KARACHI: From an unusually haunting beat of the dhol to a thumri attributed to the ruler of Oudh, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, music lovers were treated to a delightful range of instrumentals and familiar compositions on the opening day of the 6th Tehzeeb Festival at the Beach Luxury Hotel on Saturday evening.

They say well begun is half done. The event kicked off with the young sitar player Shahroz Husain’s heartwarming presentation of raga hansdhun. He was accompanied on stage by his brother Sajjad Husain (sitar) and Ustad Bashir Khan (tabla). The young man played with a great deal of gusto, and to elucidate the tune also sang the bandish in the same raga so that the audience could get a clearer understanding of the composition. Shahroz, the son of the known sitar player Sajid Husain, has improved considerably in the last couple of years.

One thought the follow-up act of Nusrat Ali, where he tried to mimic famous Urdu poets, could have been done without. But things took a dramatic and exciting turn with the arrival of the dhol player Abid Husain. As introduced by a gentleman named Ali Adnan, Abid Husain has achieved a remarkable feat of turning the folk double-sided drum into a classical instrument. The piece that he played was extraordinary. He turned the commonplace nature of the dhol into something for which a certain ‘taste’ needs to be cultivated. It was not all about the thumping beat, but also about the flourish of the roll and keeping true to the beat cycle with a consuming passion.

Then came Aliya Rasheed with her dhurpad style of singing. She was asked to do raga yaman and a bhajan. She is a hard-working artist. She took some time before getting into the groove. Once she did that, her performance was well received.

But it was Ustad Shahid Hamid who brought the concert back into the pure classical domain. His rendition of a khayal in raga brindabani was an auditory treat. The ustad never disappoints. His control over the sur and the way he hits the notes, both ascending and descending, particularly the latter, is quite special. His understanding of the art of classical music and his love of it brings both his heart and mind into play, which makes all the difference. The other item that Ustad Hamid presented was a bhairvi thumri which he said was composed by Wajid Ali Shah when he was exiled to Calcutta. It was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience.

The ustad was followed by Akmal Qadri, who performed raga bihag on the flute. It was an engaging effort.

Ustad Fateh Ali Khan painted a picture of the Gwaliar style of singing by presenting raga malkauns. The tarana was quite good.

The last item on the programme’s list was pop band Fuzon’s tribute to the legends of Pakistani music.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2014