Islamabad: Pakistan’s first opera singer, Saira Peter, has introduced the unique genre of Sufi opera, which is a delightful fusion of eastern and western music, traditions, and instruments.
Saira Peter, born in Pakistan and currently living in London, is the pioneer of Sufi opera music.
This new genre of music is her way “introduce the message of peace, love and brotherhood through the poetry of Sufis among people” all over the world, she says.
Opera, recognised as the art form which combines music, singing, drama, poetry and dances, originated in Italy from where it spread to France, Germany and the rest of Europe.
This artform has been largely absent from the South Asian musical landscape, and rarely been experimented in musical scene in Pakistan.
However, the London-based Pakistani singer Saira has transformed this local musical landscape.
She has combined opera music with the teachings of Sufism to share its richness with the rest of the world.
The distinct genre of Sufi opera performed by Peter showcases her training and love for the western classical tradition of music and her love for Sufi poetry.
“Sufi poets such as Bulleh Shah and Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai have woven beautiful messages of peace and love in their poetry and I wanted to bring this tradition to the West in their own musical language,” Saira believes.
Saira said that those who listened to the Sufi poetry in opera highly appreciated it. She said that after Bhittai’s poetry, she would make albums of the poetry of other Sufi poets of Pakistan.
She recently launched her debut album Resplendent, the world’s first Sufi opera album featuring the poetry of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. The album includes nine songs including, People ask for riches, Listen to what Latif Says, Resplendent, Gracious One, Those who love the Lord, You are my friend. Her next album would focus on the poetry of other Sufi poets, especially Baba Bulleh Shah, she says.
During her current visit to Pakistan, she mesmerised the Pakistanis music lovers with her powerful voice and spellbinding performance at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) in Islamabad and Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi. Appreciated Saira’s venture of fusion of Opera and Sufi music, Director General of PNCA, Jamal Shah, said her initiatives will diversify the music-scape of Pakistan.
Saira’s multicultural roots allow her to perform a range of genres, ranging from Beethoven to Madam Noor Jahan, who is her source of inspiration.
During her musical performance in Islamabad, she charmingly rendered popular Sufi Punjabi texts and also presented local popular songs. Her rendition of Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On, was truly relished by the audience.
A group of local musicians accompanied Saira.
“This form of music is truly unique, combining Western and Eastern traditions and instruments” Dholak player Jeevay Laal was quoted as saying.
Born in Karachi city, Saira has lived in London for the last few years. She polished her skills as an opera singer under the guidance of Paul Knight, who was a student of famous English British classical music composer Benjamin Britten.
“I am proud to have trained under Paul Knight and think of him as my ustaad [mentor],” she says.
Saira is also the director of the Noor Jahan Centre in London, which promotes Pakistani culture and music in United Kingdom.
