Islamabad | October 11, 2014
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the Folklore Society of Pakistan celebrated Daniel Pearl Word Music Days by holding a “Tradition of Peace Through Music” concert at the Lok Virsa Museum in Islamabad. The concert featured four musical groups, representing a variety of Pakistani musical traditions. The lineup highlighted the diversity in Pakistan’s rich musical heritage while demonstrating the power of music to bring people together to promote peace and mutual understanding.
The concert was part of the thirteenth annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days, held worldwide in October since 2002 to commemorate slain U.S. *Wall Street Journal* reporter Daniel Pearl. Daniel Pearl World Music Days is an international network of concerts that uses the power of music to reaffirm a global commitment to tolerance and humanity. Since its inception, Daniel Pearl World Music Days has grown to more than 11,000 performances in 129 countries.
“Tonight’s performance is about celebrating music, promoting tolerance, and inspiring respect for others,” said James Cerven, Assistant Cultural Attaché from the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad. Cerven thanked ATV “Morning with Farah” host Farah Saadia, who emceed the event, which featured Muhammad Azam, the Maatra percussion ensemble, Qurban Niazi, and Uzair Jaswal.
The musicians displayed a variety of folk and Sufi-inspired musical styles. During an interactive session, Maatra presented the history of Pakistan’s most distinctive percussive instruments, including the tabla, naqqara, and pakhawaj. Key figures of Pakistan’s arts and music scene were among an audience of over 500 people.
The U.S. Embassy provides over $1 million annually in support of musical arts programming in Pakistan. Each year, dozens of Pakistani artists participate in musical exchange programs to the United States, collaborations with U.S. musicians, and performances both in Pakistan and abroad with U.S. government support.
Learn more about the event at:http://www.facebook.com/pakistan.usembassy.
