Young singers have fewer opportunities

Pakistan has produced great classical singers in the past; Mehdi Hassan, Noor Jehan, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Mehnaz are just a few to name. Unfortunately, we do not see that kind of music being produced at the moment though we have a few young talented singers. One reason could be that the ground for nurturing new talent seems to be missing. Also, there are fewer platforms available to promote the new talent. There used to be a culture of music and musical evenings at homes where the singers would perform in private gatherings and this meant that the young people had the opportunity to listen and learn from the masters but gradually that culture changed, perhaps due to Islamization in the Zia era and after him. There is a need to create opportunities for young artists and rather than stopping our children from entering the performing arts, we need to nurture that environment says Fouzia Saeed. PNCA is one such platforms, she shares. For more details watch the episode.