Today 13 April is birthday of Sant Kanwarram. Renu Gidoomal sings in her melodious voice with complete love,dedication and devotion Kean Rejhayan Tokhe … ڪيئن ريجهايان توکي Programme in Dubai Event organised by Asha Chand.
Courtesy: Sindhi Sangat
Category Archives: Music
Sufi song – John Elia’s ‘Allah hi Dega’ by ASRAR
Singer: Asrar, Lyrics: John Elia ‘Allah Hi De Ga’, Music: J.Ali, Editor: Sunny UG, DP/Director: Imran Javed, Soul Speaks Production
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEPoujC-Ok0
Courtesy: YouTube
BAS TOHINJI AHYAN – SINDHI SONG
Pakistan: Back in the picture
Entering the cinema, I wondered if Zinda Bhaag would be all that they were saying it was. Turns out the neo-realistic film, set in inner city Lahore and directed by Farjad Nabi and Meenu Gaur, was more. Watching the scene where Khaldi, a young man desperate to get out of Pakistan, looks with burning eyes and a quiet longing at his friend Chitta, who is leaving as an illegal immigrant to Italy, I realized that Pakistani cinema had finally arrived.
Zinda Bhaag is the country’s first entry to this year’s Oscars, in the foreign language film category. But equally important, the film’s box-office collections (75 lakh Pakistani rupees in its first week) are an indication that Pakistanis are returning to the cinema. Many youngsters queuing up at the new multiplexes mushrooming across cities are discovering Pakistani films for the first time.
For over a decade, barring the occasional activism-laden films, very few movies have been produced in Pakistan. After the fall of East Pakistan (now Bangaldesh), Pakistan lost over 1,100 cinema screens and a major chunk of talent and technical expertise of the film industry. That, coupled with the steep taxation policies of the mid-’70s, discouraged traditional investors, and new financers entered the game. “Investors, primarily from Punjab, who wanted to turn black money into white via the film industry affected the kind of films made,” says Pakistani film critic Rafay Mahmood, referring to the crass, violence-fuelled Punjabi entertainers that became the staple. Pushto films from the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suffered a similar fate.
Pakistani television then became the benchmark for quality, and soon cinema had to compete with this mass medium. Realistic serials like Khuda ki Basti (1969-74) and Waris (1980) were both critically-acclaimed and successful. The ban on Bollywood, in place since 1965, was only lifted in President Musharraf’s era, with a restored version of Mughal-e-Azam that paved the way for more Indian releases. But families preferred watching these films from across the border on their VCRs, as it was both convenient and cheaper.
The ‘revival’ of indigenous films today is due to a number of factors, including the success of Bollywood in Pakistan, which revived exhibitor interest. The advent of multiplexes over the last two years has also helped. The mid 2000s saw a surge in graduates from local institutes like the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) in Karachi, all keen to act in films in Pakistan. They will find a supporter in Nadeem Mandviwalla, the man behind The Platform, Pakistan’s first independent film distribution body launched a few months ago. Mandviwalla promises to incentivize filmmakers experimenting with alternate genres by helping them with film distribution and promotions. Also the owner of multiscreen cinemas like Atrium in Karachi and Centaurus Cineplex in Islamabad, he is enthusiastic about the work he is seeing today. “An industry that had not made films for the last 10 years comes up with Mein Hoon Shahid Afridi (MHSA) and Waar. Imagine what they will produce a decade from now,” he says.
Blockbuster Pakistani Movie Waar
Courtesy: DailyMotion » Waar
Zinda Bhaag: Pakistani cinema’s return to glory?
I watched Zinda Bhaag at its World Premier in Toronto, incidentally on August 14, 2013 – Pakistan’s Independence Day. After a successful ten day run, followed by many reviews, and nominated for Pakistan’s official entry to the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film category, I thought I’d write my personal review of the film.
Using cricket lingo, Zinda Bhaag is not a Shahid Afridi sixer, or a T-20 slog. Instead, it is a technically perfect and faultless double hundred by a maestro like Javed Miandad, with its due share of sixers and boundaries. Like any double hundred, Zinda Bhaag not only gives a winning position to the team, it also plays a catalytic role in the popularity and promotion of the game, that is, the film industry in Pakistan.
