A delight for lovers of indigenous music

The three-day All Pakistan Music Conference continued for the second day on Saturday. It was a balmy spring evening and the expansive lawns of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) made an ideal venue.

Apart from the chairs, in the typical eastern tradition, there were “Gao Takiyas” on white sheets that were spread out on the lawns for the music lovers to listen to the classical music of the Indian sub-continent in a relaxed posture.

The programme opened with a vocal rendition of Raag Madhuvanti by Aizaz Sohail who was accompanied by Irfan Haider on the table, Akhtar Hussain on the harmonium and Gul Muhammad on the Sarangi. The accompanists added to the perfection of Aizaz’s rendition.

The singer, who is a young man from Lahore, really negotiated the change of tempo of his melody with perfection. His melodious, mellifluous baritone was a treat to ear. His treatment of Madhuvanti that lasted around half an hour showed that he is certainly imbued with a profusion of vocal talent. He is the protégé of Ustad Abdur Raoof.

Another highly commendable performance was a rendition of Raag Khamaj on the sitar by Shahid Ali Khan. It was a lilting melody bearing the romantic essence of the Raag. The performance included variations in tempo and as the tempo increased, so were the instrumentalist’s fingers that moved quiet nimbly on the strings. It may be mentioned here that Khan has been performing since the age of 10.

Then there was a performance by Intizar Hussain who sang Raag Maarva. Hussain is a vocalist of the Patiala Gharana. He mesmerised the audience with his portrayal of Maarva, a Raag imbued with the feeling of sadness. The performance continued late into the night.

What was most encouraging was the attendance of a large crowd who showed that they had refined tastes in music. The programme took off with a half-an-hour delay ostensibly because the gathering was scanty. However, after the first number by Aizaz, music lovers began to stream in and soon the lawn was full to capacity. What was most encouraging was a large number of youngsters, the kind we associate with pops. It was also highly encouraging to see the vast pool of musical talent the country has. The programme was compered by journalist Khurram Sohail and the dazzling Shaista Qazi.