LAHORE: The two-day 15th Mystic Music Sufi Festival will kick off at Alhamra Cultural Complex, Qadhafi Stadium, on Saturday (today).

It was announced by Usman Peerzada from the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop at a press conference held at Alhamra Cultural Complex on Friday.

Usman was flanked by Tasneem Peerzada and Saadaan Peerzada.

He said the festival would bring together 26 singers from all over Pakistan, and there would be some 400 performers, including musicians, who would delight people through their art. He said Sufiana Kalam promoted tolerance and over the years one could see that youth was more into performing and listening to the mystic music. Through this festival, the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop would celebrate Sufi theme and diversity of Pakistani artistes.

Referring to World Performing Arts festival that could not take place after 2008, Mr Peerzada said they had requested the chief minister to provide them with financial assistance so that a festival of such a big scale could be held in Lahore. He said the CM was positive about the festival and the theatre workshop had two meetings with him in this regard. He hoped that if government would provide financial assistance the World Performing Arts Festival would take place in November.

Saadaan Peerzada said: “Sufi music is a strong part of Rafi Peer’s image and we believe that Sufi music is an effective tool to bring about a revolutionary change in society”.

The artistes who would perform on the first night of the festival (today) are Rizwan Mozzam, Ali Sethi, Akhtar Chinar Zehri, Zarsanga, Shah Jo Raag Fakirs, Niazi Brothers, Nighat Chaodhry, Krishan Lal Bheel, Chaand-Soorj, Gonga Mithoo Saien, Mian Miri Qawal and Bushra Marvi.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2017