LAHORE: A two-day ghazal festival featuring both amateur and seasoned artistes concluded at Alhamra Arts Centre, The Mall, on Friday.

The festival was organised by the Lahore Arts Council and attended by hundreds of poetry and ghazal lovers. The event was a tribute to ghazal maestro Mehdi Hasan.

The stage was adorned with rose petals and illuminated with multi-coloured lights. The sound system and the orchestra jelled well and the melodies performed by the singers were complemented by musicians on the orchestra.

On the concluding day of the festival, Lahore Arts Council Executive Director retired Capt Ata Muhammad Khan announced that the ghazal festival would be a regular feature in Alhamra’s cultural calendar. He said this year was the ninth festival organised by the council, adding the festival aimed at promoting this particular genre of music.

The night was enjoyed by poetry and music fanciers. Singers Hamid Ali Khan, Sara Raza Khan, Ijaz Qaiser, Abdul Rauf and Saima Jahan enthralled a large audience by rendering ghazals mostly sung by the legendary Mehdi Hasan.

The evening was opened by Sara Raza Khan, the young and popular singer from Lahore. She sang Abida Parveen’s ‘Yar ko Ja Baja Dekha’ and was given a round of applause by the audience.

Abdul Rauf chose to sing two ghazals sung by Mehdi Hassan: ‘Ku ba ku phail gayi baat shanasai ki’ and ‘Mein hosh mein tha’.

Ijaz Qaiser left many tapping their heals to the famous ghazal ‘Ankh barsi hai teray naam pay sawan ki tarah’. Saima Jahan sang ‘Zindagi mein to sabhi piar kiya kartay hain’. The festival was going on in full swing till the filing of this report.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2015

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