LAHORE: The two-day (Feb 1 and 2) Lahore Music Meet festival concluded on Sunday at Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall.

Prominent artists such as Hadiqa Kiani, Zeeshan Parwez, Haniya Aslam, Mekaal Hasan, Ahmer Naqvi, Rafay Mahmood, and Fasi Zaka were among others, who featured in the two-day festival.

The fifth edition of Lahore Music Meet at Alhamra Art Centre was attended by 8,000 music lovers from across Pakistan.

The two-day event was open to the general public and it was a non-ticketed event. There was a curated line-up of new artists and fresh sounds which encapsulated various musical spectrums of Pakistan along with interactive talks, panel discussions, masterclasses, story-telling sessions, and documentary/film screenings.

The LMM5 featured mind-expanding ‘Masterclasses’ by Haniya Aslam, Zeeshan Parwez and Proper Gaanda; Panel Discussions’ featured Azeem Hamid, Mekaal Hasan, Mehreen Rana, Talha Humayun, Sehyr Mirza, Talha Ali Kushvaha, Dr. Fozia Saeed, Shoaib Iqbal, Fouzia-Younis Suleman and Sophiya Anjam.

‘ In Conversation’ sessions were held with LMM founders Natasha Noorani and Zahra Paracha, and Chairman IPO Mujeeb Ahmed Khan.

There were story-telling sessions ‘Daastangoi’ featured, Zeeshan Parwez and Fasi Zaka, Hadiqa Kiani, Faris Shafi and Ahmer Naqvi, Tarannum Naaz and Zulfi. There was a music ‘Presentation’ by Rafay Mahmood, ‘Screenings’ of Indus Blues by Javed Sharif and Zeejah Fazli, Shehr-e-Tabassum by Shehri Pakistan, and the ‘Story Share Initiative’ by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan, ‘Khayal Gayaki’ - a performance by Sur Mandal and Tehzeeb Foundationa, and there were special sessions featuring ‘Daastangoi’ with Auj and Aarish, and an ‘Album Launch’ Bayaan’s ‘SUNO’.

The LMM5 featured live music performances by Punjabi folk legend Naseebo Lal, progressive folk-rock band, Saakin, electro-pop producer Talal Qureshi and Punjabi RnB star Shamoon Ismail as a part of the indoor showcase.

The outdoor showcase presented Hassan Sheikh and Roshaan Sherwani, Farheen Raza, Towers, Madlock, Mehdi Maloof, Haniya Aslam, Natasha Humera Ejaz, Adil Omar, Karakoram, Mahak Qayyum, Iqbal, Ifra, Gentle Robot, Maanu, Fake Shamans and Mekaal Hasan Band.

The outdoor showcase also featured Pepsi Battle of the Bands Season 4 winner Auj and finalist Aarish. For its fifth iteration, the Lahore Music Meet received over 300 applications from across the country for the live performance sessions which were then crafted into a carefully curated list by co-founders Natasha Noorani and Zahra Paracha representing an interesting blend of pop, rock, folk, RnB, electronic and rap music from around the country.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2020