Well-known artistes from Pakistan and India will come together to celebrate the life and work of legendary poet, writer and thinker Faiz Ahmed Faiz, at ‘Remembering Faiz’, an evening of poetry and music, to be held on February 23 at the Emirates Auditorium, Emirates International School, Jumeirah. The event, which marks the 106th birth anniversary of the late poet, has been organised by Poetic Strokes, as part of its ‘Sounds of the Soil’ series.
The evening will begin with recitation of Faiz’s Urdu poetry by Adeel Hashmi, well-known writer, filmmaker, and actor, and grandson of the late poet. He will be accompanied on the piano by Asad Anees, Pakistan’s youngest pianist, who is known as a protégé in the world of classical Western music, and has performed at prestigious venues across the world, including Carnegie Hall, New York.
This will be followed by musical renditions of Faiz’s ghazals by award-winning Indian singer Sonam Kalra, who has performed with singers Abida Parveen and Bob Geldof, and at events such as the International Faiz Festival for Peace in Pakistan, The World Sufi Spirit Festivals in Jodhpur and Cairo, and the Women in the World Summit.
Faiz was born in 1911 in Sialkot, India, which is now part of Pakistan, and died in Lahore in 1984. He was a leading intellectual and a revolutionary poet, and writer, who is best known for his work in the Urdu language. He was part of the Progressive Writer’s Movement, whose members fought against imperialism and addressed issues of social injustice through their writings. He is one of Pakistan’s most celebrated and popular literary figures, and is equally admired in India, and across the world.
His work has been translated in English, Russian and other languages. His contribution to literature has been recognised by various honours and awards, including Nishan-e-Imtiaz, the highest civilian award in Pakistan, the Lenin Peace Prize by Russia, Member of the Order of the British Empire, and nominations for the Nobel Prize for Literature.
What: Remembering Faiz
When: February 23, 8pm onwards
Where: Emirates Auditorium, Emirates International School Jumeirah, Dubai
Tickets: Available on www.platinumlist.ae and www.facebook.com/PoeticStrokes
For more information write to admin@poeticstrokes.com or go to www.facebook.com/PoeticStrokes
