Lahore Nama

Artists from Afghanistan, Syria, Iran and Egypt performed on the final night of International Mystical Music Sufi Festival at Peeru’s Café on Sunday. The performances were not scheduled but were still conducted. The Dalahoo Sufi Ensemble, the Iranian group, stole the show with Jalaluddin Rumi’s poetry. It was the second from last group to perform at the event.

The group was founded by Masoud Habibi, one of the leading duff (an Iranian percussion instrument) players in the region. Habibi’s has recorded over 300 albums. The group has performed in the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, North America and Europe. Sultan Mehmood, one of the spectators, said that there was no match to Rumi’s poetry. “The performance by these artists fits to the soul of mystic music,” he said. Rizwan and Muazzam Khan, the nephews of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, along with a group of singers, harmonium (small bellow-blown reed organ) and tabla (hand-held drum) players, were the last ones to perform. They sang some of the most popular songs by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, which included Allah Hoo, Mast Qalander, Mera Piya Ghar Aaya and Tumhain Dillagi Bhool Jani Paregi.

A number of students showed up on the last day of the festival. Most of the people preferred sitting on the ground with pillows, instead of on chairs. The audiences also appreciated performances by the Niazi Brothers and Saien Muhammad Ali.

Tasneem Peerzada of the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop told Daily Times that the festival had been successful in Lahore, just like it was in other cities. She said that the main festival would conclude on April 30 at the Beach View Garden in Karachi.

Text courtesy Daily Times -picture by saad sarfaraz