Ali Zafar and other stars at Shaan-e-Pakistan

‘Shaan-e-Pakistan’ (SEPMA 2019), a two-day cultural event hosted by entrepreneur Huma Nassr, is all set to begin on March 21 in Lahore, with a Music Summit that will see celebrated musicians such as Arshad Mehmud, Tina Sani and Ali Zafar as keynote speakers.

Fashion designer Yousuf Bashir Qureshi, talk show host Faisal Qureshi, actress Hajra Yameen, director Saqib Malik, CEO of music streaming app Patari, Rabeel Warraich, will feature as panellists. This was announced at a press conference held at Shahi Hamam.

At the press conference led by Nassr, music maestro Javed Bashir; founder of Sweet Tooth, Umer Hussain; and retail expert trainer, Shanze Faiz, it was revealed that Shafqat Amanat Ali, Sanam Marvi, Amanat Ali and other musicians would be collaborating on a live gig.

While the previous couple of events famously had artists from across the border — prominently Rekha Bharadwaj and Zeenat Aman — this year too Nassr and her executive producer Irfan Pardesi were hoping to get an interesting lineup from India, but the escalation of tension at the border between the two countries held them back.

“SEPMA 2019 aims to celebrate music and cultures of Pakistan by recognising local talent that has also made a name in South Asia. This [event] shall be a game changer for all,” Nassr said.

Pardesi’s vision is aligned with SEPMA 2019 and Nasr. A London School of Economics (LSE) graduate, this South Africa-based young man is currently looking to empower the music community of Pakistan with international tie-ups and voice exports.

On the final night, the SEPMA 2019 trophy shall be presented to the winners of the musical achievement awards. An unplugged performance by Safeer Jaffery (from Pepsi Battle of Bands) shall bring the event to a close.