ISLAMABAD: The Lok Virsa on Monday organised a launching ceremony of its two newly published books – Aangai and Chitral Ke Lok Geet – with the great musical performance by renowned folk singer Mansoor Ali Shabab from Chitral. While introducing the books, Lok Virsa Executive Director Dr Fouzia Saeed that Chitral Ke Lok Geet was written by Mohammad Irfan and published by Lok Virsa. “This book is about folk songs of Chitral. As the name suggests, Chitral Ke Lok Geet delves into the scenic musical landscape of Chitral region, describing the culture of music and musicians, their lifestyles and various forms of instrument playing and its historic evolution.” Aangai is a compilation of poetry which reflects on the struggles of the Karak brides of Balochistan. The poetry serves as a much needed expression to the myriad of challenges that they have faced historically and introspection from their viewpoint. The book is written by Ali Kamil Qazlabash and published by Lok Virsa, said Dr Fouzia. “This is a literary event dedicated to the actual stories that those books tell and the struggles in putting together such extensive pieces of research,” she said. Senator Usman khan kakar, chairman of the Senate Functional Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas, was the chief guest of the event. Speaking on the occasion, the senator said: “The Lok Virsa deserves commendation for doing an excellent job in collecting and preserving the both tangible and intangible cultural heritage that we inherited from our forefathers.” He appreciated the work of Lok Virsa for promoting and projecting the indigenous folk culture of Pakistan, especially that of less developed areas. Noted musicians from Chitral captivated the crowd through their mesmerising performances. During the performance Mansoor ali was accompanied by Aftab Alam on sitar and Munawar shah on tabla. Talking about his inspirations, Mansoor Ali said that Mirza Ali jan, Amir Gul and Baba Fateh inspired him to sing. He said that the popularity of classical instruments was declining in Pakistan and talented musicians were feeling abandoned. Prominent columnist and poetess Kishwar Naheed, while speaking on the occasion, said: “Lok Virsa was doing its best to create a sense of realisation among our new generation about the importance of their diverse cultural identity.” Published in Daily Times, January 30th 2018.