LAHORE: The Lok Studio of Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (Pilac) is playing its due role in providing an opportunity to singers from villages and towns besides recording compositions by seasoned singers as well, Pilac Director General Dr Sughra Sadaf told Dawn.

She further said that on Sept 6, the studio is planning to release two national songs rendered by Anwar Rafi and Imran Shaukat.

Dr Sadaf said about 70 national songs, Sufi kalam,naatsand contemporary poetry had been recorded by the studio. Prominent names among the singers who have recorded these compositions included Arif Lohar, Tehseen Sakina, Anwar Rafi, Hina Nasrullah, Baba Group, Ali Abbas, Imran Shaukat Ali, Inayat Abid, Summan Sheikh, Rahat Bano Multanikar, Asif Mehdi, Ustad Tahir Iqbal, Abbas Jatt and many more.

She said Pilac had set up Lok Studio – the first of its kind in Punjab -- to offer an opportunity to upcoming folk singers, and a panel of musicians and singers auditioned the artistes interested in recording their songs. “We are concentrating on villages and towns to tap new singing talent. It is a big thing if one’s song is released,” Dr Sadaf added. “We set up this visual recording studio on our own equipped with the latest technology.”

When asked how Pilacis reaching out to prospective singers in villages, towns and far-off districts, its chief said they were using all possible sources to project the studio such as advertisements, social media, displaying banners, regional cultural organisations and educational institutions.

Pilac also plans to record folk music and televise the recorded songs on public and private TV channels through either collaborations or selling the recordings. The modalities in this regard were being finalised by a team of musicians and technical staff, she added.

To a question, Dr Sadaf said Pilac also planned to set up a modern cinema on its premises but the project was on hold owing to certain technicalities as well as the pandemic. She said the prime objective of the cinema was to promote old and new Punjabi films. The institute would offer subsidies to new Punjabi movies for screening at the cinema, she added.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2021