ISLAMABAD: Various musicians on Friday urged the government to save folk and classical music and to support artists.

“We need the government’s support. Our music brings people together and promotes a soft image of the country,” said qawwal Imran Aziz during a press conference.

“The government should invest in the artists of the country in order to save the heritage of the region. Lack of state patronage has forced musicians to look for other jobs in order to make ends meet,” Mr Aziz said.

Pakistani qawwal band is participating in the SXSW festival this year

Artists who spoke at the conference said classical music was declining due to lack of support, especially from the state.

The media briefing was called by Islamabad’s Foundation for Arts, Culture and Education (Face) in collaboration with the American embassy. Face promotes indigenous music and encourages new musicians by initiatives such as their annual Music Mela.

The press conference was told that a band by the name of Qawalistan will be representing Pakistan at the South by South West (SXSW) Festival, which begins March 15 in the US, for the third time.

Imran Aziz, the son of famous qawwal Aziz Mian, is part of Qawalistan, the music by which is a mix of qawali and rock.

Mr Aziz said in a region which is facing violence and religious extremism, Qawalistan celebrates diversity and reflects on the true identity of people and cultures.

“Our music counters the narrative of violence and extremism and also offers a gritty and graceful peak into the mystical world of Pakistan’s luxuriant musical heritage. This is the message we are taking with us to the largest festival in the US,” he said.

The founder of Face, Zeejah Fazli who is also part of the band and is lead guitarist, said Pakistani musicians had stunned audiences at SXSW the last two years when they had performed Pakistani music, which he called the “world’s best kept secret”.

Face Project Director Mehnaz Parveen said many musicians associated with Face had performed at SXSW including Khumariyan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Saeen Tanveer from Punjab, Mai Dhai from Sindh, the Michael Hassan Band, Overload and Wahid Alan Faqir.

“Our objective is to showcase as many local artists to the outside world as possible. Unfortunately, due to lack of funding, Face will only take Imran Aziz’s band to the SXSW Festival this year,” she said.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2017