Print

    KLF Day 1: Vidya Shah and Zoe Viccaji in Concert

    Written by: Sadeem Shaikh
    Posted on: February 06, 2016 |

    Vidya Shah at the KLF

    The much-awaited 7th annual Karachi Literature Festival started early Friday morning at the Beach Luxury Hotel. Every year, thousands get together to watch and learn from a host of engaging talks and dialogues between renowned writers, actors, scientists, historians, and other intellectuals. Many travel from different parts of the world just to lend a helping hand in sharing and facilitating cross-cultural bonds through their unique heritage, stories and voices. One such individual is Vidya Shah, an outstanding Indian classical singer who travelled all the way from Dehli to perform for the KLF crowd.

    People in the audience hustled to grab the first seat they could find in the Main Garden, many sitting on the floor just to catch a glimpse of this maestro they had heard so much about prior to the event. The elderly dominated the audience, and understandably so. Shah is known for her flawless renditions of musical numbers that date back almost a century. Her stage set-up was casual and simple in nature, with support from a very talented group of Dholak, Sarangi, Tabla and Harmonium players. The combination of these fabulous sounds spread an emotionally-charged aura that was strongly felt by all.

    Perhaps what captivated the audience most was the idea behind Shah’s enthralling performance. She sought to pay tribute to a number of women who are known to have worked on the first commercial recordings, using the gramophone. Gauhar Jan, Zohra Bhai Agrawali, Sarisviti Devi and Begum Akhtar were just a few among these greats. What set apart Shah’s delivery of these songs was the way she would build up to the performance by narrating short historical stories about the lives of these women. These stories would instantly take one back in time in a resplendent fashion, making the performance all the more enjoyable. While there are a host of technologically advanced ways of accessing music today, Shah expressed her fondness for what is arguably the very first method of recording and listening to music. “People do not know much about these women today – even our beloved Google has no record of their lives,” said Shah.

    Vidya Shah and Zoe Viccaji at KLF

    Zoe Viccaji with her band members

    One could see the dynamics of the evening take a sharp turn when Zoe Viccaji took the stage. The younger ones moved nearer to the stage and the elderly called it a night. Viccaji’s performances at Coke Studio have already given her a big name amongst the young musical enthusiasts, particularly those who enjoy a unique blend of Jazz, Blues and contemporary Pop. Her set list included songs such as Ishq Kinara, Raat Gaey and Mera Bichra Yaar. Each song had a unique and socially relevant message, which Viccaji would briefly narrate prior to the performance. Keeping alive the relevance of Eastern instruments in modern tunes, she had support from a Chitrali Rubab player known as Irfan. Having worked on a love-inspired track with Irfan called Ashiqi Angar, Viccaji decided to perform it live for the first time at the KLF. The single is set to be released in mid-February, and highlights the two philosophies of love in Eastern tradition, namely Ishq-e-Majaazi and Ishq-e-Haqeeqi.

    The Karachi Literature Festival continues for another two days, and features a host of exciting talks and performances.

    Vidya Shah and Zoe Viccaji in concert


    RELATED ARTICLES:

    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021