My earlier reference to Shahid Afridi’s sixers and T-20 slogs was simply to explain that his sixers are part impulse, part response to public demand, and part reflex action, whose comprehension follows rather than precedes the act; whereas, Zinda Bhaag is neither. Although it has its fair share of adrenaline pumping shots and tense situations, it is a well-timed, well-planned, and well-executed game changer.
What makes a great film, you ask?
I have a formula which contains seven elements that all new directors must strive to achieve. The film’s directors, Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi, have adhered to it in their own way. The acronym of my formula is S.A.V.E.S.M.E. The first five letters denote elements intrinsic to a film, and the last two, in a way, are extraneous to the film. S.A.V.E.S stands for Script, Acting, Visuals, Editing and Soundtrack – and once the movie is made – M.E. stands for Marketing and Exhibition.
In my humble opinion, any film must score a minimum of B+ on the first five elements to be considered a serious attempt at film-making. I gave Zinda Bhaag an A+ on script, editing and sound track; while the acting of main characters oscillates between A+ and B+.
Although the budget constraints for its marketing and promotion are obvious, I still gave it a healthy B+ on its marketing since the intelligent use of social media and personal networks of the film-makers seem to be filling the gaps quite adequately.
Now, what exactly was so great about this film?
Read more » The Express Tribune
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/19057/zinda-bhaag-pakistani-cinemas-return-to-glory/
Celebrations of renowned mystic poet Baba Bulleh Shah’s Urs have started in Kasur.
Na maen momin vich maseet aan, Na maen vich kufar diyan reet aan, Na maen paakaan vich paleet aan
Na maen moosa na pharaun. Bulleh! ki jaana maen kaun
Not a believer inside the mosque, am I, Nor a pagan disciple of false rites, Not the pure amongst the impure, Neither Moses, nor the Pharoh. Bulleh! to me, I am not known
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXi7PPvG4oY&feature=youtu.be
Na maen andar ved kitaab aan, Na vich bhangaan na sharaab aan, Na vich rindaan masat kharaab aan, Na vich jaagan na vich saun. Bulleh! ki jaana maen kaun.
Not in the holy Vedas, am I, Nor in opium, neither in wine, Not in the drunkard`s craze, Niether awake, nor in a sleeping daze. Bulleh! to me, I am not known
Na vich shaadi na ghamnaaki, Na maen vich paleeti paaki, Na maen aabi na maen khaki, Na maen aatish na maen paun. Bulleh!, ki jaana maen kaun
In happiness nor in sorrow, am I, Neither clean, nor a filthy mire, Not from water, nor from earth, Neither fire, nor from air, is my birth. Bulleh! to me, I am not known.
Na maen arabi na lahori, Na maen hindi shehar nagauri, Na hindu na turak peshawri, Na maen rehnda vich nadaun. Bulla, ki jaana maen kaun.
Not an Arab, nor Lahori, Neither Hindi, nor Nagauri, Hindu, Turk (Muslim), nor Peshawari, Nor do I live in Nadaun. Bulleh! to me, I am not known.
Na maen bheth mazhab da paaya, Ne maen aadam havva jaaya, Na maen apna naam dharaaya, Na vich baitthan na vich bhaun. Bulleh , ki jaana maen kaun
Secrets of religion, I have not known, From Adam and Eve, I am not born, I am not the name I assume, Not in stillness, nor on the move. Bulleh! to me, I am not known.
Avval aakhir aap nu jaana, Na koi dooja hor pehchaana, Maethon hor na koi siyaana, Bulla! ooh khadda hai kaun. Bulla, ki jaana maen kaun.
I am the first, I am the last, None other, have I ever known, I am the wisest of them all, Bulleh! do I stand alone? Bulleh! to me, I am not known
Courtesy: YouTube + Geo News
Pakistani film Zinda Bhaag wins four awards in Toronto festival
KARACHI : Pakistani film Zinda Bhaag has won four major awards at the the Mosaic 2013 (MISSAF) festival in Toronto.
The festival is Canada’s largest South Asian event and includes a music and film festival featuring some of the top names from the region. Among the contenders this year were Meera Nair’s adaptation of Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist.
Zinda Bhaag, produced by Mazhar Zaidi and written and directed by Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi, won the prestigious best film award. Amna Ilyas bagged the best actress award and veteran Naghma Begum the best supporting actress for their roles in the film, that also features the Indian icon Nasiruddin Shah. Sahir Ali Bagga won the award for the best music/ soundtrack for his work.
