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    Siren Song: An Ode to Pakistan's Great Female Singers

    Written by: Mahnoor Fatima
    Posted on: March 09, 2020 | | 中文

    Dr. Fawzia Afzal-Khan at PNCA, Islamabad

    Pakistan is immensely lucky to have within its history beautiful, talented and strong-willed female singers, who used skill and grace to cement their roles in the country’s popular culture. Dr. Fawzia Afzal-Khan seeks to pay tribute to their lives with her book, “Siren Song: Understanding Pakistan Through its Women Singers”. After launching at Karachi Literature Festival 2020, the book came to Islamabad on a rainy evening at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA). It took place as the first collaboration between Asian Study Group and PNCA. The Chief Guest was the Minister of Education and Professional Training, and of National History and Literary Heritage, Mr. Shafqat Mehmood.

    Dr. Afzal-Khan is an academic at Montclair University, a writer, a performer who also trained as a classical singer for almost a decade. A north Indian classical music enthusiast and English Professor wrapped in one, Dr. Afzal-Khan has a master’s and PhD degree from Tufts University, after getting a bachelor’s degree from Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore. Although she has specialized in Gender and Post-Colonial Theory, she has felt a deep pull to her musical and theatrical roots, due to which she played in Jazz groups and acted in Ajoka Theatre plays. For her, it was important to keep her passion and her career together, and both these interests coalesced in this book.

    Malika Pukhraj in 1970

    “In a way, with this book I’m going back to my first love. It connected me to that time of my life when I was leaving Pakistan. It’s a part of me that I left behind to pursue other interests…I’ve remained very attached to Pakistan, and the thing pulling me back, besides my parents, was the music…”

    Madame Noor Jehan

    This is her latest book, with a vibrant title designed by renowned Pakistani artist Shehzil Malik. In the introduction to the book she says, ‘Siren Song’ investigates the ways female singers have not only contributed to the art of classical music, but also to the popular culture of Pakistan. It follows the likes of Malika Pukhraj, Roshanara Begum, Tahira Syed, Reshma, Madame Noor Jehan, Iqbal Bano, Farida Khanum and ends with the rise of Abida Parveen and Sufi Pop in the late 80s. The book discusses how they navigated the society and obstacles which each era brought for them. While Madame Noor Jehan’s sheer star power allowed her to retain respect whilst living an alternative lifestyle, others like Roshanara Begum dealt with their obstacles in a more subtle manner.

    But what they have in common was an unmatched talent that allowed them to remain in the hearts of the people. Unfortunately, what they also had in common was the lack of state support and disapproval from society, due to the association of the art of singing with a certain category of people. Dr. Afzal-Khan also lamented her personal inability to pursue her love of singing and acting professionally, due to the societal stigma attached to it.

    Roshanara Begum

    The event began with a short documentary of singers, activists and family members, edited by filmmaker Nishtha Jain. It featured the likes of Tahira Syed, Salima Hashmi and Sara Zaman, a contemporary of Afzal-Khan, who also could not pursue singing in a professional capacity, though possessing great talent. Together, they trace the history of female singers in Pakistan through its tumultuous history, with beautifully poignant archival clips of singers over the years. It served as a beautiful compliment to, and a sneak preview of Dr. Afzal-Khan’s book and research.

    Tahira Syed

    “If you’ve been in that audience (when these singers were performing) and looked around, you’ll know that they had embodied people’s dreams and aspirations in a way that perhaps the male singer could never do in the same way,” remarked Salima Hashmi.

    Iqbal Bano

    This screening was followed by a brief talk by Dr. Afzal-Khan, explaining her journey collecting and compiling these stories of subversion and femininity. She explained, “After Partition, they (the female singers) had to earn their wages for their families…These women subverted (society’s expectations of them) because while they did suffer and society was not approving, the people loved music and they loved women who sang music!”

    At the end of the talk a brief Q&A took place, in which the audience members discussed contemporary ramifications of her literary critique. It concluded with Dr. Afzal-Khan serenading the audience with Bulleh Shah poetry in Seriaki, moving the crowd and resulting in a standing ovation.

    ‘Siren Song’ is not just Dr. Afzal-Khan’s personal achievement in research, but an encapsulation of the rich and complex lives of female singers and their attempts to break the glass ceiling in a rigid and a patriarchal culture. The book is available for purchase, and Lahoris who are interested in discussing the book with Dr. Afzal-Khan, can attend her talk at The Last Word on 12th March.


    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