US Consulate holds Daniel Pearl World Music Day
By Asad Farooq
KARACHI: The United States (US) Consul General in Karachi organised a musical evening entitled ‘Daniel Pearl World Music Day’ on Saturday evening to pay tribute to Daniel Pearl and all those journalists who sacrificed their lives in the line of their duty.
In the remembrance of Pearl, thousands of concerts have been organised across the world since 2001. It is pertinent to mention here that Daniel Pearl was an American journalist, and was working as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal. He visited Pakistan in regard with an investigation for a story, where he was abducted and later killed by Shaikh Omer and his regime in early 2002 as they believed that he was a spy for contacting Taliban head Mullah Omer.
Pearl was also a musician and music lover. To pay him homage musical concerts are organised each year in the month of October across the world. The US state department also takes such concerts as opportunities to bridge the differences among masses of the US and Pakistan.
Renowned American musician Mary McBride and her band along with famous Komal Rizvi, Fareed Ayaz Qawwal and Ali Muhammad with companions enthralled audience on the occasion. Audiences were entertained with western music, traditional eastern Qawwali and Sufi music and their true fusion.
Mary McBride and her band received several rounds of applause for their superb performance. Followed by their performance, Komal Rizvi mesmerised people with her voice. She compelled audience particularly youngsters to shake their body in front of stage and one on stage as well, while singing ‘Lal Shahbaz Qalandar’. At that time, majority of audience was singing slowly ‘mast mast’.
Later renowned Qawwals of the country presented Baba Bulhy Shah’s poetry in the classical form of Qawwali. In Pakistan, Qawwali lovers were fascinated with fusion of the form of singing with western fusion. McBride, not only performed in fusion with Rizwi and Qawwals, but also sang ‘Dil Dil Pakistan, Jan Jan Pakistan’.
US Consul General in Karachi William Martin delivered the welcome address. He said, “Today we celebrate the life of Daniel Pearl and all journalists who have sacrificed their lives for truth and freedom of expression.” Talking about Daniel Pearl, Martin said that Pearl was a talented musician who played with friends in every community in which he lived, including here in Karachi.
Commemorating his October 10th birthday, Daniel Pearl World Music Day uses the universal language of music to encourage fellowship across cultures and build a ‘Harmony for Humanity.’ Since World Music Days’ inception in 2002, more than 6,700 concerts in 111 countries have been dedicated.
To a question, he said that in his opinion, there were misunderstandings, not differences between the people of Pakistan and the US. He hoped that such lovely musical programme would mitigate misunderstandings.
While talking to Daily Times, Mary McBride said that it was a great experience for her to infuse western music with classical eastern music. She said that wonderful eastern Sufi and Qawali music inspired her. To a question, she said that she loves Pakistani people, foods and culture. She further said that she was in Pakistan to bring Pakistani people close to the US.
Source: Daily Times
Date:10/31/2011
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