Daily Times

I wonder if there are survivors of the times when Tamara Khanam from the Soviet Union visited and performed in Lahore, or when the film Bhawani Junction was made at the Lahore Railway Station. When Stewart Granger and Ava Gardner were staying in the Fallettis Hotel, or when Gopi Krishna danced in the Open Air Theatre in Bagh-e-Jinnah.

These were events of the decade of the 1950s of the last century. In my memory, the vision is as fresh as if it was yesterday.

Presuming some would remember that unforgettable evening with Gopi Krishna in 1960.The continuity of those days is The All Pakistan Music Conference, which upholds the banner of music, particularly the classical genre, thanks to the efforts of Mr Hayat Ahmed Khan and his family and friends, in particular, Ms Ghazala Hayat Irfan and Mr Javed Ahmed Qureshi. I remember Mr Khan as a friend and a colleague, in charge of music functions at the then Pakistan Arts Council, Alhamra (now Lahore Arts Council). Mr Khan’s love for classical music knew no bounds. He was the founder of the All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC). The members of the APMC included distinguished names like the greatest of classical singers Roshan Ara Begum. Mr Khan continued with this for as long as he lived. Once during a conversation, he said, “I am not going to die.” Indeed, he is still with us, with his love of music. His music conference is hayat (alive).

It was a session of the APMC, in which I found Gopi Krishna’s performance, among several others, unforgettable. Krishna was a dancer — not a classical singer or musician. But music is an integral part and basis of any dance and its magic shows in the work of a maestro, and Gopi Krishna indeed was a maestro.

I reached the Bagh-e-Jinnah Open Air Theatre early in the evening to be able to get a good seat. I was lucky to find a place in the middle steps; soon after, there were no places left in the theatre and many spectators were standing. Classical dance was a rare occurrence for connoisseurs in those days; therefore, the city had responded enthusiastically. I had met Krishna a day earlier in a reception. He was a bit stout, of medium height, and longhaired, and not very impressive as a person. However, while talking to him, I asked him about the great Indian dancer Sitara, a legendary performer. Krishna responded that if one met Sitara Devi, who was probably advanced in age at that time, one would feel as if one was meeting a normal, ordinary, young person. Then he touched the lobe of his ear, as if saying tauba (God forbid) and said, “Jab voh stage par roop dhartee hain tou lagta hae asmaan say paree utree hae” (When she appears on stage, it seems as though a fairy has descended from the heavens). I wondered what magic a dancer could weave to ascend to human charm in this way. While sitting in the theatre, I remembered this and wondered what Krishna would do. Soon the stage lights went up. A beautiful female dancer appeared. Her dance was so fascinating that the audience almost forgot about Gopi Krishna. The dancer kept the audience spellbound for about five hours. That was the magic of the dancer. Nobody moved. One did not want to bat an eye, lest one missed something. This dancer was no woman — it was Gopi Krishna himself.

Krishna, assuming the personality of a woman, artistically had made that character perform with all the artistry and charms at the command of a beautiful woman. I recalled his words about Sitara Devi. Now I had seen what a performer could do when he or she assumed a ‘character’.

The APMC did, and is continuing to do a service to the arts and the nation to which these arts belong. When some analysts look at the history of development of music, they will indeed find the role of the APMC significant.

Today, TV channels are there as major promoters of music. However, what they promote is ‘popular’ music as they are looking after their commercial interests, using it as an ‘interesting’ product. I do not condemn this because it provides opportunity to exponents of music and encourages others to learn. The APMC provided music lovers the opportunity to hear maestros like Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Ummeed Ali Khan, Khan Sahib Mohammad Sharif, Qadir Bakhsh Pakhawaji, Munir Hussain, Shaukat Hussain, Rasulan Bai, Ghulam Ali Khan and so many others in their prime. Those who heard them in person were fortunate, learning while enjoying it. With the near demise of a great institution like Radio Pakistan, the process of learning opportunities in classical music have diminished, even though it provides the base on which any musical expression can be built.

Nations are respected for their artistic accomplishments. Politicians come and go — not all can be Jinnah — but it is the outstanding artistic creation that makes the identity of a nation unique. The fact is that art forms, and particularly music, are also big business, if properly developed, without shortcuts. In the classical genre particularly, there are no shortcuts.

With the disappearance of Nawabs and Maharajas, the role of the patrons of music needs to be assumed by big businesses and specialised institutions. An example to be considered is ‘Coke Studio’, but much more needs to be done on the training and educational sides. Of course, the government has a significant role to play, but the persons at the helm of affairs need to have the sensitivity and ability to see the potential. Some of them enjoy and listen with interest, but perhaps they do not realise that they have a responsibility to promote music as well. All arts –visual as well as performing — are the most effective asset of a nation for cultural understanding and diplomacy. Culture should no more be the last priority on the national level.

The writer is a culture and media management specialist, a researcher, director and author