LAHORE – Internationally-renowned singer and global collaborator Zeb Bangash played with her Brooklyn-based band Sandaraa at the closing ceremony of the Pakistani International Film Festival in New York on Sunday, July 8. Zeb and Sandaraa were given a glowing introduction by Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistani’s ambassador to the United Nations.
Zeb started off by talking about how important her work with Sandaraa is – as a singer, songwriter, music director and revivalist artist, she has paved the way for creative expression across languages and cultures in the mainstream. To find musicians in the West who understood her intention of telling stories through music, and who have become partners in her quest to present Pakistan’s rich, vernacular traditions has been a way for her to find home, away from home. “Playing with Sandaraa has been a way for me to understand my own heritage,” she said.
She also spoke about how playing at the Film Festival in front of a distinguished Pakistani audience was an absolute honour because while Sandaraa has presented Pakistani music to western audiences for 5 years, this was the first time she was able to give a home audience a glimpse of their work.
Sandaraa started the performance with a peppy fancy number Chashmane, and their set included originals compositions such as Farz Karo and the soulful Awaara as well as fresh renditions of tunes such as Bibi Sanam,Laili Jaan, and Paimona. They presented tunes in seven different languages and ended with a bang with a high energy Baluchi track Hatera Taiyega.
The audience, which included Mehvish Hayat, Ayesha Omer, Mahira Khan, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Angeline Malik, Aamna Sheikh Mehreen Jabbar, along with Ace directors Nadeem Baig and Asim Abbasi a host of UN dignitaries were enraptured by Sandaraa, and enthusiastic in their response.
-PR