Read more » The News
O shahar debal shall – Manzoor Solangi
Courtesy: Vimeo
Pakistani Movie “Waar 2013”
Courtesy: Pakistani Cinema
Naheed Akhtar to perform after two decades
By Shoaib Ahmed
LAHORE, May 31: Famous for her voice range and often credited for her versatility, yore years’ playback singer Naheed Akhtar will perform after 22 years at Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall, on June 8.
The singer, who gave up professional singing in 1991, will be awarded Alhamra Excellence Award on the occasion.
She used to be a household name from the 70s to the 90s. Famous TV host and actress Ayesha Sana will interview Ms Akhtar at the evening while Hamid Ali Khan, Shabnam Majeed and Saima Jahan will sing the popular film songs sung by the singer.
Videos of her film songs and those she sang on television will also be screened. There will also be a few performances on some of her songs by film and TV artistes.
A number of known film artistes, music composers, lyrists and other guests are invited to the occasion.
The credit for bringing to stage Akhtar after so many years directly goes to the council for its officials made repeated requests to the singer for a public appearance.
LAC Deputy Director Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi told Dawn that after repeated requests the singer finally got convinced for a public appearance and a performance.
He said since Akhtar belonged to the league of such singers who were thoroughly professional therefore she had several meetings with Alhamra officials to finalise the list of songs to be sung and performed. He said: “These days she is doing rehearsals for the songs she is going to sing at the evening.”
Ms Akhtar was discovered by veteran musician M Ashraf in the mid-70s and replaced Runa Laila. Her debut film was ‘Nanha Farishta’ in 1974 and that year she sang songs in the film Shama also.
As a singer, she was brilliant in fast tracks, sad songs and ghazals as well.
Melodies such as ‘Piyar Kabhi Karna Na’ and ‘Yeh Aaj Mujko Kia Hua, and ‘Kisi Meherbaan Nay Aa Ke Meri Zindigi Saja Dee’ gave her immense popularity. The song ‘Meherbaan’ was a huge landmark in her singing.
Courtesy: DAWN
http://dawn.com/2013/06/01/naheed-akhtar-to-perform-after-two-decades/
Winds from Sindh – Sindhi Music Festival in Delhi, India.
The Sindhi [Secular] Sufi Music Festival this weekend focuses on an example of shared heritage of India and Pakistan
The Delhi Government has become known for promoting art and culture with a number of festivals throughout the year. To brighten up this weekend is the Sindhi Sufi Music Festival organised by the Department of Art, Culture and Languages. Here, singers from India and Pakistan come together to sing Sufi compositions.
Two leading singers from Pakistan — Sanam Marvi and Tufail Sanjrani — will join their Indian counterparts — Ghansham Vaswani, Kajal Chandiramani and Uma Lalla — to showcase the shared culture of Sindhis through the poetry of Sufis like Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. Kathak dancer Namrata Pamnani will also perform at the festival. March 16 and 17, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) from 5 p.m.
Courtesy: The Hindu
http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/music/winds-from-sindh/article4512921.ece
21st February is an ‘International Mother Language Day’- MITHRI ABANI BOLI SINDHI ABANI BOLI
[“Language is as old as the Humanity and Civilisation itself. The Cradle of Civilisation which is my Motherland, Sindh, has always had its OWN sweet language and culture! Sindhi is a glorious, grand and secular sufi NATION and Sindhi is the bright, brilliant and sweet language of mother Sindh! Please ‘n kindly – I urge, I implore ye, O Sindhis, to speak, read and write in our Mother Language, SINDHI!” — Dr. Ahmed Makhdoom]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqsd1U_MT2I&feature=youtu.be
Courtesy: Sindhi e-lists/ e-groups, February 21, 2013 » YouTube
Pandit Ravi Shankar – “Today, World Came to Standstill! Today, Many Hearts Missed a Beat!”
By Dr. Ahmed H. Makhdoom
Today, the Sun did not rise! Today, the Moon too went mourning! Today, the stars ceased to twinkle! Today, Maestro who refurbished with longing and yearning the souls of the seekers of Truth has passed away! Pandit Ravi Shankar jee has reinvented and rejuvenated Raaggu Sindhi Bhairvee.
