Ustad Akhtar Khan — classical singer, a qawwal and a Naat khwaan on December 25, 2018It was a cold Saturday morning when I received phone calls from fellow artists Ghulam Abbas and Mudassar Malik saying that Akhtar had died. He died like my mother used to pray that she would be taken to the Almighty without any long ailment that would cause problems for the sick person and the ones […]
Bipin-Babul, music composers with Madan Mohan’s aroma in their compositions on December 3, 2018I was playing the song ‘Jab Chaye Kabhi Sawen Ki Ghata Ro Ro Kei Na Karna Yaad Mujhe’ from Indian film ‘Reshmi Roomaal’ in the voice of Talat Mahmud, a colleague sitting in the Pakistan Music Center observed that listening to it reminded him of the good old days when such songs were heard on […]
Radio Pakistan says goodbye to compares, announcers above 60 on December 3, 2018As a child artist I have been associated with Radio Pakistan, Lahore since 1956. My association continued as an adult approved voice of Radio Pakistan. I have been promoting melody music on Radio Pakistan’s programme ‘Hamare Mausiqar’ since five years now broadcasted live every Thursday from 11:05 p.m. to 12 midnight on channels; FM93Megahertz and […]
All Pakistan Music Conference Festival 2018 held in Lahore on November 16, 2018In this day of nearly all television channels concentrating on political debates, little time is devoted to creating and presenting music and even Pakistan Television Channel (PTV) is neglecting its heritage of producing weekly music programmes (like in 70s and 80s), holding of annual festival by All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC) in Open Air Theater, […]
‘Tasteer Kitabi Silsila 5’ — latest trends in all domains of Urdu literature on November 7, 2018Buying 700 pages of latest literature in eight hundred rupees is not a bad deal as far as literary content is concerned but still it is a price not affordable by te common man. While going through these pages, I keep on wondering as to how such voluminous edition appears regularly as it is not […]
‘Saheb’ — a close link between the Maker and supplicant on October 23, 2018In the book titled ‘Saheb’ Hassan Abbasi chooses to address his Lord as ‘Saheb’. He is in love with ‘Saheb’ and this love is enhanced with each day passing. Thus, his poetry becomes a journey of his soul. In order to express this novel love he travels to the wilderness. The morning breeze, the afternoon’s […]
‘Arxang’ — a combination of literature and graphics on October 13, 2018Title: Arxang – October 2018 Editor in Chief: Amir Bin Ali Editor: Hassan Abbasi Publishers: Ravi Foundation International, Lahore Pages: 48 Price: Rs. 1000/- annually With Arts and Graphics on art paper by Muhammad Ahsan Gul, monthly literary journal ‘Arxang’ enters its nineteenth year of publication through its October 2018 issue. Its Editor in Chief […]
‘Takhleeq’ — upholding the quality of literature, one issue at a time on October 7, 2018Continuity, thy name is Takhleeq. Started by Azhar Javed and now continued by Sonaan Azhar Javed, the magazine has continued for years. In September 2018 issue’s editorial he is skeptical about writers’ dis-concern on the prevalent literary issues. He says that his literary magazine has only survived due to handful of concerned writers. It is […]
The versatile music composer Niaz Ahmad on September 14, 2018Famous Pakistani singer Mahnaaz, while talking about her distinguished career on the Pakistan Television Network (PTV), said that her first song’s music had been given by none other than music director Niaz Ahmad. She then sang his composition ‘Kajra Ri Akhion Main Nindiya Na Aaye’, a thumri style song. I too am a witness of […]
‘Tasteer’ — a well balanced medley of short stories, poems and ghazals on September 12, 2018The problem of modern nazm is not conceptual in nature but a practical one, observes Naseer Ahmad Nasir in the editorial of Tasteer’s April 2018 issue. So far, criticism on modern poem has been concentrated on concept, theory or on syllabus and is devoid of finding as to what is a nazm, a post-modern nazm […]