Dancers, musicians enthral audiences at opening of World Culture Festival in Karachi

A riot of colour and a host of delightful moving images welcomed a good number of art lovers to the opening ceremony of the World Culture Festival organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi on Thursday evening.

There was a delectable variety of performances on display beginning with the local talent of Ustad Sabzal (banjo) and Farhan Raees Khan (sitar). They played two tunes, the first of which was a folk number. The jubilance of Khan and the extraordinary skill of Ustad Sabzal lent a distinct flavour to the composition. They followed it up with a truncated version of ‘Laal Meri Pat’, which was thoroughly enjoyed by the audience.

The international representation in the event started with music from Azerbaijan when Sahib Pashazade and Kamran Kerimov appeared on stage. Sahib was holding a lute in a unique way while Karman was holding a drum. The moment Sahib hit the first note, it was evident that someone who has command at what he does was ready to impress the attendees. That he did. He played with the kind of frenzy that one associates with a romantic poet. When the drum joined in, his performance became more calculating and controlled. It was lovely to hear and watch.

The instrumental was followed by a dance act from South Africa’s Jazzart Dance Theatre. A group of half a dozen (or so) dancers danced their hearts out to a composition that had a steady beat but melodic ebbs and flows. It was storytelling sans words. It depicted the volatility of a situation that the artists tried to grapple with and overcome. The audience loved it.

Governor of Sindh Kamran Tessori was the chief guest on the occasion who formally opened the festival. He needed to go somewhere so he requested the organisers to allow him to deliver his speech in the middle of the performances. The governor said he’s told that there’s no other example in the history of Pakistan of such a festival.

“It is an honour for me that the council’s President Ahmed Shah has given me this opportunity to inaugurate the festival. I welcome all the artists representing 40 countries and the consuls general present here to the city of Karachi. I believe that culture and language are the identity of any nation.”

The governor’s address was followed by the World Culture Festival anthem sung by local and a few international artists.

Next up was Mani Chao and his group’s dance interpretation of ‘Jugni’, — the famous version that Arif Lohar sang along with Meesha Shafi in Coke Studio Season 3. There were some other performances lined up for the evening as well.

Ahmed Shah also spoke on the occasion. He thanked the foreign dignitaries for coming to the event and said the credit for organising the festival goes to his young dynamic team; it’s a collective effort.

“We have gathered 250 artists from 40 countries. I believe in the power of culture, art and music. This is best weapon to curb terrorism and extremism… I want to showcase my artists from all over Pakistan. We have a 5000-year-old civilisation… We are the most peace loving nation in the world.”

The festival will conclude on October 30.

Chief minister on cultural roots

Meanwhile, according to a statement issued from CM House, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that in an age where divisions and intolerance threatened the fabric of societies, “we must draw strength from our cultural roots that teach us to accept, respect, and celebrate differences”.

Speaking at the World Cultural Festival hosted by the Pakistan Arts Council, Karachi in collaboration with the provincial culture department, he said that culture could be defined as all the ways of life including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation.

“Culture has been called the way of life for an entire society including music, poetry, codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, and art,” he said.

Shah said that music was considered the heartbeat of culture.

“It is a universal language that transcends borders and speaks directly to the soul,” he added.

He urged the people of Pakistan, particularly Sindh to uphold the values of coexistence, tolerance, and unity, more than ever.

Originally published in Dawn, September 27th, 2024