“The World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) recognises the power of the creative and cultural sectors and the role it plays in bringing people together. It is also a recognition of my music which is grounded in both the East and the West,” says Asif Sinan, who has just returned after his second stint at the global summit.

Dubai played host to 2,000 of the who’s who of the Islamic world including kings, presidents, premiers, bankers and entrepreneurs, and Sinan was one of the 15 global artists chosen to represent the arts.

“It was a privilege to be in the company of international filmmakers, fine artists, photographers and musicians from Latvia, Poland, UK, USA, Australia, Botswana, Jordan, Spain, Egypt and Malaysia. It is such an honour to be recognised for your music and guitar skills.

"Even though the press abroad describes me as a world musician, my primary identity remains Pakistan. When I am able to break barriers through my music, I always talk about Pakistan and our beautiful multicultural heritage.

“For me, music is all about beauty and harmony and I draw hugely from my Jazz, Blues and Eastern Classical influences to create magic.

"A music management industry bigwig came up to me after my performance and told me she was most excited to hear my music which she could not ‘compartmentalise in any genre’, and yet was happy to hear it because to her it was ‘like seeing a canvas being painted into a beautiful work of art’.

“Most people asked me if I play the sitar or whether the guitar I played had been altered to sound like a sitar. Others asked how I can perform Eastern classical music with such dexterity on a ‘western instrument’.

"It was fun to respond to such questions because all I do is play from the heart.”

Steeped in the traditions of Indian classical music yet trained in Jazz, Asif Sinan is all about bringing you the best of both worlds

While watching some clips from the event, Asif could be seen performing with an accordionist from Egypt, a folk artist from Madagascar and a Jazz singer from the UK. So what is it like to collaborate with other musicians and in such a short span of time?

“Music is a formal subject and just like any other subject, one needs to formally study it. I have no respect for people who enter it as a ‘hobby’ or ‘part-time fun’. I have worked hard to learn the language and nuances of music so it becomes very easy and almost seamless to ‘talk’ to other musicians and to create music within minutes,” he says.

“Art is reflective of the kind of society you wish to make. Good music engages people positively and makes them happy and involved. Good music also spiritually uplifts you and connects to the nature and cosmos. It blesses you with sensitivity and gives you the ability to appreciate different perspectives, and contributes to the development of a more tolerant society.

"I think the more negativity you are surrounded with the more important it becomes to spread positivity. Appearing on a talk show for three hours at a stretch can’t move hearts the way a three-minute music performance can.”

About the overall vibe at the global summit, Asif says, “It was very pluralistic and appreciative … just like ideal Islamic societies are meant to be! You meet wonderful people who are projecting Islam so positively in non-Muslim countries.

"It was an honour to meet people like Peter (Abdul Azeem) Sanders and Peter (Yasin) Gould, Ruh ul Alam, Hala Banani and Hassaan Mahamadallie who are continuously doing innovative and ground-breaking work by transcending boundaries. And what makes them a success is the purity of heart.”

Asif Sinan’s future projects include a string of multicultural performances starting in January followed by corporate shows as well as invitations from music festivals in Mexico and Europe. He also hopes to find time to record an EP or video in between.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, December 14th, 2014