ISLAMABAD: Laal Band and the Bakshi brothers put on a performance in tribute to sufi singer and qawwal Amjad Sabri on Thursday at the Lok Virsa.

The audience sang along with the performers and vowed to promote the music of love, peace and tolerance associated with the late singer.

Lok Virsa Executive Director Fouzia Saeed also paid tribute to Amjad Sabri, saying: “He was an icon and promoted and expanded the shrinking progressive and creative space. To gun him down is an attempt to eliminate that space, which we are here to help save.”

She said the younger generation will carry the slain singer’s message and that Lok Virsa will continue to “preach music, peace and love”.

Author and anchor Hammad Masood, who was also attending the show, said: “Mr Sabri was killed only because he spread happiness. There used to be a time was music was considered haram and musicians sinners. But that time is no more and we are not in minority; we are the majority. We will keep on preaching harmony and brotherhood.”

The Sabri brothers had introduced qawwali abroad, he said.

Also attending was singer Arieb Azhar who said: “Sabri’s music was about brotherhood and integrity and it is our duty now to promote this message.’

Taimoor Rahman of the Laal Band vowed to keep Sabri’s music alive and to promote it.

“The best way to pay tribute to Sabri is to listen to his music and promote it,” he said.

The audience then sang along to a message he sang which said: “You do your worst, we will do our best. We will see what happens.”

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2016