ISLAMABAD: Ali Baloch and Ghayas Haider were declared joint winners of ‘Sarangi Season 5’out of fivefinalistsat a star-studded ceremony on Friday.

The grand finale was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, business community and members of civil society, who gathered to listen to musical performances of the finalists.

Announcing the winner, First Lady Samina Alvi with Shehzad Roy, Sarmad Ghafoor and Aziz Boolani announced the results. The judges had declared the contest a tie between Ali Baloch and Ghayas Haider.

The nationwide music talent hunt was first held in 2017, beginning each year with a call for submissions through various social media channels. This year, five talented contestants, hailing from diverse backgrounds and different parts of the country, were shortlisted for the grand finale. The jury for season five comprised of renowned figures of the music industry Shehzad Roy and Sarmad Ghafoor.

Ghayas Haider from Lahore sangRaag Puriya Dhanashree Mishr. Ayesha Afzal hailing from Pakpattan performed Chuk Charkha by Tufail Niazi, Adden Sohail from Faisalabad presented Sun Charka Di by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan while Ali Baloch from Islamabad gave his rendition of Ranjish he Sahi. Fida Mughal from Neelum Valley, Azad Kashmir, sang Janam Fida-i-Haidri.

Ms Afzal said: “It did not feel as if I was meeting these musicians for the first time; everyone was cooperative and helpful, even today during the rehearsals.”

While the performances were assessed by the judges, last year’s winner, Ayesha Rasheed from Lahore, entertained the audience with her rendition of Lambi Judai.

“It was my dream to win the Serena Sarangi competition because I had been seeing that people could and did win. I am such a fan of this initiative because they truly support talent the way talent has a right to be supported. This was my dream! I had won other competitions before this but this was different. I sent the entry in very hesitantly and then one day, I got a call from Asif Ali Santoo who said that you have been selected for Season 4. After this win at Serena, I got many more platforms,” Ms Rasheed said.

Speaking on the occasion, Shehzad Roy said: “I am blown away by the quality of submissions received from all over Pakistan. It was a tough challenge for us judges to shortlist only five people from the 50 shortlisted submissions, but we tried to do justice.”

Mr Boolani, chief executive officer, Serena Hotels South and Central Asia, said: “Serena has promoted the arts and intercultural activities to inspire a culture of peace and hope and we truly believe in giving recognition and a platform to the emerging artists that need recognition. We have used our social media to introduce these competitions and have received tremendous response from all over Pakistan. Tonight, we not only celebrate the winners but also the incredible creative talent that Pakistan possesses”.

The Sarangi initiative is a type of cultural diplomacy that aims to promote the arts and culture of Pakistan. Since its inception, the initiative has given aspiring musical talent a platform to launch their careers and realise their dreams.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2021