KARACHI: The annual All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC) Festival will be held on March 6 and 7 on the premises of the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa). This was announced by director of the APMC Ayla Raza at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Saturday evening.

Ms Raza said the conference had been organising the event since 2004 and appreciated the support it had received from the media. She said for the APMC promoting music was not about entertainment, it was to do with the fact that society needed such activities.

“We need to support our artists because they work hard to master their craft. If we stop supporting them, it will cause them harm.”

Informing journalists about different parts of the country from where musicians would be landing to take part in the conference, Ms Raza said this time round talented individuals from Lahore to Kamalia to different cities of Sindh would be seen performing. Apart from highlighting established names, such as Ustad Naseeruddin Saami, who was present at the press conference, the APMC aimed to project the younger generation of musicians, she added.

Responding to a question about folk music and artists, Ms Raza said this year’s event would feature Akbar Khamisu Khan, a son of the legendary alghoza player Khamisu Khan. Akbar Khamisu would play a raga on the instrument. Then Jaffer Hussain, who belongs to a brass band, would also be performing something based on a classical raga. She added that in the time to come the conference intended to do an event solely on folk music. Addressing the office-bearers of the press club, she said the APMC would gladly support them if they arranged a musical show at the club.

The following artists will be seen in the two day-day event: Waqas Hussain, Punjab Brass Band, Ustad Fateh Ali Kamalvi, Abid-Sajid Hussain, Ustad Shafqat Salamat Ali, Ustad Naseeruddin Saami, Gul Mohammed, Urooj Saami, Turab Ali, Mohammad Ali, Akbar Khamisu, Humaira Channa and Ustad Fateh Ali.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2015

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