PESHAWAR, Aug 7: The concert by Afaq Ali proved blessing for the select gathering at a local five star hotel here as the China-born singer sang Urdu ghazals and received standing ovation from the audience.

Organised by the Radio China Listeners’ Club, NWFP, to celebrate the 36th anniversary of the Urdu service from China Radio International, the event drew a mixed but elite audience including ministers, journalists and other people.

The heart-warming night was enjoyable because Afaq Ali, the Urdu version of his Chinese name Liang Hao, sang some famous Urdu numbers showing his craftsmanship abundantly. Afaq has also given spellbinding performances at Lok Virsa and Huner Kada, Islamabad, and become a recognised name among the music lovers of the Capital city.

Working as a professional newsman with Xinhua News Agency in Islamabad since December 1999, Afaq has been enjoying learning classical and semi-classical music under the patronage of noted musician Saeed Malik. Only 29-year-old, the smart-looking pencil-thin Chinese vocalist has done his graduation in Urdu literature from Beijing University in 1997.

At the start of his maiden concert in Peshawar, he seemed impressed with Faiz’s ghazal, Mujh se pehli si muhabat mere mehboob na mang, which set the ball rolling.

It was almost astonishing to see a youthful guy with Chinese complexion singing Urdu music so perfectly.  

He said he loved to sing new stuff but some of the Urdu numbers were so good that he wanted to render them more often.

Though amateur still, he was looking a master of the art being engrossed in his frolic performance that reminded one of the seasoned crooners who made rhythmic gesticulations during performance which enhanced their stature.

New songs, according to Afaq, were difficult to compose, but they found receptive ears than the old ones.

Singing Nasir Kazmi’s ghazal, Dil mein ek lehr si uthi hai abhi, was pick of the stirring concert. Nevertheless, he said it was difficult to copy Ghulam Ali, but still Afaq sang it an artful manner.

The air-conditioned hall of the hotel was packed with the Chinese and Pakistani audience, who were clapping profusely at the end of every item. The melodious and lilting musical notes emanating from the ornate stage were enough to send the audience dreaming.

At the end of the day, it happened to be only an 8-ghazal concert because the president of the Radio China Listeners’ Club Ali Nawaz Gilani, announced the end of the illustrious concert after the eighth number, leaving audience high and dry. Afaq also played harmonium but never lost concentration on singing.