For 90 minutes or so, the audience was taken on a musical tour of the countryside to appreciate the living traditions of music and dancing.

The show started with fast beating of drums by Saghir Dholi from Jhelum, who beat the drum feverishly before he went into a trill. Very soon he was joined by a pair of men dancing on a made-to-believe horse made of clay, (katha ghora) chanting Mast Qalandar in respect for Sufis and saints who rule the hearts of everyone in our villages. Then the Dholi and the horse dancer went round and round delighting the crowds enjoy their smashing carousel.

Then Ijaz Sarhadi, son of the late Sarod virtuoso Munir Sarhadi, simply astounded the participants with his spell of sweet music which rang out of the musical instrument carved out of a piece of mulberry wood and played with a bow containing hair of horses which produces the amazing sound when struck against taut copper wires. As Ijaz played the instrument, he was joined by two Frontier lads who performed the Khattak dance waving red and green handkerchiefs.

As a form of well-deserved reward, the audience listened to a Pashto song rendered by Abdul Baqi. He soon yielded place to Akbar Khamiso, son of late Khamiso Khan, who would once travel across the world playing on his enchanting alghoza musical instrument bringing acclaim for Pakistan.

In fact, Lok Virsa’s musical evening became an opportunity to have a look at the enormous repertory of musical instruments played in our villages.

Compere Fauzia Saeed informed Moinul Islam Bokhari, the secretary culture, and other guests that the musical instruments and folk artists nourished the soil of Pakistan with their graceful way of life. She observed that since technological advancement we as a nation have neglected arts and folk musicians and our soil has turned barren, devoid of culture and serenity.

She also counted the number of instruments found and said 22 of Pakistan’s village musicians and folk artistes had returned after participating in the Chengdu Intangible Cultural Heritage Exposition held from June 1 to 7 in China.

Lok Virsa Executive Director Khalid Javed said the artists performed on the stage as well as on the streets of Chengdu town in China and were counted among the best of the 50 or more troupes representing over 15 countries.