New Yorkers thrilled by Pakistani artists:Sufi Music festival

[Spring Onion]

Abida-led Pakistani artists inspire NY as they perform in Sufi tradition
Wednesday, 21 Jul, 2010 3:42 pm


NEW YORK : Defying hot and humid weather, thousands of New Yorkers on Tuesday thronged the City’s Union Square Park where Pakistan’s living legend Abida Parveen and other noted artists enthralled them to Sufi devotional songs that brought them to their feet.

The crowd, which overflowed the park into the side streets, clapped, danced and swayed to lilting music and even joined the singers from Pakistan’s four provinces as they performed. Apart from Americans, music lovers from several Arab and African countries as well as Indians and Bangladeshis joined the gathering.

The concert marked the start of the three-day Pakistan Sufi Music Festival, which brings to New York a message of peace and healing less than three months after the failed Times Square bomb plot. Clouds blanketed the hot sun when Abida Parveen appeared on the stage, providing some comfort to the people from heat. She was given a standing ovation as people pressed closer to the stage to catch her glimpse.

After devotional recitations, she gradually built into a crescendo, with the numbers like “Lal Meri Pat rakhiyoun bhalla” and “Hey Jamalo”. Virtually every one in the crowd sang the finale with her. “This is the real face of Pakistan, not soundbites you see on your television,” an elated Pakistan UN Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon told the cheering crowd.

“We believe in peace, brotherhood and love. Individual acts of violence espoused by any minority cannot be allowed to define us all. “Pakistan is at peace with New York,” ambassador Haroon added. Although all artists performed creditably, Balochistan’s Akhtar Chanal Zehri caught special attention as his recitation resembled somewhat like that Western rap artist. He received huge response from the crowd.

People also voiced appreciation for the music of Soung Faqirs from Sindh’s shrine of the revered Sufi saint Sachal Sarmast. The entire three-hour proceedings passed off peacefully and in an orderly fashion. Every one seemed to be happy with the event and said it was highly successful.

Many Pakistanis said that the concert was a morale booster for them as they had come under great deal of pressure in the wake of the failed Time Square bombing. “We feel uplifted today as they community came together today,” said one.

Present in the crowd were Senator Aitzaz Ahsan and Javed Jabbar, a former senator and minister for Information and Broadcasting. The event was organised by a group called the Pakistani Peace Builders—an

initiative of New Yorkers, Pakistani-Americans, and Pakistanis. A special concert for diplomats from around the world and UN officials will take place at Roosevelt Hotel tonight.

It will be followed by two more shows will take place at Asia Society and Rubin Museum on July 22. Pakistani cultural philanthropists, Hameed Haroon, Hamid Akhund, Yousaf Salauddin, as well as the Mohatta Museum Trust played a key curatorial role on behalf of Pakistani Peace builders.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2010

 

[SparklingCrescent]

Nice, Very Nice. If I ever have a chance might go to New York and watch it, if it happens again.

Also, Id like to share something I read yesterday. A little off topic though:

LAHORE: Pop singer Atif Aslam has said he will work on a fusion project with some members of renowned American hard rock band Guns N’ Roses.

The singer announced this in a hurriedly called press conference at the Lahore Press Club on Tuesday.

Terming the project a milestone in his singing career, he said that he would have the opportunity to work with the band’s former lead guitarist Slash, Gliby Clarke and Chris Martin.

Guns N’ Roses was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. Led by lead vocalist Axl Rose, the band has so far released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album while going through numerous line-up changes and controversies since its formation.

Atif said by collaborating with Guns N’ Roses, he would try to bring closer the people of the USA and Pakistan.

He said he would also like to invite other prominent Pakistani singers and musicians, including those doing classical music, to join hands with him when it came to work with the western musicians. He said he had recorded a Punjabi track with some of the band members which was his own composition.

He said he had many acting offers from Bollywood but he did not accept these as he wanted to start his acting career from Pakistan. He said he acted in Shoaib Mansoor’s upcoming film ‘Boal’ (Speak up). Atif has wide audience in South Asia and has given several hit songs such as Aadat, Woh Lamhe, Tere Bin, Pehli Nazar Mein, Tera Hone Laga Hoon, Tu Jaane Na, Tere Liye, Meri Kahani and Jalpari.

 

[Pride]

I like Abida's voice very much.. She is simply amazing and when sings it looks like there is a direct connection between her and god..She is really a flag holder of Sufi music after Nusrat saheb...

Any link for this show?

 

[Peregrine]

I like Abida's voice very much.. She is simply amazing and when sings it looks like there is a direct connection between her and god..She is really a flag holder of Sufi music after Nusrat saheb...

Any link for this show?

if you like abida you might like Masooma as well, she has a unique voice of her own. here is a song of hers

 

[Pride]

if you like abida you might like Masooma as well, she has a unique voice of her own. here is a song of hers
YouTube - Masooma - Aa Meda Dhola

Thanks for sharing buddy... She is good too but Abida is Abida.. when her both hands and head sways with her songs one reach somewhere else spiritually...

According to me, her best songs are "Main Naara-e mastana" and "Chhap tilak"..

 

[Peregrine]

Thanks for sharing buddy... She is good too but Abida is Abida.. when her both hands and head sways with her songs one reach somewhere else spiritually...

According to me, her best songs are "Main Naara-e mastana" and "Chhap tilak"..

here you go Sufi Music Festival 2010, New York

 

[mr42O]

---------- Post added at 09:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:04 PM ----------

just awesome....

 

[Peregrine]

 

[Spring Onion]

Abida is simply out of this world but only when you start understanding the wajd and her singing

 

[Peregrine]

Zeb & Haniya at Sufi Music Festival,NY

in case some one is interested in a better version of this song with English subtitles

 

[Skies]

Please share more sufi song links.

 

[T-Faz]

Here is some Pakistani Music for people who like rock.

 

[Peregrine]

Please share more sufi song links.

this is one of the most famous sufi song in Pakistan, but the video below is just an awesome cover by Arieb Azhar, the original one was sung by Hamid ali bela, i hope you will like it.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

@ Peregrine
Thanks for your posts. i liked Masooma; her voice is very good. The only thing i found less of (IMHO) is that piercing quality where the singer's feelings go straight to the listener's heart. In that respect, Abida ji's singing does not spare the listener.

@ mr42O
Thanks for posting. "Mast Qalandar' is up there, among my all-time favorites.

On the topic of Sufiyana music; Abida Parveen is among the greats, along with the likes of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Sabri Brothers etal. There are others whom i admire as well, but lesser known in India viz. Manzoor Niazi, Munshi Raziuddin, Farid Ayaz. Great music from all of them. i am not so upto date about the younger generation. Though i don't understand a word of Farsi, the Qaul "Man Kunto Maula" takes me somewhere else, the 'how and why' of it i can't explain.
Ahh, music is universal, who needs a language.
Cheers.

 

[Skies]

this is one of the most famous sufi song in Pakistan, but the video below is just an awesome cover by Arieb Azhar, the original one was sung by Hamid ali bela, i hope you will like it.

I heard only these three sufi songs before by Abida Parveen

Nigah-e-Darwaishaan
Tu Ne Deewana Banaya
Yar ko ham ne ja-bja dekha -(Raqs-e-Bismil)