Artists enthral visitors at Art and Culture Festival
ISLAMABAD: A number of folk artists enthralled the visitors with their performances at the Art and Culture Festival here on Sunday.
Folk dancers ‘Dharees’ from Multan, attired in beautiful regional costumes, presented their exotic performances and received applause from the audience.
Due to a holiday, a large number of residents of the twin cities, particularly women and children, thronged the festival.
The festival started on Thursday, September 19, with all its festivities at the Lok Virsa Complex, Garden Avenue, Shakaparian, under the aegis of the Lok Virsa (National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage) and the Media Network (pvt) Ltd.
Member of the National Assembly Malik Ibrar opened the festival on Saturday.
On arrival, he was warmly received by Lok Virsa Executive Director (ED) Khalid Javaid amid beating of drums and a performance by ‘Dharees’. The ED showed him round the festival. They visited various stalls featuring more than 30 artisans hailing from different parts of the country and showing their expertise to the visitors.
Malik Ibrar took keen interest in the festival. Pakistan is extremely rich in folk music. It includes folk songs, folk dances, folk tales, epics, folk romances, children’s songs, lullabies and children’s games. The songs vary from region to region and from community to community. One finds here a remarkable continuity of traditions, some of which date from thousands of years to the ancient civilisations of Mehergarh, Moenjodaro, Harappa and Gandhara.
Folk dances of Pakistan are generally associated with festive occasions or the seasons of harvesting and spring.
Some of these dances are purely for men while others are reserved for women. There are few mixed dances in Pakistan. The popular folk dances include bhangra, luddi, gidda, leva, jhoomar, khattak dance, etc.
Folk songs express people’s inner and most powerful feelings and ideas, which have an influence on human minds. They are not only the expression of art but also portray the harmony of a happy living and moral of the entire village life.
The festival will continue to offer the visitors a variety of activities and entertainment until October 6, between 3 and 10pm.
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