Tuesday, December 5, 2006
“Saanjh”, the multicultural festival featuring top artistes of India and Pakistan, has laid the path to create a seamless bonhomie among the divided group of folk and drama artistes of both countries.
The “Saanjh”, organised by the Springdale School fraternity here in Amritsar, concluded on Monday. It created some nostalgic moments. People enjoyed the Sufiana music, which have lost its original glory in the wake of the Partition.
Sain Zahoor of Haveli Lakhan in Pakistan, lending his rich voice to the kalams of Baba Farid, won hearts of the people with his wide repertoire of his ability to give finest performance. He finds his inspiration in the great Sufi tradition. He has carved out a special niche for himself and for his Sufi music.
Spreading the message of love with kalams of Baba Farid and songs of Meera Bai, while wearing ghoongru on the feet and carrying a tumba, Sain enthralled the audience on the second day of the show held at Spring Dale Senior School here late last night. Winner of the BBC Best Voice of the Year Award, Sain held the audience spellbound as he danced and sang “Ki Jaane Mein Kaun Bullya…”.
Seeking more such Sufiana kalams, the audience kept pestering him to render some of his earlier songs.
The co-organiser of the show from Pakistan, Rafi Theater, and its chief executive officer and theatre and TV personality, Usmaan Peerzada, said artistes could play a significant role in sustaining the thaw in the relations between the two nations. Expressing his satisfaction over the peace process initiated a few years ago, he felt that people contact through the exchange of cultural delegations would lend a more meaningful substance to the Indo-Pak relations.
He said both governments had realised the importance of cultural ties that both neighbours enjoy. The strong bridges being built across the Radcliff (border) would definitely bore fruit in future.
Advising artistes of both countries, Usmaan said, “Let’s build the atmosphere of love and not allow hatred ever to come near us”. Taking dig at some Bollywood films, which portray Pakistan in a different light, felt that producers in Mumbai film industry would take note of the present scenario and would not repeat the old folly.
He offered a sage suggestion to the present group of Punjabi artistes to revive the old composite culture, which had once lit the literary light in this region. Based on his proposition, his theatre group has once again extended a hand of friendship and collaboration with the Punjabi counterparts in India to re-establish the new-age theatre.
His father Rafi Peerzada had made a humble beginning four decades ago to bring back into focus the rich Punjabi theatre and revive its old glory.
Commenting on the show, Usmaan said the live show had managed to bring the peoples of the two countries closer and acted as a bridge between the long lost friends and brothers.
Such shows should be held regularly so that the artistes could showcase their talent and got connected to the generation next through rich culture and tradition of both countries.
Such shows should be held regularly so that the artistes could showcase their talent and got connected to the generation next through rich culture and tradition of both countries.
Mushaq Hussain and Innayat Hussain, who returned to their place of birth after 60 years, felt that as if they had discovered a treasure trove. Sentimental about their visit to their native village of Nangli, the Hussain brothers said the smell of soil of the village had brought back the memories of their childhood. Innayat said he was just five years old and his brother seven when had Partition forced them to leave their native place.
Narrating nostalgically the stories about his father Jalaldin and grandfather Haider Ali, who were famous artistes of the bygone era, Innayat Hussain said they used to tell a number of stories about their life in their native village.
During their visit to Nangli, both brothers were received with great affection by the villagers. Their father used to mention about his friend Nambardar Harbans Singh, they added.
The Hussain brothers, with their voice choked, vowed to return back to renew their connection with the village.
A 90-minute documentary “Laatoo”, directed by Faizaan Peerzada and Alix Phillippon, was also presented during the four-day Saanjh festival.
It presents dance as a celebration of life, not as a vulgar form. It chronicles the diversity of dance forms practised in Pakistan, with images of the techniques from kathak, bharatnatyam and Oddissi to the mujras. It has drawn a contrast between spiritual classical dance forms and vulgar fashion shows and dance parties.
It presents dance as a celebration of life, not as a vulgar form. It chronicles the diversity of dance forms practised in Pakistan, with images of the techniques from kathak, bharatnatyam and Oddissi to the mujras. It has drawn a contrast between spiritual classical dance forms and vulgar fashion shows and dance parties.
Another documentary film on Sufi music, “The mystic music of Islam”, screened at the festival has been produced by Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore [correction: Moore informs us that he did not produce this film. We suspect that it is a film by William Dalrymple]. It depicts the finest nuances of Sufism. The producer has explained traditions of Sufi music in Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, India and Morocco in the documentary.
Allahditta Lonaywala, a disciple of late Nusrat Fateh Ali, along with his son Nadim Abbas, visited India for the first time. Allahditta, who belonged to the Punjabi gharana, Taalwandi, spellbound the spectators with his dexterously woven melodies.
The surprise event of the evening had Saida Begam of the ‘Puranchoti’ of the Patiala gharana establish common linkage between folk and Sufi. The audience was treated to a beautiful fusion of the dhamal and dhol by the tabla maestro Waris Ballu from Lahore and the drummer of Spring Dale School’s in a jugalbandi.
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