KARACHI: To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Pakistan-German friendship, the Goethe Institute in collaboration with the Consulate General of Germany in Karachi on Sunday evening organised a concert featuring eminent sitar player Ustad Ashraf Sharif Khan and German musicians Patrycjusz Baumann (keyboard) and Janosch Pangritz (drums) in the consulate’s verdant lawn.

Introducing to the audience the kind of music that the band had prepared for the event, Ustad Ashraf Sharif Khan said it’s going to be a combination of Pakistani folk tunes and German compositions. The first piece that they played was ‘Dance in Lahore’. It was a nice little number with a groovy baseline and a foot-tapping beat. The attendees — in the beginning at least — were a little shy to sway or move to the rhythm, though the track had ample in it to elicit that.

Next up was a composition called ‘July in Berlin’. Like its predecessor, it was a piece that primarily had to do with ambience enhanced by quality musicianship.

The artists switched gear to show their versatility with ‘The mood of the desert’. As the ustad mentioned, it had that desert feel to it, but what made the tune special was the long notes played on the sitar accompanied by a melody and beat pattern that indicated slowness in movement — signifying a touch of sadness. It was worth listening over and over again.

Then came the fusion version of the famous Mai Bhagi song ‘Khadi neem ke neechey’. It enabled the audience enter familiar territory.

Earlier, German Consul General in Karachi Holger Ziegeler, addressing the guests, said, “We’re living in the age of Covid. It probably will never end, but we have learned, hopefully, to deal with it. You are now the audience in the framework of 70 years of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Germany. We’re not only celebrating 70 years, we’re actually also celebrating (in two days’ time, Nov 9, Iqbal Day) 60 years of cultural relations between the two countries because 60 years ago the cultural treaty between Pakistan and Germany was signed.”

After his speech, Simone Lenz, Director of Goethe Institute, introduced the band to the audience.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2021