GCU, Turkish Band Hosted Cross-Cultural Performance

News Desk

Lahore: The Government College University (GCU) Lahore has hosted a mesmerising blend of Turkish and classical Sufi music, as the famed Turkish band Afro-Arab Music Circle performed alongside the talented musicians and singers of GCU’s Nazir Ahmad Music Society (NAMS).

The musical evening was organised by GCU-NAMS in collaboration with the Chishtiya Ribbat Sufi Studies Center.

The five-member Turkish band, led by Abdullah Kaymak, and NAMS students also recited Qaseeda Burda Shareef. GCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Asghar Zaidi praised their performance and said, “Qaseeda gives us renewed hope for better times, especially as our Turkish brothers deal with the fallout from a devastating earthquake.”

We had a breathtaking cross-cultural collaboration between NAMS & Turkish Sufi music band @gcuniversitylhr A spiritual experience in the recitation of Qaseeda Burda Shareef, renewing our hope for better future esp as our Turkish brethren are dealing with catastrophic earthquake. pic.twitter.com/FtoFWx6iUZ

— Asghar Zaidi (@zaidia) February 16, 2023

Prof Zaidi also expressed his excitement at the amazing cross-cultural musical collaboration that took place between NAMS and the skilled Turkish band.

Abdullah Kaymak and his group have travelled far in Turkey and the Middle East, bringing audiences there the beauty and profundity of Afro-Arab Sufi chants.

Sufi Studies Center Chishtiya Ribbat Asim Maharvi Chishti expressed his pride in the GCU students who collaborated with Kaymak and his crew to produce something incredibly special and lovely. “It was a testament to the strong cultural linkages that exist between Pakistan and Turkey and showed the possibilities for future cross-cultural collaborations,” he said.

The instrumental, vocal and orchestral performances by NAMS artists and the Turkish band captivated the audience. It was an enthralling experience that left a lasting impression on them.