Abuja’s cosy night with some Shaam-e-Ghazal

It was a cosy and entertaining night recently at the Blu Cabana club, Abuja, when the Pakistani community hosted its first Shaam-e-Ghazal, a musical evening of soulful poetry and Mehndi Ghazals.  This year’s Ghazal night was organized in an effort to use music – a universal language – to spread peace and love as the […]

It was a cosy and entertaining night recently at the Blu Cabana club, Abuja, when the Pakistani community hosted its first Shaam-e-Ghazal, a musical evening of soulful poetry and Mehndi Ghazals. 

This year’s Ghazal night was organized in an effort to use music – a universal language – to spread peace and love as the audience was treated to one soulful tune after another.

The open air setting of the arena beyond the swimming pool, was ideal for an intimate performance and a laid-back evening with a relaxing ambiance.

According to the Pakistani Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Agha M Umer Farooq, music is a language that everybody understands regardless of origin or religious affiliation. He said good music, along with the arts and entertainment, is very key in a time like this when many countries around the world are dealing with one form of challenge or another, including insurgency. 

In a bid to ensure that the event made an impact, Ambassador Farooq said Junaid Jehangiri was decided upon and it took eight months to bring him to Nigeria from Ghana, as a result of his tight schedule. 

The wait and efforts were worth it as the four-man band led by the star of the evening, Jehangiri, thrilled the audience with songs that resonated with them as many sang along or applauded when he rendered a poem which struck a chord. 

He enthralled the audience as he went down memory lane, resurrecting songs of yesteryears which were accompanied by the deft fingers of the band on the harmonium, tabla, violin and piano.

Jehangiri mesmerized the crowd, which was predominantly Pakistani but included other nationals and also cut across all ages, with beautiful melodies as his graceful vocals harmonized the rhythms of the tabla and other instruments.

It was a breath of fresh air and provoked some nostalgia among members of the audience who were familiar with the renditions as they listened to them from the comfort of pillows and puffs arranged on rugs on the grass or from the chairs set in rows behind. 

Regardless of the fact that it was a small audience, their zeal and enthusiasm made up for it as they seemingly charmed the musicians who smiled approvingly of their praises.

Responding to questions from Daily Trust, on the decision to organize the event, one of the organizers, Anjum Ishaq, said: “We are all victims of war and terrorism in the world and the organizers of the event wanted to spread peace and love among nations through music which is a universal language. We chose poetry because love is best expressed in the form of poetry.”

The organizers hope to make this an annual event.