February 8, 2004

A tribute to the Melody Queen, Nur Jehan was presented by Mauseqaar recently. Niaz Ahmed, the famous composer who has recently been bestowed with the Pride of Performance award, started the proceedings as he spoke on the niche and nuances of Nur Jehan.

“It is all a gift from God,” quoted Sabra Ahmed, another speaker and one of the amateur singers that evening, as she read from a book written by Khalid Hassan, titled Melody Queen — A Tribute to Pakistan’s Superstar.

One of the most interesting and readable excerpts has Nur Jehan talking about her unmatched gift. “When I begin to sing, the voice which leaves my throat is not my voice. It is not my speaking voice. I do not know what happens. Something takes over...a spirit, the grace of God, something I can’t explain. I sing but it is not I who is singing. I feel I am not there, in a physical sense. It is a strange, otherworldly feeling.”

The musical programme began with Nur Jehan’s signature tune, Gae gee duniya geet meray sung in a chorus, led by Amin-e-Ajam and followed by a trio of ladies comprising Dr Saira Khan, Sabra Ahmed and Perveen Soomro.

True to the requirement of the occasion, the main segment of the musical evening was exclusively performed by the female singers who rekindled memories of the Melody Queen.

Dr Saira Khan began with ghazals sung by Nur Jehan such as Faraz’s Silsilay tor giya and Faiz’s Aankhain wabasta hain.

The mood of the moment shifted from ghazals to lighter melodies when Sabra Ahmed delivered Nur Jehan’s standard film songs like Chandni raatein. Her first item was a duet, originally sung by Nur Jehan and Surinder, Awaz day kahan hae. Amin-e-Ajam played Surinder’s part and evoked feelings of nostalgia among the listeners. Her last number, Damadam mast Qalander was the main attraction of the evening.

Raheel Tariq, a known singer in the amateur circles of Karachi, carried the show till the end. Her performance began with the rendering of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s famous poem Mujh say pehli see muhabbat mairay mehboob na mang. Raheel presented a blend of ghazals, Punjabi and Urdu songs. Thus, an evening of good music came to an end way past midnight.

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