Source: The Express Tribune, 23 September 2020 — “Karachi braces for first Qawwali mehfil since Covid-19 outbreak” — https://tribune.com.pk/story/2265296/karachi-braces-for-first-qawwali-mehfil-since-covid-19-outbreak
By September 2020, things in Pakistan had started to inch toward normalcy after six or seven months of Covid-19. Schools were opening in phases, arts councils and cinemas had resumed — but live music, for the most part, had remained at a standstill.
Hamza Akram Qawwal and brothers of Qawwal Bachay decided to break the hiatus. In collaboration with Karachi’s Club 432, they announced a qawwali mehfil titled “Mast-e-Alast” for 26 September — possibly the first of its kind since the government imposed restrictions back in March.
“The lockdown was a tiresome period for the entire musician community. People whose bread and butter depended entirely on playing live shows had to endure great hardships with even the government not offering much support,” Hamza told The Express Tribune. “People are dying to listen to live music, it’s just that we aren’t giving it the due importance. When marriage halls and schools can open with SOPs why can’t musicians resume their work? It’s a matter of showing some commitment.”
The event was conceived by Hamza and Farhan P, founder and creative director of Club 432, who had first approached the young qawwal about teaching at the club’s learning and performance centre — a conversation that “snowballed”, in Farhan’s words, into a live qawwali performance. The club collaborated with the A for Aleph studio facility for the event, producing the live sound and the live stream.
Safety was the priority for both organisers. Exclusive tickets were sold so that only a limited audience attended, even at a loss. “We are being careful about following the SOPs practiced all over the world. We don’t want to leave anything to chance,” Farhan said. For a capacity of 250, they aimed to accommodate about 75–100 people, with temperature checks at the door and social distancing in place.
The brothers — grandsons of Munshi Raziuddin and nephews of Fareed Ayaz and Abu Mohammad, the 26th generation of the Qawwal Bachon ka Gharana of Delhi — were not only performing that night. They were making the case, in public, that live music deserved to come back, and showing how it could be done safely.
This post is a rephrased summary of The Express Tribune’s report of 23 September 2020, shared here for our press archive. Read the original at the link above.
Leave a Reply