ISLAMABAD, Nov 7: Chitrali folk singers and artisans are stealing the show at the ongoing Lok Mela in company of a troupe representing the much vaunted Kalash tribe.

The Chitral pavilion at the Lok Virsa fanfare remains bustling till late in the night with culture connoisseurs and people hailing from Chitral and the Northern Areas taking keen interest in the performance of the hitherto unexposed artists.

For the first time, many of the 21-member team of folk singers and artisans have come from far-flung villages of the valley.

The Chitrali artists at the mela comprise folk singers, dancers and reed musical instrument players.

Chitrali folk songs are rooted in ancient civilisations. These folk songs not only tell the tales of bravery, victory, love and provide entertainment but have also played the active and everlasting role of mass media when the rugged valley had none of the sources of mass communication. As such, the Chitrali folk songs are replete with narratives of local rulers’ victory and defeat, political shenanigans and other historical events.

The folk singers’ group led by Hazratuddin Wafa presents Chitral’s centuries-old classical songs including Yorman Hamin, Ashur Jan, Yarkhuno Hakim, etc., while nine Kalash artists including four women have also become focus of public attention.

Artisans at work - Farman Panah of Bang village in Yarkhun valley is a master at making Chitrali Sitar, and traditional Chitrali carpet weaver Mohammad Khan - have specially been invited to the event this year. Mr Panah says he has been in the time-consuming art for the last over a decade. Despite invasion of foreign culture, he says the popularity and sale of his centuries-old Central Asian-origin musical instrument has increased manifold.

The reed instrument players headed by Hamid Khan of the scenic Sonoghor village presents the music usually performed during wedding celebrations. This music is also famous for its separate rhythms for victory and defeat in a war — as well as in a polo match.

Spokesman for the Chitral Association for Mountain Area Tourism (CAMAT), which has helped the Lok Virsa arrange the visit of the artists to the Mela, said his organisation was making efforts to introduce the unrewarded local artists at the national level.

With the ‘era of romanticism’ for the Chitrali artists long gone, there is a need to inject some economic dimensions into their profession.