Rahat mesmerises crowd of 6,000

The music lovers from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi enjoyed the live concert of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, held here the other day at Gun and Country Club situated amid the lush green hills of Margalla.
Some of those among the audience said that the maestro’s mesmerising voice and performance not only touched their hearts but also rejuvenated their souls. Rahat sang his hit songs featured in the Indian and Pakistani movies as well as those with Sufi and folk themes.
The glitzy event was the biggest in the history of federal capital jointly organised by OEM and ETZ, which were represented by Arsalan Haider and Muhammad Ibrahim.
The notables among the audience included top business tycoons, bureaucrats and members of federal cabinet including Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah and National Assembly Speaker DrFehmida Mirza. Pakistan Today was the media partner for the event.
Around 6,000 people attended the mega event, which concluded with a ceremony held at the Parliament House to hold special prayer for peace and harmony in the country. Later on around 10,000 flying lanterns were released in the air.
Youth representatives from all the provinces of Pakistan, parliamentarians, TV artists and some local singers/bands from across the country attended the ceremony which was conducted by super model Mikaal.
The legend vocalist and musician started with a hymn called ‘Milta Hay Har Taraf Khuda’ and concluded the 3-hour live concert with the blockbuster ‘Tere Mast Mast Do Nain’ from the Indian movie ‘Dabangg’.
Dressed in an off-white kurta suit, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan walked on stage and greeted the audience with clasped hands before he sat and played the harmonium and mesmerised the packed crowd with his melodious voice.
Acclaimed for his rhythms, beat and melody, and enriched with great poetry, Khan brought the house down with his fiery energy on stage.
His Punjabi number ‘Ajj Din Charhiya Tere Rang Warga’ was followed by the ghazal original sung by his uncle late Ustad Fateh Ali Khan ‘Tumhein Dil Lagi Bhool Jani Pary Gi’, and recent hit movie ‘Virsa’ ‘Mein tenu samjhanwan Ki’, and ‘Sajda’ one of the best song in recent times from Indian movie ‘My name is Khan’. The songs electrified the ambiance in the hall with the crowds singing along and dancing to the upbeat numbers.
Rahat’s wider fame is derived mainly from his multi-award-winning success as a Bollywood soundtrack artist, a non-devotional arena where qawwali has attained major popularity among Indian as well as Pakistani audiences that was also the feature of the night among his 20 numbers Rahat sang during the show.
The sold-out event was largely attended by people from the elite community of the twin cities, where the women were gorgeously clad in black shalwar kameez suits. The few foreigners among the audience were seen dancing and swaying in a state of ecstasy.
Shumaila Hassan also sang a few of her hits.
Rahat’s varyingly soulful, sorrowful, exultant voice kept soaring and swooping according to the themes and variations of the lyrics ranging from catchy pop numbers to the dreamy romantic ballads. Rahat sang ‘Ye Jo Halka Halka Suroor Hay’, followed by ‘Sab Rishtay Naatay hans Kay Tor Doon’, ‘Oray Piya’ and another blockbuster ‘Teri Ore’ from Bollywood movie ‘Singh is King’.
Rahat also introduced his upcoming song entitled ‘Kaisa Hay Ye Ishq’ from the movie ‘Meray Brother Ki Dulhan’.
Soon Rahat turned towards back-to-back blockbuster hit numbers including ‘Sureli Akhion Waly’ from Indian movie ‘Veer’, ‘Teri Meri Meri Teri Prem Kahani hay Mushkil’, from the latest Indian release ‘Bodyguard’, followed by a couple of ghazals ‘Meri Zaat Say Benishan’ and ‘Diyar-e-Ishq Mein Apna Maqam Paida Kar’- (Kalam-e-Iqbal).
Later, Khan, on the audience’s demand, made some very subtle vibrations in his voice, which he uses very beautifully, to convey a whole range of emotions through it. He could make it a sound hopelessly romantic or melancholic while singing ‘Teri Yaad Sath Hay’ sung for ‘Namastay London’.
Khan concluded the night with three Sufi songs honouring his late uncle’s memory. They were ‘Afreen Afreen’, ‘Mastt Nazron Say Allah Bachaay’ and later he ended the show with ‘Tery Mastt Mastt Do Nain’ from the hit movie ‘Dabangg’ leaving the big audience over-ecstatic.
The ceremony concluded with the message of unity, peace and inter-faith harmony. Fehmida Mirza and Khursheed Shah appreciated the organisers for bringing the country’s youth together on one platform.