It was a mellow, moonlit evening of Lahore’s glorious spring when Sachal Studios released their album ‘Tarang’. It could not have been at a more fitting venue. Amid the decaying environs of Old Lahore stands the Haveli of Mian Yusaf Salahuddin, refurbished into a little planet of conservation as a courageous effort to protect and rejuvenate Lahore’s cultural soul. Mian Yusuf is the one denizen who has done this good deed for posterity, along with Syed Babar Ali who has conserved his ancestral Mubarak Begum Haveli in Bhaati Gate. Of course, the state has been abject in its failure to conserve Lahore’s majestic heritage.
Sachal Studios is the brainchild of international businessman Izzat Majeed and man of letters Mushtaq Soofi, an exceptionally motivated duo. Sachal has infused the local music scene with innovation and energy. It is promoting a hybrid orchestra – once an integral part of the subcontinent’s film music tradition. Since 2003, Majeed, an activist and radical intellectual in a previous avatar, has devoted his time and money to this passion – to create Pakistani melodies in sync with the imperatives of contemporary musical sensibilities.
Adil Najam
This picture from Metroblog Lahore made me laugh out loud. One could think of some ATP commentators that we might want to say this to!
Given the type of comments recent posts have been recieving, the refrain written at the back of this rickshaw, or at least it’s first half, seems funnily appropriate. The Punjabi words at the back read: “SaRRya na kar, chanda, dua karya kar.” I don’t think justice can be done to this in translation, so I will not try. Maybe others could help.
Here at ATP, our fascination with the motor rickshaw goes long and deep, most recently in this post here, and in other forms of expressing “transport wisdom”!
Adil Najam
Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day. We have commemorated the occasion each year at ATP not simply as a reminder of the injustices against women all over the world, but as a celebration of the dignty and determination of all of the women around us – everywhere in the world and in Pakistan (here). As I wrote last year, “the daily struggles and achievements of Pakistan’s 70 million women that we need to celebrate. Today, and everyday.”
There is no one I can think of who represents this dignity and determination better than Mukhtan (Mukhtaraan) Mai (here and here; book link here). For the last month we have heard about the plans to make a Hollywood movie on the life, struggles, and determination of this amazing woman. Today is a fitting day to talk about it.
I have had the good fortune of having met a number of great and famous people; heads of states, poets, artists, performers, intellectuals, sports and movie stars, men and women. I can honestly say that there are few – very few – who impressed me with an inherent sense and aura of grace and dignity that Mukhtar Mai has.
