Mausikaar holds treat for dance and music lovers

Islamabad

Mausikaar, the trust for preserving the traditional music of Pakistan, in collaboration with the PNCA organised an evening of classical dance and music which was a real treat for those who attended – since it’s not often that we get to enjoy the two. The event was attended by a ‘full house’ audience which was wonderful!  

The programme began on time – a plus for Mausikaar! The first act was by Ustaad Mohammed Ajmal on the tabla and Shabih Sen – an 18th generation descendant of the Tansen gharana - on the sitar.  It was a very enjoyable performance and both instrumentalists received repeated applause throughout - it was really good to see the audience appreciate the duos skills.

After this introductory performance, president Mausikaar Dr. Seema came on stage and introduced her organisation which is doing its best to keep our traditional culture of music alive against the odds and needs all the support she can get. She gave a few facts about how the trust had assisted Ustaad Allah Rakha and the great Ustad Fateh Ali Khan when they were not well; the work they were doing to train and introduce young artistes and the work they hope to do in the future with the help of like-minded people. She acknowledged the support of those who sponsored their programmes and said it would not be possible without them providing the venues or sponsoring various artistes.

Dr Seema was also the MC for the evening and explained the meaning of each dance before it was performed so those who were not familiar with them could understand what they were all about – something essential to really appreciate the performance! 

First to appear was Kamran Ali a young dancer who did a mix of classical and contemporary dance on three different kinds of music - the Rajisthani number was unfamiliar but interesting - and impressed with his energy. There was a short performance by three students of legendary dance    virtuoso, Indu Mitha - Aman Mawaz, Nadya and Iftikhar, followed with a solo performance by Iftikhar. It is always a pleasure to watch Amna Mawaz perform and she did not disappoint with her graceful rendition of a Bharatnatyam number which she performed solo. The finale was performed by well know ‘kathak’ dancer, Adnan Jehangir from Lahore, who has performed in many countries and was featured once before in a Mausikaar programme, proving so popular he was requested to come again.

In conclusion members of the Mausikaar committee were introduced to the audience and received a round of applause for the good work they are doing. The dancers also got an appreciative round of applause from the audience as they received bouquets and after the show was over a significant number of persons from the audience stayed on to talk to and encourage both Mausikaar members and the performers. All in all, it was a very entertaining evening and much appreciated by many of those who shared their opinion with each other afterwards.