KARACHI: It was a doubly delightful evening on Friday. On the one hand, lovers of music were eagerly looking forward to listening to the new and seasoned practitioners of classical music on the first day of the 15th All Pakistan Music Conference (and they were royally entertained by the musicians). On the other hand, the weather turned beautifully pleasant leaving behind the memories of a biting sun in the afternoon. The nip in the air made the sprawling foreground of the majestic Frere Hall building look like a scene from a romantic film shot in East Europe.

This was the reason that no one minded the 40-minute late beginning of the programme. Ustad Salamat Husain (bansuri) and Mumtaz Sabzal (banjo), accompanied by the brilliant tabla player Irfan, appeared on stage and played two lovely compositions. The first one, as the Ustad told this writer, was in raga Aiman and the second was an instrumental of the popular folk song ‘Khadi neem ke neechey’.

Ayesha Ali from Lahore was the second performer. She said she was going to sing a thumri in raga Bihagda and then a tappa in Khamaj. Now here’s the thing: it is clear that the artist has a consuming passion for classical music. She loves it from the bottom of her heart. But in order to become a consummate singer, she needs to work harder, especially on the simpler, straighter notes. She has a nice voice, fit for crooning out classical compositions. A little bit of hard work, and she can be a force to reckon with.

Fifteenth edition of All Pakistan Music Conference under way

The artist who came on stage next elevated the concert to another level. He was the young Ahmed Raza. His rendition of raga Malkauns was splendid. His improvisations (harkatein, murkian, taanein, etc) were so effortless that it made even those who are not overly fond of classical music take note of the vocalist. He was completely immersed in his performance and the effort proved infectious. To boot, his first act lasted for a longish period and yet never for a moment he showed any sign of creative fatigue. In fact, his second, shorter, performance was equally top-notch.

Next up was another young man, sitar player Turab Ali. He played raga Marubihag. Turab’s most noteworthy feature is the composure with which he performs. He doesn’t seem to be one of those artists who go overboard with their gestures on stage. And that’s a good thing.

The last performer of the evening on the list was Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2018