Napa pays tribute to late musicologist Sultan Arshad

Glowing tributes were paid to senior musicologist and author Sultan Arshad Khan at a memorial event organised by the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) on Sunday. Sultan Arshad had passed away in Karachi last month after a brief illness.

Napa CEO Junaid Zuberi welcomed the guests. He said it is Napa’s mandate to recognize and acknowledge efforts of stalwarts like Sultan Arshad Khan who left a deep imprint with their work and contributions.

Napa Board Member Senator (retd) Javed Jabbar spoke about the contributions of the late musicologist and in particular highlighted his book ‘101 Melody Makers’, calling it a monumental work and a legacy that Sultan Arshad left behind.

He said it was perhaps for the first time that someone did an extensive research on film songs to get the names of all musicians who played different instruments so that credits could be given. He called the late Sultan Arshad an encyclopedia of film music who had the information on films and their songs on his fingertips.

Founder Hum Network Sultana Siddiqui shared her memories of Sultan Arshad, who remained associated with the Hum Network for about two decades. She recalled how Mr. Arshad introduced many new talented singers through musical programmes such as Zauq o Shauq. She praised him for his commitment, honesty and unmatched devotion to music and termed his passing an irreparable loss.

Chairman Paramount Books Iqbal Saleh Mohammad, who published Sultan Arshad’s first book ‘The Musical People’, spoke about his association with the late author and shared anecdotes highlighting his humility as well as sense of humour. He said Sultan Arshad was himself a singer also who never promoted himself but used his skills to train and improve the new and upcoming singers.

Senior musicologist and Advisor Classical Music Napa SM Shahid read out a specially written article on Mr. Sultan Arshad. He lamented how people are not given their due encouragement in their lifetime and it is only after they leave that they are remembered by the society. He spoke about his friendship with Mr. Sultan Arshad and said music was in his genes.

The late Sultan Arshad’s son Sultan Shehryar Khan read out a message from his sister Kiran as well as from his brothers about the role Arshad sahab played in their upbringing and the influence he had on their personality. Businessman, vocalist and music aficionado Nadeem Omar also spoke about his family’s association with Sultan Arshad and mentioned that it was the late Mr. Arshad who encouraged him to start singing.

Later, singers from Amateur Melodies, a club co-founded and ran by Mr. Sultan Arshad, sang selected songs. Singers included Ameer Ali, Imrana Naeem, Kamran Saggu and Sultan Shehryar Khan. A little girl, Eden Samuel, who is being trained in classical music by SM Shahid, surprised the audience with her singing. The befitting tribute evening ended with a note of thanks by the Napa CEO.