KARACHI: Last year, on Jan 29, music lovers — especially musicians — were shocked to know that the master guitar player Afaq Adnan had died of cancer. He was one of the most respected and loved instrumentalists of the country who had played alongside many renowned singers and bands, and mentored a big number of youngsters.

His influences included the likes of virtuoso guitarist Steve Vai and psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd. He was also associated with the Arts Council of Pakistan as head of its music academy. In this context, it was thoughtful of the council to hold a memorial jam for Adnan on Wednesday evening.

The show was arranged in the Jaun Elia lawn. The stage had a screen, flanked by a large picture of the distinguished guitar player, where images of the musicians who played live were projected.

The gig kicked off with a bunch of students of the academy playing some rock riffs. Then came youngsters Kazim on violin and Zaryun on guitar. Their short stint on stage was meaningful, in the sense that the two, still learning the ropes, presented their talent with a fair degree of artistic flair. It was acknowledged by the discerning members of the audience with a good round of applause.

Jam Boyz were next. They sang quite a few tracks, both Indian and Pakistani which ranged from Bollywood numbers such as Kal ho na ho and Kal rahein na rahein to Bolo bolo (by originally by Sajjad Ali).

The group was followed by the ACMA band led by Arman Rahim. Adnan, the founding member of ACMA, had composed N.M. Rashid’s poem Zindagi se darte ho (made popular by the late Zia Mohyeddin by virtue of his brilliant recitation). They sang the composition and earned decent praise for it.

Ahsan Bari, who is now with the council’s music department, sang a couple of Arsh band’s songs. Adnan was part of that group.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2025