The Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) would orgainse several mega events at the advent on the New Year 2012, for the promotion of art and culture in Pakistan and abroad in the month of January. Talking to Pakistan Today, PNCA Coordinator Hassan Abbas Raza said that the PNCA was scheduled to hold the ‘Artists’ Convention 2012’ in Lahore, on January 12. The PNCA would invite eminent personalities from film, television, stage/ theatre, music, and other fields of art to briefly speak on the issues in their respective genres, give suggestions on countering the cultural onslaught and discuss the measures necessary for the revival of culture and theatre, Raza maintained. The guests would include Syed Noor, Javed Jabbar, Shoaib Mansoor, Rahat Kazmi, Samina Pirzada, Ahmed Aqeel Rubi, Samina Ahmed and others, while several musical performances would also be featured in the convention.
The PNCA would also invite a Chinese Acrobatic (gymnast) troupe to perform in the PNCA auditorium, Islamabad on January 13 at 6 pm.
The PNCA had initiated a programme, a few years ago, titled ‘An evening with a leading artist’, to pay tribute to living legends and on January 15, it has arranged an evening with noted television artist Nisar Qadri. The PNCA coordinator said, “It would be a ‘One Man Show’ in which Qadri will not use his one-liner ‘Machis Hogi Aapkay Pas’ for lighting a cigarette but will light a candle for the prosperity of Pakistan.” Earlier, the PNCA has also invited Qavi Khan, Iftikhar Qaisar, Ayub Khosa, and others artists in the ‘One Man Show’, Raza added.
On January 18, the PNCA would arrange a musical performance titled ‘East meets West’ in which Pakistani singer Kashif Raja and British singer Todd would perform. The two artists would use their respective musical instruments to sing together with a fusion. “The concept of fusion music is used for strengthening the relationship and knowing the musical culture and techniques of UK and to promote Pakistani music in West,” Raza said.
On January 30, the PNCA would pay tribute to a classical singer from the Sham Chorasia Gharana, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan, in the programme ‘A Tribute to a living legend’. Raza said that the PNCA had earlier invited several legends of classical music in the programme, including Reshma, Mehdi Hassan Khan, Ustad Shigan, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Ustad Ijaz Hussain, Farida Khanum, Iqbal Bano, Ghulam Ali, Zubaida Khanum, and Surayya Multanikar. ‘A Tribute to a living legend’ featuring Ustad Salamat Ali Khan would be held on January 30 at 7:00 pm.
Hassan Abbas Raza said that the PNCA would continue to show its commitment to promote art and culture in the country and it would start the New Year with the same determination.