Festivals always help people connect on a broader scale. And the best part is that with the passage of time...
festivals
Festivals always help people connect on a broader scale. And the best part is that with the passage of time, we are observing public spaces being occupied for several food and music festivals all over the country. With festivals, people mingle and get to know about their culture and music which is also the main purpose behind organising these festivals and retain the essence of Pakistani cuisine, music and art. With a successful stint of Eat and Soul festivals this year, the 5th edition of Lahore Music Meet (LLM) happened recently at the Alhamra Arts Council, Lahore, taking the city by storm with over 20,000 music enthusiasts in attendance.
The two-day event was open to the general public with no cost of admission (entry was free with NIC or Student ID). To heat up all four stages of Alhamra, there was a curated line-up of new artists and fresh sounds which encapsulated various musical spectrums of Pakistan along with interactive talks, panel discussions, masterclasses, story-telling sessions, and documentary/film screenings to jam packed audiences and standing ovations.
The festival featured mind expanding ‘Masterclasses’ by Haniya Aslam, Zeeshan Parwez and ProperGaanda; ‘Panel Discussions’ featuring Azeem Hamid, Mekaal Hasan, Mehreen Rana, Talha Humayun, Sehyr Mirza, Talha Ali Kushvaha and Dino Ali among others. Also, ‘In Conversation’ sessions with LMM founders Natasha Noorani and Zahra Paracha, and Chairman IPO Mujeeb Ahmed Khan; story-telling sessions ‘Daastangoi’ featuring Zeeshan Parwez and Fasi Zaka, Hadiqa Kiani, Faris Shafi and Ahmer Naqvi, Taran happened. ‘Screenings’ of Indus Blues by Javed Sharif and Zeejah Fazli, Shehr e Tabassum by Shehri Pakistan, and the ‘Story Share Initiative’ by The Citizens Archive of Pakistan; ‘Khayal Gayaki’ - a performance by Sur Mandal and Tehzeeb Foundation; and special sessions presented by Pepsi featuring ‘Daastangoi’ with Auj and Aarish, and an ‘Album Launch’ for Bayaan’s ‘SUNO’ took the centre stage. Moreover, in attendance were musicians, actors and media personalities such as Samiya Mumtaz, Faisal Rehman, Gumby, Xulfi, Zara Peerzada, Altamash, Rubab Ali, Danyal Zafar and Imran Qureshi, to name a few.
LMM5 also featured live music performances by Punjabi folk legend Naseebo Lal, progressive folk-rock band, Saakin, electro-pop producer Talal Qureshi [featuring Maanu and Faris Shafi] and Punjabi RnB star Shamoon Ismail as a part of the indoor showcase.
The outdoor showcase presented Hassan Sheikh and Roshaan Sherwani, Farheen Raza, Towers, Madlock, Mehdi Maloof, Haniya Aslam, Natasha Humera Ejaz, Adil Omar, Karakoram, Mahak Qayyum, Iqbal, IFRA and Mekaal Hasan Band among others. The outdoor showcase also featured Pepsi Battle of the Bands Season 4 winner Auj and finalist Aarish.
Indeed, for its fifth iteration, the festival received over 300 applications from across the country for live performance sessions which were then crafted into a carefully curated list by co-founders Natasha Noorani and Zahra Paracha representing an interesting blend of pop, rock, folk, RnB, electronic and rap music from around the country.
The Lahore Music Meet is entirely women-led and consists of Festival Directors Natasha Noorani and Zahra Paracha with Sana Nasir as Art Director and Munizeh Sanai as Creative Director. It celebrated its fifth year as a well-established and unique platform for day long musical performances and meaningful conversations and activities pertaining to music enterprise, education and academia. The ultimate goals remain to create a meaningful engagement between audiences and musicians, encouraging new talents and fostering relationships between individuals within the music fraternity. By providing a platform of such scale, once every year, it hopes to enrich the ever growing Pakistani music ecosystem within Pakistan and abroad.
– Mubashir Ahmed
