ISLAMABAD: Music has no boundaries was the message of a thrilling evening at a Sufi music for peace concert in the capital on Saturday night.

A blend of traditional Sufi singing style of Sung’u and carefully selected verses from mystic poetry in Sindhi, Seraiki, Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi delighted the audience who wanted the performers to continue even after three hours of live performance. Organised by Sindh Graduates Association Islamabad branch, the event endeavoured to reclaim social space taken over by intolerance, militancy and extremism through the message of Sufi poets of the subcontinent who spread the message of harmony and tolerance for centuries, said a statement issued here.

Lead performer Jamal Din Faqeer along with five of his chorus-mates started their performance with one of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai’s most famous waai that gave a global message of prosperity and health to all. There would have been no other way of starting the message attached to the concert but the verses from the Sur Sarang of Shah Jo Risalo.

The later selection colorfully combined the poetry of Sachal Sarmast, Baba Bulleh Shah, Baba Farid, Bhagat Kabeer, Manthar Faqeer and others who despite belonging to different parts of the subcontinent and times of history had promoted peace, inclusion and selfless service of humankind.The music gala and people’s unrestricted participation proved that issue of extremism and terrorism could only be addressed by highlighting the contributions of great mystics who through their intuition and knowledge challenged the expansionist interests of rulers of their times, converting hatred into constructive behavior. This was also demonstrated by the large number of audiences who belonged to different walks of life. They comprised foreigners and Pakistanis belonging to deserts of Thar and Cholistan, plains of Punjab and Sindh, hills of Potohar and Galiat, rocks of Balochistan besides those who were victims of intolerance and extremism from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

“We decided to take a step ahead to introduce one of the most thrilling aspects of Sufi preaching through mystic music called Sung’u,” said Mohammad Yousuf Memon, the president of SGA’s Islamabad branch.

Musicologist and journalist Naz Sahito said Sufis’ message was strongly based on non-violence and respect for diversity.
Source: Dawn
Date:4/26/2010