Culture, music and Karachi’s young maestros

Karachi
The second session of the NauTarang Platform, an initiative of the the All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC), was hosted at the Alliance Francaise on Saturday. The night was embellished with magnificent performances by talented young artists, captivating the audience with their soulful renditions of Eastern Classical music.
As the event started at around 9, the first to take the stage was the 'Chota Ustad' Ahsan Ali, who performed a beautiful rendition of one of the most fundamental of ragas in the Hindustani Classical tradition, 'Raag Yaman'. The young performer set the tone for the evening perfectly as he had the audience up in appreciation.
Next up was 22-year-old Shahzeb Ali who performed the bewitching, 'Raag Darbari'. He was followed by the young sitar virtuoso, Shehroze Hussain, who slowed down the pace of the night, creating an almost hypnotic atmosphere with his exquisite vibratos.
Speaking to The News later, Ahsan Ali said, “Music has always been a part of my life.” Ahsan belongs to the Patiala gharana, a gharana that Ustaad Fateh Ali Khan, Shafqat Amanat Ali and many other prominent classical vocalists belong to.
He has been performing since a very young age and even captured the hearts of many on television when he secured third place on the singing competition 'Chhote Ustaad' which took place in India in 2010. He has also released two singles and is currently working on his third one.
Shahzeb Ali has been under the tutelage of Ustaads Hameed Ali Khan and Mehmood Ali Khan for the past four years, learning and slowly making his name in the music industry. “I am a versatile singer. I sing classical, folk, sufi and pop,” said Shahzeb, who is currently a part of a three-man fusion band called 'Feel The Band'. His band has already released an original and hopes to release more in the near future.
By affording space to talents such as these budding maestros, the NauTarang Platform has proven itself as a commendable initiative by the APMC and Alliance Francaise for showcasing some of Pakistan’s young classical music talent, as well as working towards the regeneration and preservation of a crucial part of our culture.