Music festival hits the right note
By Peerzada Salman
KARACHI: The second and final day of the 8th annual music festival organised by the All Pakistan Music Conference saw some decent performances at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture on Sunday.
The first session of the day started with a nice display of sitar playing by Sajid Husain. He was accompanied on stage by Yousuf and Umaid (tabla) and his son Shahroze (sitar). Sajid Husain played raag pradeep. His recital was particularly appreciated when both sitar players exchanged a kind of jugalbandi during the performance.
Next was a delightful performance on the banjo by Ustad Mumtaz Sabzal. The ustad belongs to a family that invented the instrument. His rendition of raag bheem plasi (with Mehmood Ali on the tabla) was a treat to lend ears to. Even during the linear patterns of the composition, the ustad brought in a host of variations exploiting the beautiful range of the banjo.
Mussadaq Sanwal’s singing was the next act of the session. He started off with sur samodi and according to him he used to sing it in the ’80s. This changed the flavour of the evening. His second number was Mann na ranga and followed it up with Mian Mohammad Bakhsh’s Saiful Malook. Sanwal’s fair understanding of the genre was well-received.
The last performance of the first session was Ustad Naseeruddin Sami’s thumri.
The first act of the second session began with Noor Zehra Kazim’s performance on the instrument sagar veena that her father Raza Kazim has invented. She played two tunes and both were appreciated by the audience. She also explained how the instrument was still in the process of being made.
Then Ustad Badruzzaman and Qamaruzzaman came on stage accompanied by Khursheed Husain (tabla), Akhtar Husain (sarangi) and Afzal (harmonium). They began their stint with a khayal in rageshwari and followed it up with bandishein in malkons and dhani and a Qusoor gharana Punjabi number. The khayal was a difficult bit in which the tabla player ably supported the two ustad brothers and was even acknowledged by the ustads.
Ustad Fateh Ali Khan of the Gwaliar gharana was the last act of the day. He performed raag Bhopali in his typical style and impressed the gathering with his vocal ability and command over gaeki.
Source: Dawn
Date:3/21/2011
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