Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) and Arts Council of Pakistan held a three-day Ghazal Festival entitled "Tribute to Legends" at Karachi. The festival was part of PNCA's activities to promote musical heritage of the country and acknowledge the services of legendary artists at different parts of the country.
The show brought artists like Ghulam Abbas, Mehnaz, Ijaz Qaisar, Humera Channa, Salamat Ali, Gulbhar Bano, Asif Mehdi, Tasawar Khanum, Ali Raza, Bilqis Khanum, Mohammad Ali, Azra Raiz Ikram Mehdi, Shokat Manzoor, Salman Alvi, Farukh Mehdi, Ishtaiq Bashir, Faisal Latif, Nand Lal and other artists. Unique of its kind, the event enthralled the audiences with the aim at spreading the message of peace, love and harmony.
The participating vocalists paid rich tributes to legendary Ghazal singers of subcontinent who dedicated their entire life in the field of Ghazal singing which is a unique expression of presenting melodies, said PNCA Director General Tauqeer Nasir while talking to newsmen here on Monday. "Ghazal is one of the unique kinds of singing that spread message with soft musical terms and captivates the listeners with its techniques. It is a poetic form which shares a rhyme and has a unique place in contemporary music world," he stated.
"Such events not only promote the skills of the music maestros the younger generations but also keep alive the fading traditions of music," he said. Music is the part of every one's life in different forms while in Pakistan it is a fusion of many influences. The influences that shaped the music of Pakistan come from many parts of the world like Central Asia, Persia, Turkish and Arabic.