Raft Peer Theater Workshop, Government of Sindh and Telenor Pakistan have joined hands to bring the biggest festival of region 'International Mystic Music Sufi Festival' from 3-7 May 2007 in Pakistan.
The festival showcasing significant Groups of Sufi Music from several regional countries is hosting more than 300 international and local artists who will perform at the Bara Dari in Karachi.
Addressing to a press conference on Friday at Karachi Press Club, president of festival Faizaan Peerzada, said that "over the years the International Mystic Music Sufi Festival 2007 has experienced tremendous growth alongside enjoying international media coverage and in the year 2007 Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop will reach newer heights.
He said that international mystic music Sufi festival 2007 has come a long way to become the home of Sufi Mystic Music and the festival has travelled a long journey to reach its sixth edition and become the biggest showcase of Sufi music in the region.
He said that this festival will bring together a diverse group of Sufi singers from around the world to showcase Sufi poetry and music that was created more than a thousand years ago.
Nurturing new talent and preserving dying indigenous Sufi music, the festival has discovered gems like Sain Zahoor, who was recently honoured with the BBC Radio World Music Award, he added.
He said that the sixth Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop's International Mystic Music Sufi Festival 2007, in collaboration with Telenor Pakistan, will pay tribute to a variety of forms of Sufi singing to be featured in five long concerts.
He further said that the dance segment in the festival will provide an interesting mix of the contemporary and the spiritual forms of devotional whirling, with Arab, Persian & Turkish and Pakistani performers dominating the line-up.
The mesmerising poetry of the Sufis, their compositions and the 'Kalam' has gained widespread recognition within and outside Pakistan, he added. He said that festival will be features singers and musicians from all over the Muslim world including countries Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Africa, Holland, Syria, Turkey etc.
Sufi festival will only focus on groups that have dedicated their work on Sufi singing and some exceptional new groups that have profound Sufi influences in their music will also be featured, he added.
He mentioned that this festival, "Universalism and Islam", addresses the latter conflict, as Muslim, we know that Islam is not the demonised version we see on our televisions. However, if we want to change the face of our religion, we must first change a mindset that accepts hatred, violence and oppression as legitimate tools of religion, he added.
Regional Director South Telenor Pakistan Syed Montzer Mehdi said that, "Sufi Music is our country's most inspiring asset and Telenor proud to be a part of a partnership that highlights our roots, our values and our cultural talents. "We are hopeful that this effort will bring together our Sufi heritage from many nations, for the world to see," he added. Sameena Pirzada, famous actors and Rehana Saif from Karachi City district government also addressed on the occasion.
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