Mausikaar organises ‘Musical Afternoon’

Islamabad : Mausikaar, an outfit mostly having medical professionals as members is trying to promote understanding of music in society by holding musical evenings or ‘nights’ at regular intervals for the last 14 years. But this time around, keeping in view the weather conditions, it had to organise a ‘Musical Afternoon’ instead.

Dr Seema Khan mostly living in England is moving spirit behind this body of music lovers and dashes to Pakistan for such programmes on most of the times.

This time, however, the function started with a sad note because of the death of Late Mangashker who was heart-throb of the young to old generations mesmerising all and sundry since early 1940s in the Subcontinent with her melodious voice and control over ‘sargam’ and ‘ragas’.

Dr Seema paid glowing tributes to “iconic diva of music, the irreplaceable Nightingale of India, who is equally loved in Pakistan.” A moment of silence in respect of Lata Jee was also observed.

Athar Zia was the star attraction of the ‘afternoon’ who came out of what he called Covid-19 fear in hibernation for 18 months. He had deeper experience of singing and added ‘alaaps’ and ‘murkies’ in between his renditions.

Athar was accompanied by Amoos Khan, having rare distinction of playing National Anthem on tablas, Afzaal Khan on flute and Hameed ur Rehman on Rubab though the programme started with solo and duo instrumental presentations. One may call it duo and trio events as table invariably provided the required tempo.

‘Chan mahiya teri rah pai takni aan’ was the debut Punjabi tune of Kh Khursheed Anwar followed by his famous ‘Sun wanjhli di mithrhi taan’ on flute.

Rubab presentations included Pushto, Balochi and Kashmiri tunes.

Crooner Athar is a disciple of Pandit Gharana Ustad William and also of Robin Ghosh. He performed Mehdi Hasan’s ‘ghazals’ also but renditions of Kh Ghulam Farid’s ‘Sanwal morh moharan’ and ‘Umraan lngiyan’ originally sung by Asad Amanat Ali received thunderous applause. He was also applauded for ‘Gulon mein rang bharay’ by Faiz.

In the segment to remember Lata Didi, Yasmeen Rasheed from US crooned ‘Aaye ga, aanay wala,’ Noreen Sattar sang ‘Ye zindagi ussi ki hay’ and Dr Seema put her share by ‘Ik piyar ka naghma hay.’