LAHORE: At a time when neglecting classical music has been on the demise in Pakistan for the last several years, the All Pakistan Musical Conference organised a classical music night at the Alhamra Art Council, Lahore on the December 1.
The initiative was to create awareness about the importance of Pakistani musical heritage sporting the propagation of classical music. The leading organiser and secretary general of APMC Dr Ghazala Irfan opened the proceedings with a speech highlighting the emotional aspects of classical music.
A stunning raag performance by classical singer Ustaad Abdur Rauf tuned up the audience. Listeners from all walks of life felt blessed to have been there. With Zohaib Hassan playing sarangee, Muhammad Aslam on harmonium and young Riaz on tabla, Abdul Rauf came out with his masterpiece “Rangeeli Rut Ayee Piya Nahi Aye” followed by Begum Akhtar’s thumri as a ghazal “Hamari Kahi Mano Raja ji”.
The audience almost started to whirl their heads in inspiration when he presented a thumri-based classical ghazal, “Aay Mohabbat Terey Anjam Pe Rona Aaya”. Liaqat Ali was the first to perform Jaltarag, a traditional and ancient instrument in classical music. He produced unique sounds with the help of short wooden sticks by beating them on the surface of water in the bowls.
The work of this wave-instrument appeared to tranquilise the restless state and jittery emotions of a tired audience in the early hours of night. Bodies were seen twirling and heads spinning in ecstasy. “It looks like there is something in the hidden valleys of our emotions that are triggered by every beat”, a listener said.
Asked why people enter trance like state, he said, “When the heart beat synchronises with the beat of dhol, people start losing themselves within the world of mysticism.”
People were amused with all three flavours of Pakistani traditional musical heritage such as classical, light classical and folk. Unlike commercially acting performers, the performance of classical musicians made the atmosphere reverential.
“Our job is like an act of contemplation and devotion to God. We don’t think public familiarity comes through musical performance alone. We attempt to transfer the thoughts and bring physiological change in listeners”, said leading singer Abdul Rauf.
“I joined this field when I was quite young and my experience says that we have to perform relevant to the time, mood and emotions. Expressing moods and conveying messages is not an easy task which we have to do through difficult raags, raaginis, thumri, ghazals, qawali with folk beats and melodies” he added.
The performers called classical music a cumulative process. “No music of any kind can be shaped up overnight. Extensive hard work, attentive listening and deep thinking are its prerequisites.”
Later in the evening, speakers lamented that today’s seasonal jazz, rock and English songs are influencing the nature of modern culture without injecting any thought provoking messages in the listeners’ community, whereas classical music of old times, which has an immortal role in the philosophy of cultural arts due to its powerful tool to communicate and convey messages of peace and love more effectively and efficiently, is being brushed aside.
The speaker remarked that the time has come to utilise our musical heritage for our cultural expression of values and beliefs. “We promise today to use this valuable asset for carrying messages of love and peace against aggression and violence”, claps and shouts heard from behind. The audience congratulated Dr Ghazala Irfan for her outstanding organisation. In her brief speech, she elaborated the salient features of classical music and esteemed the performers as brilliant musicians.
“In deplorable condition of contemporary Pakistan, where the major genres of classical music are dying, these talented practitioners of this esoteric art form came forward and carry on contributing to their efforts to safeguard this heritage.” After the event, people exchanged views in a lively intellectual atmosphere.
“The values and rituals that were part of our culture and have gone into darkness due to ignorance should be brought back into light like these performances. The heritage of this kind should not be snubbed any way”, said Fadia Haye, a student of social sciences at a local university. “Thumri for example, which is originally about a girl singing for her lover, has been condemned by orthodox musicians at large. But its traces of natural identity in our Punjabi community can still be seen on ethnic grounds”, she added.
Umer Arain, another social science student said, “As a new comer to this event, I feel entranced when I observed that musicians themselves seemed unaware of their surroundings. They played for the sake of playing thus putting a magical affect on me. My heart pounded with rhythmic beats of tabla and mind swayed with the strings of violin.”
The events of the same kind are planned to be held on the first day of every month at the Alhamra Art Council. “Giving a monthly doze of music to people would help its promotion and rebuild its status on permanent basis”, an organiser said.
The presence of diverse audience, including foreigners and locals, elders, young and even women with children indicated a clear message: Music is universal. All understood that an attempt was made to mould the character, mood and philosophical approach of nation witnessing an increase in violence and rampant aggression day by day. For a short while, the dividing lines of ethnicity, sectarianism, tribes, and casts were dissolved by the touchy emotional tunes of classical music which are pre-eminently idyllic in nature.
Shahbaz Younas is a webdesigner and a writer with interests in sufi music and culture. His work can be seen at www.saanjhpunjab.org.
Classical music: Safeguarding our cultural heritage
