February 23, 2007	Friday	Safar 5, 1428

KARACHI, Feb 22: Despite various acts of terror marring the national landscape, Karachiites came out in large numbers to attend an evening of jazz music at the city’s Arts Council Auditorium. And the full house did not leave disappointed as a quartet of three European musicians and one local played over an hour’s worth of splendid tunes.

Featuring German bassist Dieter Ilg, French-Vietnamese guitarist Nyugen Le, British drummer Steve Arguelles and Pakistan tabla-nawaz Irfan Hyder, the quartet performed under the aegis of the ‘Dialogue Through Music’ series of concerts, initiated in 2005. The musicians played a total of eight numbers, mostly either composed or arranged by members of the group.

Arguelles and Nyugen have been playing together for the past 15 years, and it showed as the quartet interweaved between mellow, moodier pieces and more up-tempo jams with the greatest of ease. The players were clearly into the groove, as their animated performance drew various rounds of applause from the crowd, who would praise the musicians’ dexterity at the drop of a hat. But unfortunately, the musicians weren’t the only ones contributing to the melodic atmosphere of the night, as the evening was punctuated by regular bursts of cell-phone ring tones.

Overall, it was a real treat for all present, especially music buffs, and one hopes these kinds of performances increase to add to the once vibrant cultural life of this city. The musicians were presented traditional ajraks at the conclusion of their set.

The performance was organized by the British Council, Alliance Francaise and Goethe-Institut in association with Sampurna. The musicians will also perform in Lahore on February 23, and in Islamabad on February 24.—QAM

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