KARACHI : The idea of bridging cultures through music may be an old but it’s still very effective as it transcends languages, cultural differences and borders.
With this spirit, National Academy of Performing Arts’ (Napa) aptly titled ‘Bridging Cultures through Music’ came to an end on May 24. The three-day juncture had begun with a tribute to sitarist Ustad Rais Khan on the first day, a mehfil-e-ghazal on the second day, and finally concluded with the performance by Jun Kanno, a Japanese pianist.
The concert marked the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development and was a joint venture between the United Nations Information Centre and Napa, with the support of the embassies of Austria, Germany and Japan.
A tuneful tribute to Ustad Rais Khan
Kanno is one of the most internationally acclaimed Japanese musicians performing today, with many accolades under his belt, including performing with the Munich Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Berlin, Salzburg, Prague, and several others. The maestro mesmerised the audience with his soft piano notes as the choir of Napa students added another layer to the performance.
Kanno also played solo pieces by Mozart and Beethoven. Ustad Nafees Ahmed followed it up by playing Raag Bhopali on sitar, which almost put everyone in a trance. Kanno returned with another performance, this time, playing pieces by famous Japanese composer Akira Ifukube. The latter was a self-taught composer, known for his work in orchestral, chamber and film music, especially that of 1954’s Godzilla. Kanno played three pieces by Ifukube, including his first one Piano Suite.
