August 25, 2002

Tunisia recently hosted the Carthage and Hammamet International Music Festivals 2002. Pakistan was represented by the Fariduddin Ayaz Qawwal group led by Munshi Raziuddin who though being in his 80s’, continues to mesmerize listeners with his performances. The receiver of Pakistan’s Pride of Performance Award, he has through the years cut down on his qawwalis allowing his sons to come to the forefront. The group dominated the festivals with electrifying performances drawing accolades from a wide cross-section of Tunisians.

Tunisian television and radio telecast and broadcast the group’s three-hour long performance at Carthage International Music Festival live, enabling them to reach out to virtually every home in Tunisia.

 

‘The wind blowing on Hammamet amphitheatre has taken away Fareed Ayaz’s voice to the sky. It comes back as a supernatural echo,’ gushed a newspaper
 

Leading Tunisian newspapers extensively covered the event, with one newspaper, Le Renouveau going so far as to saying:

“The wind blowing on Hammamet amphitheatre has taken away Fareed Ayaz’s voice to the sky. It comes back as a supernatural and imperceptible echo.”

Dressed in a sherwani and with a kindly image and white beard dyed in henna, this grandfather seemed to captivate the public with his spiritual evocations in a voice that was soft and soothing. What won the hearts of the listeners was the interpretation of the verses of the Arab poet, Kaab Ibn Zouhair, which Raziuddin translated into Urdu as well. The group also sang Iqbal’s verses which the audience seemed to enjoy although it was not in their language.

The Foreign Minister and Minister of Culture of Tunisia along with a host of senior Tunisian officials attended the performance, alongwith the Pakistan Embassy.

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