Karachi:
The 15th edition of the Tehzeeb festival opened with souls tunes and rare classic performances at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) on Saturday night. Held in collaboration with Tehzeeb Foundation, the two-day music festival hosted at Zia Mohyeddin Theater, which draws large crowds of music enthusiasts.
The event started with a breathtaking notion of Pakistani visually weakened vocalist Mehak Rashid, who captivated the audience by singing a Khayal Thumri while at the same time playing Tanpura. Her mastery and expression got a standing ovation.
The festival’s international taste was elevated by Bangladeshi vocalist Niloy Ahsan Zulqarnain, who blinded the crowd with his rich Dhrupad song style and added classic gravitas to the evening. His performance was even among a strong line-up of Pakistani Maestros.
Ustad Mumtaz Ali Sabzal delivered an innovative action that mixes classic ragas with Balochi people at Banjo, offering a unique roof at Raag Des.
From Rahim Yar Khan, singer Ahmed Raza Khan presented Patiala Gharana Khayal and Multani Kafi and served hot applause from the audience.
Well -known Tabla player Haroon Samuel stunned the collection with a solo performance dedicated to the late Ustad Umar Hayat Khan from Punjab Gharana. The performance served as a tribute to Ustad’s inheritance.
The festival continues on Sunday with several performances in Raags such as Malkauns, Bageshri, Marwa, Darbari and Ghazals. Remarkable names created for the final include Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Izzat Fateh Ali Khan and Meeta Pandit from India.
The Tehzeeb Foundation founder Sharif Awan, who spoke at the festival, said the event was conceived to promote the subcontinent’s deeply rooted Ustad-Skagird (Master-Disciple) tradition. “Like a chef mixes spices to create a bowl, Raags is designed with care and experience,” he said. Awan also remembered the legendary tabla Maestro’s Ustad Umar Hayat Khan and the recently passed Ustad Bashir Khan.
Kaif Ghaznavi, the festival host and the cultural promoter, noted that the Tehzeeb Foundation has organized classical music events for the past 18 years to highlight Pakistan’s rich cultural identity. She emphasized that the platform gives visibility to new musicians and singers.
The event is supported by the SINDH government and various private institutions. Napa -President Javed Iqbal paid tribute to in his short speech before presenting memorials, the late Zia Mohyeddin, and called him a ruted figure of Pakistan’s performing arts.
