Written by: Farheen Abdullah
Posted on: July 30, 2020 | 
The Poster for Dastaangoi, Volume 1
The ongoing pandemic has forced the world to a standstill, and the cultural community of Pakistan has been adversely affected by it. Plans were cancelled, large-scale events were called off as the virus spread, and people were encouraged to stay inside their homes. While some found peace or inspiration during this lockdown, others missed the act of attending interesting events, and actively engaging with art and performance. However, a few creative individuals have taken on the challenge by thinking of innovative ways to bring performances to the audience and vice versa.
Dastaangoi’s Volume 1 aimed to do just that, as a virtual cultural performance that celebrated the plethora of old and beloved art forms in the country. Dastaangoi (To Tell a Tale) is an organization that aims to promote intellectual discussion, diversity and richness of Pakistani culture and history. It executed its first event on 26th July on Zoom to a limited audience. “Through our monthly events, we hope to build a community of thinkers and explorers. We also hope to change the negative image Pakistan has. There is so much beauty in our country and so many stories to share, and Dastaangoi is a platform that would help encourage the spread of it,” the team shared.
Hosted by the cofounders of Dastaangoi, Amad and Waleeya, the session welcomed attendees from all over the world, including Pakistan, India, the US and the UK. The program followed a pattern of alternatively playing a music video, and allowing one of the four guest speakers to share their stories. Amongst the five music videos shown were Lover’s Eye (Mohe pi ki Najariya), Dub Dub Jave by Farheen Raza, and Abi Sampa’s Man Kunto Maula, which was perhaps the most impactful of all. The swelling sounds of the orchestra-like qawwali made the viewers long for the impact it would have had, had it been performed live in a big auditorium.
The first guest speaker of the evening was Shahrez Syed from Kentucky, who combined his love for biology and music through his art. Syed began by speaking of home, and all the elements that remind one of what they leave behind when moving. He shared stories from his time in Pakistan, collecting soil samples in the Cholistan desert and comparing their prints, collecting pieces of Punjab in the form of rags, sand, bird droppings and understanding how each element contributes towards the smell and the sound of the province. Syed ended his talk with a beautiful Sitar performance (and a well-deserved encore), as a musical translation of his lab findings.
Shahrez Syed
Next on the list was Hashim Ali, art director and puppeteer from Lahore, who took us around the world within a matter of minutes. Ali recalled growing up as a shy kid who would use finger puppets to express himself, and later discovered that the tradition of puppetry has existed since the time of Emperor Akbar. During the Mughal emperor’s reign, people would also use puppets to voice their opinions, which allowed Ali to connect to a deeper history and craft of art form.
Hashim Ali
As a child, Ali traveled to different countries and collected various puppets, all of whom seemed to have the same facial features, even if they were dressed differently. Ali later found out that puppetry has its roots in Punjab, from where wanderers travelled to other parts of the world, carrying the tradition with them.
“Although I’m not the best with technology, it was actually very nice to be a part of this experience, because it felt like we were all there, together. One thing that I was particularly unsure about prior to the event, was how exactly the audience would communicate with the performers online, but whilst performing I was able to read everyone’s comments that were popping up on the screen before me, and that was a really beautiful way of connecting. I could see people from India relating to my story, and someone from Java talking about the puppet theatre in his country. It was amazing,” he later elucidated.
Amna Mawaz Khan
After a spell-binding performance of a Bharatnatyam dance by Amna Mawaz Khan on the song, Be Maut Muaato Laaye Kutha by Abida Parveen, the evening welcomed its last guest speaker. Yousuf Bashir Qureshi, known as Pakistan’s Merchant of Love. Through his words and poetry, he reminded us about the need to love people and things as they are, without judgment or need to change them. His soft, baritone voice, and the immediacy with which he spoke about the expectations associated with love, made the listeners feel as though Qureshi was personally addressing them.
Yousuf Bashir Qureshi
When asked about future plans, the team replied, “The goal is to have one Dastaangoi every month…We would ideally like to open this up and to have chapters all over the world. We would like our chapter leaders to host intimate events in their cities, and tell stories that radiate positivity and revolve around Pakistan.”
Team Dastaangoi and their performers successfully executed this wonderfully diverse event, setting expectations high for other events in the future, especially when they will have a physical space to use. Their ability to gather a virtual audience of more than 500 people in the first volume, and the skill at which they created an intimate, moving tribute to the culture we hold so dear, reminded us that art is not about the medium, but the way it resonates with us. You can follow Dastaangoi on Instagram for updates and announcements.
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