ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 (APP):Saira Peter, the first British Pakistani opera singer would perform at on-going first ever international Islamabad Art Festival 2019.
Talking to APP on Sunday, she said that “I feel proud and honoured for participating in these events for my country (Pakistan)”.
Saira Peter said that she was singing Sufi opera in her concerts in the West in Western languages to tell them about Pakistan’s rich cultural values, and convey them the message that Pakistanis were peace-loving people who believed in love, brotherhood, friendship and humanity.
Saira, who was born and raised in port city of Karachi), had been living in London for the last about 17 years, where she got trained in opera music from Paul Knight who was a student of English composer Benjamin ritten, a legend in Western classical music.
Saira Peter also sings in various languages including Urdu, English, Persian, Latin and some regional languages of Pakistan and her main focus was to lend her voice to the mystic poetry had written by Muslim Sufi (mystic) poets in 17th and 18th century including Baba Bullay Shah and Shah Abdul Latif Bhattai and propagate their the message of peace and love for promoting the soft image of Pakistan in West including London.
She said that Sufism was an important part of the Pakistani culture. Sufi poets of Pakistan through their poetry had conveyed to the world the message of love and peace for mutual coexistence in society and taught the respect to humanity.
“I have composed, sung, produced and released a new Album on the Persian poetry of renowned Urdu and Persian poet of Pakistan, late Sufi Ghulam Mustafa Tabasum.
Saira Peter informed that she had also opened a music academy for women in Karachi to train them in Sufi opera singing. She expressed her desire to establish a music academy for female singers in Gilgit-Baltistan.
She said that it was heartening to note that many girls were coming in this field in the country. She said that she was the first opera singer of Pakistan and the only Sufi opera singer in the world.
She said she had also established a music center namely “Noor Jahan Music” in London, to promote Pakistani music and culture and its soft image in the West.