwali is a devotional form of singing that fuses Persian, Arabic, Turkish and Indian traditions together and has enjoyed an international audience in recent decades.

Moroccan Ambassador Mohamed Karmoune said: “This is a very, very good initiative hosted by our dear brother Aziz Boolani to put people – diplomats and civil society – together in the sacred month of Ramazan.”

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2023