KARACHI: Techno beats and soft, melodious notes filled the air of the Arts Council’s auditorium on Friday evening when the Alliance Francaise de Karachi organised a music festival called Fete de la Musique 2026.

The festival is an annual event that originated in France. Its objective is to bring together musical talent from different parts of the world.

An open mic session kicked off proceedings, which nicely set the tone for the rest of the show. Young vocalist Areeb Ali impressed everyone with his demeanour. He sang, in a not-so-fussy way, both cover tunes (such as Intiha ho gai) and an original.

Things went up a notch or two in terms of intensity when a young four-piece band, Aakhri Cigarette, appeared on stage. They were full of energy and verve, an essential component of rock music. They, too, did covers and an original track. Their original piece ‘Unnatural’ had nice riffs and the vocals had the kind of oomph needed for the composition. They’re a talented bunch.

The main act of the concert began with Saffron Sweaters, the duo comprising Maaz Muhammad and Saad Akbar. One was listening to them for the first time, and it has to be said that they should be commended wholeheartedly. Despite the fact that the audience seemed to like conventional tunes with foot-tapping beats, the pair was able to attract their attention with their ambient music. One couldn’t properly hear the titles of the initial two tracks because the announcement by the band was a trifle inaudible. It didn’t matter, though, because the moment they started playing a synthesised tune that had a touch of psychedelia, one was transported to a realm where music and dreams merged. In between their performance, they were joined by a girl vocalist, who also did a nice job.

Alliance Francaise holds music festival

The duo was followed by the French electro-pop artists Clement Visage. He thanked the organisers for holding the event and told the attendees that he’s been to the venue before. He had his guitar and the electronic sound arranging system on his right side which he kept using throughout his stay on stage. His first piece had a lot going on, with a slow, gentle beginning to the strumming of the guitar in the mid part, and a ballad-like feel overall. It was done in a highly professional style. His second track had a strong bass pattern and appeared to be a song of longing. It was impressive.

The final performance of the evening came from DJ SQLN and it was well received as well.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2026