اَڄُ نَہ اوطاقُن ۾؍ سي طالِبَ تَنواريِن؍
(شاھُ ڀِٽاٸيؒ)
“Acju na otaaqun mein, sei taliba tanwaareen”
(Shah Bhittai)
“Alas! Worthy devotees found not in courtyards today”
(Shah Bhittai: Translated by Ahmed Makhdoom)
Such GREATS are born once in a lifetime! All lovers of Raaggs and Kalaams and Classical music will forever miss the MAGIC of Maestro Ravi Shankar. May His Soul Rest in Eternal Peace!
Sitar is an instrument which really perplexes most Westerners. Using this musical instrumeny, Ravi Shankar helped connect the world through music. The sitar virtuoso hobnobbed with the Beatles, became a hippie musical icon and spearheaded the first rock benefit concert as he introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over nearly a century.
پريمَ اَکَرُ پاڙھي؍ سَتِ گُرَ مَنُ سِيتَل ڪَيو؍ (ساميِ)
“Preima akharu paarrhei, SatiGura manu seetal kayo” (Saamee)
“Taught me lessons of love assiduously,
True Master enlightened my soul graciously”
(Saamee Chanrai: Translated by Ahmed Makhdoom)
Ravi Shankar was the legendary Indian instrument ‘sitar’ maestro and composer. He was most esteemed musical Ambassador and a singular phenomenon in the classical music worlds of East and West.
“Ravi Shankar has brought me a precious gift and through him I have added a new dimension to my experience of music. To me, his genius and his humanity can only be compared to that of Mozart’s.” (Yehudi Menuhin)
Listen and be enamoured, enriched and enlightened by the super rendition of Sindhi Bhairavee by the great Maestro here….
Pandit Ravi Shankar jee was always ahead of his time. He has written three concertos for sitar and orchestra, last one of which in 2008. He has also authored violin-sitar compositions for the world renowned Maestro, Yehudi Menuhin and himself, music for flute virtuoso Jean Pierre Rampal, music for Hosan Yamamoto, master of the Shakuhachi and Musumi Miyashita – Koto virtuoso, and has collaborated with Phillip Glass (Passages).
آديسي اُٿي ويا؍ مَڑھيۇن مۇن ماريِن؍
(شاھُ ڀِٽاٸيؒ)
“Aadeisee uthee wayaa, marrhiyuun muun mareen”
(Shah Bhittai)
“Noble disciples gone forever, their solemn absence does slay”
(Shah Bhittai: Translated by Ahmed Makhdoom)
As a performer, composer, teacher and writer, he has done more for music than any other musician. He is well known for his pioneering work in bringing Indian music to the West. This however, he did only after long years of dedicated study under his illustrious guru Baba Allaudin Khan and after making a name for himself in India.
Always ahead of his time, Ravi Shankar has written three concertos for sitar and orchestra, last one of which in 2008. He has also authored violin-sitar compositions for Yehudi Menuhin and himself, music for flute virtuoso Jean Pierre Rampal, music for Hosan Yamamoto, master of the Shakuhachi and Musumi Miyashita – Koto virtuoso, and has collaborated with Phillip Glass (Passages).
اَڄُ پڻ اُتَرَ پارَ ڏي، ڪارا ڪَڪَرَ ڪيسَ؛
(شاهه ڀٽائيؒ)
“Acju pinnu utara paara ddei, kaaraa kakara keisa”
(Shah Bhittai)
“Gloom ‘n darkness here ‘n there abound , today as well;
Black murky clouds on Northerly horizon, today as well.”
(Shah Bhittai: Translated by Ahmed Makhdoom)
Ravi Shankar is an honourary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and is a member of the United Nations International Rostrum of composers. He has received many awards and honours from his own country and from all over the world, including fourteen doctorates, the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan, Desikottam,Padma Bhushan of 1967, the Music Council UNESCO award 1975, the Magsaysay Award from Manila, two Grammy’s, the Fukuoka grand Prize from Japan, the Polar Music Prize of 1998, the Crystal award from Davos, with the title ‘Global Ambassador’ to name some.
In 1986 Ravi Shankar was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha, India’s upper house of Parliament.
