The two-day NJ Arts’ FEST14, held recently in London, saw artistes put together some amazing performances. By Clarence Rufin
Vibrations resonate and sounds reverberate even though the concerts are over and audiences have returned to their homes. The amazing performances of the two-day NJ Arts’ FEST14, held recently in London, by Bollywood’s classical Prince of Percussion Ustad Taufiq Qureshi, with Geetika Varde, Latvia’s prize winning Reinis Zarins and Pakistan’s own opera singer from Karachi, Saira Peter together with Stephen Smith (USA, piano) and a host of international artists, were so uplifting that they will linger in the mind and soul for days to come.
Sir Cliff Richard OBE and Ustad Zakir Hussain Padma Sri will be happy. As Patrons of NJ Arts, they each wanted to endorse an arts initiative in east London, one of the most diverse areas of the capital and the least served by arts groups of any kind.
Pakistani Director of NJ Arts London, Saira Peter MSc MA (London) brings them together with a peaceful intention of building relationships between disparate groups, building social bridges through mutual respect and honour. The Member of Parliament for East Ham was also at the festival. He delivered an afternoon interactive session for participants before attending the second day’s Celebration Concert.
Rt Hon Stephen Timms, MP for East Ham, said: “NJ Arts events are hugely enjoyable celebrations of diverse artistic talent, and I hope the fest will become an annual event. People from many backgrounds — who at first sight don’t seem to have much in common — come together to enjoy and explore the creativity they share. FEST 14, I believe can make a great contribution to building our community together.”
The FEST 14 was a great example of what Pakistani Saira Peter’s leadership was able to achieve by fostering such values and goals. NJ Arts truly carried a light of relationship and diversity into our world as the Noor Jehan Centre (now NJ Arts) was intended to do when formally opened by Sir Cliff Richard OBE in 1998.
The director of the NJ Arts centre, Pakistan’s Saira is a scientist, historian and trained Indian and Western classical vocalist. In Pakistan, Saira Peter is also well known, as Chief Judge in Sindh TV’s reality show, The Voice of Sindh, Season Three where she has set a standard for vocalists in their professional and personal lives. She has been a flag bearer for humanitarian work in the nation.
In 2010, Saira formed an international ladies group to visit and help Sindhi flood victims. In 2013, with practical aid and a camera crew in tow, she went to Peshawar to interview survivors and visit victims of the double suicide bombing of All Saints Church.
The same year, in recognition of her artistic and humanitarian work, Saira was the recipient of a Special Award at the “Sindh Excellence Awards 2013/2014,” hosted by Fankar Welfare Trust.
In London, Saira’s gentle and quiet heart has captured the imagination of many artists she recruited from across the globe to fill the FEST 14 with the sights and sounds of the whole world!
Professional dancers from Australia, Spain and Sri Lanka, stars from India, Latvia and the USA, vocalists from India, Sri Lanka and Australia all participated in a lively invigorating explosion of live international creativity on stage.
Saira performed solo as well as in concert. She delivered an exceptionally difficult and famous German opera piece, Morgen, by Richard Strauss, accompanied by classical pianist Stephen Smith (USA).
Saira stunned the audience by her command of German pronunciation, timing and professional delivery, captivating everyone by the beauty of the song. “Even German opera singers shy away from this piece,” remarked a friend who lives there.
Another from the audience exclaimed, “What greatness comes from Pakistan!”
This was not all, Saira had also captured the imagination and participation of an array of global talent.
Rising Indian star Geetika Varde, disciple of Mrs Manik Bhide not only gave a rousing performance of Indian classical song, but delivered an intriguing and captivating workshop on ‘Timing in Indian Rag’ — so many attended, the room was full to bursting.
Australian Lara Pilcher entered the stage to dance with vigour and precision. A professional performer with a Masters in Musical Theatre from a London academy under Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lara performed a piece taken from the musical Chicago. Next, by the quality of her acting, she managed to convince all that she was in dialogue with an imaginary person on a chair, her only prop, giving us a glimpse into the power of solo contemporary dance.
Gowri Keneston (Sri Lanka and UK), trained in Bharatha Natyam, Kathak and Mohiniyattam dance, performed a unique fusion dance that made everyone gasp.
Moving to the fusion song Saira had sung solo at an international gathering of 5,000 in Cape Town in 2010, Gowri merged several Indian dance forms to deliver energy, fascination and enigma to a fusion of Pakistani, Arabic and Indian sounds.
The audience was electrified and the composition commended by none less than Ustad Taufiq Qureshi, a living classical genius and legend of percussion whose magical command of rhythm has already contributed to runaway successes like Bollywood’s song Mere Dholna (film: Bhool Bhullayan) or films Black and Devdas’ songs.
Ustad Taufiq Qureshi, son of the legendary Ustad Allahrakha and brother of the table maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, played a solo percussion arrangement on the djembe drums and then produced a tight composition of body percussion recalling the sounds of everyday life, from a train to a couple’s argument, everyone was on the edge of their seats.
As if that was not enough, in the midst of this feast of music and movement, the highlight was yet to come. An astounding and unprecedented fusion of classical percussion and piano was about to explode as vocalist Saira took centre stage.
A powerful ‘coming together’ of Bollywood’s ace percussionist Ustad Taufiq Qureshi with Pakistan’s professionally trained versatile vocalist Saira and classical pianist and harmonium player Stephen Smith accompanied by TarsainSingh (tabla) and Ella Peter (Karachi) shook the hall and reverberates in our souls even today. The fusion rendering of Mere Dholna exceeded all expectation, transforming a well-known song into a cutting edge production once again.
Ustad Taufiq Qureshi declared Saira an accomplished and versatile vocalist and requested her to bring her musicians to India next year to form a new band with him.
PERFORMANCE: Classical Vocalist Geetika Varde performs at NJ Arts Fest 14 in London.
