Pakistan’s Saira Peter: The world’s first Sufi Opera singer

Islamabad: Her strong, enchanting voice and deep commitment to music and her audience are glaringly clear when you listen to Saira Peter sing in her soprano voice.

Saira Peter, the British-Pakistani opera star is officially recognised as the world’s first ‘Sufi Opera’ singer. This unique genre is a blend of Pakistani and Western classical music styles, which she is developing and “still discovering.” Sufi opera elegantly brings together her musical talent in the western classical style and her immense love for Sufi poetry and Pakistani music. “I was surprised to see the love and appreciation from the audience for this genre” which she performed the first time in Karachi in 2016, Saira said in an interview with Gulf News in Islamabad during her recent visit to Pakistan for fundraising concerts for flood victims.

First introduction to music

The Karachi-born opera singer, who calls London home, grew up in a Christian family. She first started singing in her church choir at the age of 10. As a child, she was “fascinated by classical music” that was on her father’s favourite playlist. “I grew up listening to classical musicians such as the maestro Ustad Baray Ghulam Ali Khan,” says Saira, who is a trained Western and Pakistani classical singer.

When she first listened to Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland — the greatest opera singers of all time — she instantly fell in love with opera. But among her favourites are also Pakistan’s Queen of Melody Noor Jehan and Jehan’s teacher Ustad Baray Ghulam Ali Khan. It is perhaps her passion for both eastern and western classical styles of music that she went on to introduce a new genre that strikes a chord with people who cherish both styles of music.

Music is both art and science

Saira Peter earned a Master’s degree with distinction in Physical Chemistry from the University of Karachi and another Master’s in History (Islam and the West) from Queen Mary, University of London. Why did she not pursue a career as a scientist? Saira responded that she is a “creative person” inspired by the celebrated polymaths such as Leonardo da Vinci. She sees herself as a scientist, historian and musician.

“Music is both art and science. It is my passion.” It is her science background, knowledge of different communities, as well as the multicultural society she grew up in, that gave her a deeper understanding of Sufism and helped her find her voice, her niche - the Sufi Opera. “In Physics, you study the wavelengths and frequencies, the same rules apply to music. Every note has a frequency, and its increase and decrease in a certain manner creates a unique melody”.

Why opera?

Saira’s operatic journey began about a decade ago. “Opera demands absolute commitment. You must commit physically, emotionally and mentally, to deliver the song and act powerfully”, Saira shared. “When I first performed, I knew it would be an expression of my heartfelt commitment to my art. I was ready to sing and act the opera on all levels”. The fact that “opera can only be experienced through a live performance” makes it even more magical.

Opera is a spectacle, a dramatic story told through songs with live vocal and orchestral music that combines music, drama, dance, and visual arts. The first opera was performed in Italy more than 400 years ago. Opera singers rely on their epic voices for live performances and not on microphones. Saira is a soprano defined as the highest female singing voice in opera that often takes the leading female role.

“An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down. It starts in my imagination, it becomes my life, and it stays part of my life long after I’ve left the opera house.” These words by the legendary Maria Callas truly capture how Saira Peter feels during rehearsals and performances.

Opera singers are extraordinarily disciplined. It is the long hours of daily practice that enrich their performances. Saira spends about five to six hours a day on vocal exercise along with gym visits. This discipline and stamina allowed her to perform live at Lahore Gymkhana for four hours continuously this month. They concluded the event because the musicians grew exhausted but not her!

Greatest achievement

Sharing her proudest moment as an opera singer, Saira said “It was a huge honour for me as a British-Pakistani to record the new edition of the British national anthem ‘God Save the King’ this year” in October at the request of the UK government in Hastings. The new edition, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, will be played at official ceremonies. She had previously recorded ‘God Save the Queen’ in 2018. While she has performed in several prestigious venues, her dream venue is the Royal Opera House in London. Saira is also proud of her achievement as the founder of Saira Arts Academy in Lahore, helping underprivileged children realize their dreams of singing.

Pakistani soprano star can sing in 17 languages

Most opera singers not only master music in their native language but also in Italian, French, and German, the languages in which most operas originated. The Pakistani soprano diva has performed in 17 languages - from French, German, Italian, Russian, English, Latin to Urdu, Sindhi, Hindi, Punjabi, Saraiki, Arabic, Farsi, Tamil, Swahili and Cantonese.

“Saira’s ability to switch between two completely different styles, Western opera and Pakistani classical style, and perform so accurately in different languages is what sets her apart,” says her husband Stephen Smith, who is an expert on the anthropology of music and classically trained pianist. Saira carefully practices the diction and learns from native speakers to truly express her emotions in a foreign language.

It was through music that Stephen first met Saira. “She was on her journey of music and I was on mine. We met after Saira’s father Zafar Francis launched the Pakistani performing arts centre, Noor Jehan Centre, in London which was opened in 1998 by British superstar Sir Cliff Richard OBE” he told Gulf News. Smith is self-taught on harmonium and often accompanies Saira Peter on piano on stage.

Sufi Opera ‘Marvi’s Tears’

The opera singer who has graced stages around the world in the US, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, South Africa, is as down-to-earth off stage as she is charming and vivacious on stage. Saira credits her exceptional success to her teacher - British composer, actor, and musician Paul Knight.

With Paul Knight as composer, British opera director Jonny Danciger and a team of other professionals, Saira Peter is currently working on her biggest and most fascinating project ‘Marvi’s Tears’ - a fusion opera inspired by Sindh’s famous folktale Umar Marvi. Saira’s father, a composer and Urdu scholar, is involved in the project as the librettist who writes the story or words sung in the musical. “This opera narrates the tale of Marvi as told by Sindhi Sufi poet and mystic, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, some 300 years ago” she elaborated.

With Saira in the lead role, the Sufi opera would bring to life the inspiring character of Marvi - widely regarded as a symbol of resistance, courage, and patriotism. The opera depicts Marvi’s deep love for her homeland, longing to be united with her family, and her steadfastness in the face of offers of a luxurious life by a powerful King Umar. Marvi’s desires, sorrows, and emotions of pain and sadness, will be narrated masterfully and intensely by Saira Peter. However, Saira’s Marvi additionally offers a compelling female leader who embraces challenge after challenge in the face of daunting odds. She is a powerful voice for our times, a woman who does not put up with any sort of injustice.

Her husband Smith, says “It is exciting to see this Sufi opera become a reality after years. We can’t wait to share this enchanting story with good values from Pakistan on the international stage.”