Deeply moved by the plight of more than eight million refugees who came to India during the Bangla Desh Freedom struggle from Pakistan, Ravi Shankar wanted to help in any way he could. He planned to arrange a concert to collect money for the refugees. He approached his dear friend George to help him raise money for this cause.
This humanitarian concern from Ravi Shankar sowed the seed of the concept for the Concert for Bangla Desh. With the help of George Harrison, this concert became the first magnus effort in fund raising, paving the way for many others to do charity concerts.
ھۇجي جيٸَ کي جياريِن؍ سي لاھۇتي لَڏي ويا؍
(شاھُ ڀِٽاٸيؒ)
“Huu jei jeeya khei jiyaareen, sei laahuutee laddei wayaa.”
(Shah Bhittai)
“Filial ones nourished our souls, no more in motherland stay.”
(Shah Bhittai: Translated by Ahmed Makhdoom)
His recording “Tana Mana”, released on the private Music label in 1987, brought Mr. Shankar’s music into the “New age” with its unique method of combining traditional instruments with electronics.
He has been described as the ‘National Treasure of Sub-continent” by the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. There is never going to be another Maestro Ravi Shankar! A supreme legend, he was far above each and every legend in the field of arts, music and entertainment. And, there is never going to be another 12.12.12 – that day in History when the Master Sitarist breathed his last at the age of 92 years.
جي ساہ سنڀارَ، سي اَڄ
جن جي ساہ سنڀارَ، سي اَڄ پَنھوارَ پَري ٿِيا،
(سَچَلُ سَرمَست، سُر مارئي، ۱داستان پهريون)
“Jani jee saaha sanbhaara, sei acju panwhaaraparei thiyaa”
(Sachalu Sarmastu, suru Maaruee, daastaanu Pahriyon)
“Those beloveds in my soul preserved, alas! Away today afar they parted!”
(Sachal Sarmast, Melody of Marui, 1 Ch.1: Translated by Ahmed Makhdoom)
This is my humble tribute to the Guru who blessed the souls of many all over the world with his remarkable music and compositions. In grief and mourning.
Courtesy: Sindhi e-lists/ e-groups, December 12, 2012.
Peace, Johnnie, peace. Salaam. Shalom. Shanti.
By: Anwar Iqbal
He is gone, disappeared among the waves. And I am looking for him. Has he disappeared though? He may have gone to another beach, perhaps on the West Coast, away from Hurricane Sandy.
Moving from one place to another was never a problem for him. He lived out of his suitcase, rather a large bag that he carried with him. He ate little, morsels of bread with coffee in the morning and some bread, with coffee and cheese at night. And he carried these with him too.
I met him at Ocean City, Maryland, where I also watched him playing his guitar. He played well. So when the session ended, he collected about $30, put his guitar back in its case and said: “Enough for the dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast. Now I will go back to the waves, they are calling me.”
His name was Johnnie, Johnnie what, he never told me but he did tell me that he was a Vietnam veteran. I met him on the beach when one of my sons wandered away. He saw him far from us, brought him back and said: “You are from India, right? I know you people, you believe this country is crime free, so you let your children wander away. Let me tell you, it is not crime free. He can be kidnapped from anywhere.”
I told him I was from Pakistan, not India, thanked him and offered him a sandwich. He accepted the offer but put two sandwiches in his bag and said “This means less work and more time for the waves.”
He then said he only works to make enough for breakfast and dinner and never eats lunch. “And who pays your bills?” I asked. “No bills, I do not own or rent anything.”
He said he had a friend in Ocean City, and was living in his basement. But there are places where he does not have a friend and in such places, he has to work a little more to pay for sleeping somewhere. For him working a little more is playing his guitar a little more.
We became friends when I told him I was a war correspondent. “In Vietnam?” he asked. “No, in Afghanistan, during the Soviet occupation,” I said. “Do you sing?” he asked. “No,” I said. “Then what do you do? Those who have seen wars always do something other than what they do for a living, like singing, painting, writing poetry,” he explained.
I said I love poetry. Although I am not a poet, I do sometimes write a little poem. He asked me to read a poem about my war experience. I said I did not have one with me but I had one about terrorism in my cell phone and could read it out for him. He agreed.
“No, no, this is not how it happens, when crops of pain are reaped. Nobody beats drums, when village youths return home in body bags. Women do not dance, people mourn, they do not rejoice,” I read the poem.
