KARACHI: In the words of Indian filmmaker and poet Gulzar, Abida Parveen has immersed herself in Sufi music in such a way that she herself has become a Sufi. This is true. But it would also not be incorrect to suggest that when she sings, her entire being turns into a beautiful song — lilting, lyrical, spiritual.

This was the kind of experience that music lovers had on Friday evening at the Mohatta Palace Museum when Abida crooned her heart out with one delightful composition after another at a concert organised by the Endowment Fund Trust (EFT) for Preservation of the Heritage of Sindh.

The internationally renowned vocalist appeared on stage with the kind of humility that has become synonymous with her personality. She said she would begin her stint on stage with a ‘Qol’, the famous ‘Mann kunto Maula’. It was the right choice of kalaam because it suffused the atmosphere of the Mohatta Palace lawns, which filled up in the blink of an eye, with soulfulness that’s the hallmark of Abida’s artistic oeuvre.

She followed the Qol up with a tune that’s easier to sing along: ‘Yaar ko hum ne ja baja dekha’. Suddenly her voice had that ‘khanak’ which is required to gel with the playfulness of the particular beat of the composition. The Sufi singer’s understanding of Urdu poetry could be gauged from the fact that her use of consonants, for example in the word surat, and vowels was spot-on.

This was further validated when she presented, complying with some people’s request, Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s ghazal ‘Nahin nigah mein manzil to justuju hi sahi’. She sang the celebrated verses with great facility. The composition has lingering notes, especially while presenting the rhyming words, which enhance the wistful aspect of Faiz’s poetry. Abida elevated the tune through her heartfelt rendition. She should sing it more often.

And how could she not have sung Bulleh Shah’s ‘Terey ishq nachaya ker ke thayya thayya’? The moment the rhythm of the composition became prominent, the young ones in the arena started to clap and sing along. Abida herself clapped in between verses which uplifted the mood of the gig.

Earlier, EFT chairman Jahangir Siddiqui addressed the gathering and informed them on the works undertaken by the EFT. CEO of the Dawn Group of Newspapers and Managing Trustee of the Mohatta Palace Museum Hameed Haroon spoke on the different projects that the museum had done and its future programmes.

Hamid Akhund conducted the event.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who was expected to attend the programme, could not make it to the event as he reportedly fell ill.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2016