Popularising subcontinental music and melodies

The 14th annual All Pakistan Music Conference which came to a colorful end on Sunday managed to give Karachiites a sound opportunity to appreciate the art of classical music.

On the event’s second day, Saturday, the day’s programme was opened with a flute recital by Zulqernain Haider, accompanied by Irfan Haider on the tabla. 

The highly melodious rendition started on a slow, melancholy note but later turned into a vivacious version. Haider did a really deft job at the transverse flute. Titled ‘Raag Hans Dhun’, the rendition was reminiscent of various situations and seemed to suggest situations of vivacity, of sobriety, and everything in between. Haider did a wonderful job by putting real feeling into his mastery over the wind instrument.

The changing rhythm made it a very melodious rendition.

Next was a vocal piece by Abbas Khan of the Gwalior Gharana. He was accompanied by Basheer Khan on the tabla, and Idrees Hussain on the tanpura. The tune he rendered was the ‘Raag Aman Kalyan’.

His deep, rich voice seemed to have no equal. His control over his cadences was remarkable and the way he transited from the lowest notes into the highest ones was remarkable indeed.  

Khan was followed by Dr Shams Rashdi who seemed to have total mastery over classical vocalism. She sang the ‘Raag Rageshwari’ with perfect ease, in her silky, mellifluous voice. Her voice could certainly be classified as simply heavenly as she seemed to transit from the lowest to the highest notes with perfect ease. 

Even though, like the evening before, the programme began half-an-hour behind schedule, a sizeable audience had gathered and the event progressed smoothly.

Being absolutely classical Indo-Pakistani classical music, one would have just expected a certain class of audience but no; there were visitors from all strata of the citizenry, from the most indigenous to the most westernised, showing the success of the efforts of the organisers in popularising sub-continental classical music.