“Their coffins are brought home, drenched in tears. No, no, this is not how it happens. You cannot sow seeds of hate and hope for flowers. When a storm lands, when a fire rages, homes burn, people cry. They do not rejoice, cities of pain do not thrive, flowers do not grow in fields of hate. No, no, this is not how it happens,” I finished.
He asked me if I wrote it in English. I said no, in my language, Urdu. He copied the English version in his diary and then asked me to recite some lines in Urdu. I did. He noted them too.
“You gave me a lot of work,” he said and disappeared.
Continue reading Peace, Johnnie, peace. Salaam. Shalom. Shanti.
Asha Bhosle’s daughter Varsha commits suicide
Singer Asha Bhosle’s daughter Varsha, who was reportedly suffering from depression, shot herself in the head with a pistol at her mother’s Peddar Road home on Monday morning. She was 56. Varsha, said the police, was found lying in a pool of blood on a sofa of her living room by Bhosle’s driver at around 10.30am.
Domestic help Deepali Mane had alerted the driver after Varsha, who was alone in the house, did not answer the doorbell. The driver entered the flat through Bhosle’s elder sister and singer Lata Mangeshkar’s adjacent house. ….
Read more » Hindustan Times
“Wahdat e Sindh” Mehfil in Dubai.
Dubai based Sindhies organized a historical event of “WAHDAT E SINDH” MEHFIL in Spring Dubai last night where The well known Sindhi Singer Ustad Shafi Faqeer performed “The Best” of his Sindhi Songs.
Ustaad Shafi Faqeer performed several times in different occasions in Dubai but the event of last night was Special and unforgettable. 5 hours long Sindhi Songs, chanting and dancing audience has given such power to all Sindhies who Loves motherland Sindh. He sang the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Shaikh Ayaz, Ustad Bukhari, Akash Ansari and Kabeera till midnight and Everyone enjoyed each and every Song… Jeay Sindh Wat’n and Long live the Unity and Integrity of Sindh.
Courtesy: Sindhi e-lists/e-groups, 16 Sept. 2012.
How long and how many more liberals you will kill? You can crush all of us. But you can’t stop the spiring.
Pakistan’s musician Taimur Laal on massacres of liberals in the “Land of the Pure” by the “guardians of the Religion of Peace!?” Laal’s video on the trials, tribulations, and sacrifices of the people of Pakistan in the struggle against extremism in our society. Religio-fascists! how do you claim that the battle is over in which we have not even taken the very first step! You can crush All of us. But you can not stop the spring.
Poet: Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Directed by Dr. Taimur Rahman.
Courtesy: Laal » YouTube
Pakistani version of Kolaveri Di : Why this Deshat-gardi
Courtesy: YouTube
Punjabi Olympics! “Tung Tung” by Mtv sound-trippin Saneha Khanwalker
Sindhi Video Song
Courtesy: Sindhi Sangat
MEHDI HASAN – DIL-E-VEERAN HAI TERI YAAD
One of the most beautiful song of MEHDI HASAN. Mehdi Hassan (Urdu: مہدی حسن ) (July 18, 1927 – June 13, 2012) was a Pakistani ghazal singer and a former playback singer for Lollywood.
Popular Sindhi Song and a Prayer to Lord Jhulelal
Muhinji Barri Athayee Wicha Seera Te – Singer Bhaggwanti Navani, written by Ranjan, and presented as a video song by Sindhi Sangat.
Courtesy: Sindhi Sangat
Khawaja ji brings Indo-Pak closer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgjCfHn3x2g&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Courtesy: Film: Jodha Akbar, Music: AR Rehman
Snake Dance
Snake Dance – Waheeda Rehman – Dev Anand – Guide – S.D. Burman – Bollywood Dances
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJbgi9S7IMo&feature=youtu.be
» YouTube
Sindhi Music in London
Sufism [Sindhyat/ Humanity] binds millions of hearts in subcontinent: Abida Parveen
Sufi legend Abida Parveen, who is on a trip to New Delhi for the Jahan-e-Khusrau festival said Sufism binds millions of people in the subcontinent and that the forthcoming festival is an effort to create a spiritual mood. The 10th edition of the three-day festival starts March 2 in New Delhi at Humayun’s Tomb. “Sufism has evolved from the beginning of this universe. It bridges the gap between the hearts. This festival brings different colours together. This is a message from heart to heart. This is an effort to create a spiritual context for the common people,” she said. Organised by the Rumi foundation and designed and directed by filmmaker-painter Muzaffar Ali, the three-day festival was announced by Ali and Abida Parveen and Sharmila Tagore-members of the Rumi Foundation. Parveen had been a part of the festival since its beginning, but couldn’t attend the festival last year due to health reasons. Jahan-e-Khusrau 2012 will see performances by Abida Parveen, Ali Zafar, Hans Raj Hans, Andrea Griminelli (Italian flautist) and will also introduce new faces like Indra Naik, Vidhi Sharma, Rajesh Pandey, Vidhi Lal, and Shivani Varma. Reminiscing on her long association with the festival, Parveen said that whenever she comes to perform for Jahan e Khusrau “an extraordinary noorani (blissful) process begins. The Rumi Foundation knows how to collect different colours and create an atmosphere which is so pure and durgahi that no difference is felt between the one who’s singing and the one who’s listening. Even if one person gets attached with the Sufi saints in such an atmosphere, it’s enough to break all barriers of faith and territorial boundaries,” she said. “Tasawuf (a Sufi term that means focusing on one’s relationship with God) is God’s name. We don’t need any language or identity to understand Allah,” added the singer. Celebrating 10th year of Jahan-e-Khusrau, Muzaffar Ali maintained that the journey of Jahan e Khusrau began with the thought of bringing all pure souls together on one platform in Delhi, a city of great souls and saints. Over the last decade, Jahan e Khusrau has presented rare poetry of the mystics of the sub-continent. It has showcased Sufi singers, dancers and musicians, including Azam Ali, Masood Habibi, Shubha Mudgal, Shafqat Ali Khan, Shubjaat Hussain Khan to introducing fresh promising talent such as Zila Khan, Archana Shah, Indira Naik and Rajesh Pandey among others.
Courtesy: Pakistan Today
Pakistan, courts Islamometer
Islamo-meter in the courts…and Anjuman Shahzadi
By Omar Ali
Back in the 1980, General Zia was “Islamizing” Pakistan, primarily by having several thousand people flogged (mostly for political offences..including a barber in,if i remember correctly, Faisalabad, for putting up Zia’s picture as one of the available hairstyles). I happened to chat with Sharif Sabir Sahib, an observant, reasonably orthodox Muslim (known as “Molvi Sharif Sabir”) and a great scholar of Punjabi (who also taught Persian). I asked him what he thought of this Islamization? He said “son, take an islamo-meter to the district court. The day it registers an even slightly positive reading, I will personally wash Zia’s feet with rose water”. Of course, both of us knew this was a safe bet.
Osama Sameer surveys how things look in the district courts today, further down the winding road that is taking us away from British India and towards Pakistan, fortress of Islam.
I am not posting this to help “the world understand us better”. How “the world” understands us is the least of our problems. Frankly (and I hope this does not strike anyone as rude) that is the sort of bullshit that buffoon Musharraf was known for. The idea that “the world” has misunderstood our lovable self. That if we can somehow “promote our soft image” (this was a phrase Mushie used several thousand times) and show the world that we paint trucks, we pray in petrol stations, we walk half naked down catwalks, then all will be well. I think this whole shtick is meaningless in the larger scheme of things. The world that matters (the people who start wars, sell oil, buy countries) doesnt care about any of that and neither do most Pakistanis. All of that is neither problem nor solution. Even the s0-called “ideology of Pakistan” (which i attack at every opportunity and Samosa and Riaz Haq sahib will defend till they have something more urgent to do) is a problem mostly because taking it seriously causes other, more real problems. If we can confine it to schoolbooks (preferably grade 5 and below) we can safely ignore it.
btw, If the world wants to understand ”moderate Islamic Pakistani” closer to street level, here is a Pakistani Mujra (an art form slightly older than catwalk modelling) by Anjuman Shahzadi, complete with “Hajji brothers” logo proudly displayed in the background (Hajji means someone who has been for Haj to Mecca). She died last year, apparently of infection and diabetes. Who knows.
She could be incredibly crude:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6wgEWlTybmo
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