Veteran Pakistani performing artist Zia Mohyeddin (1931-2023) passed away this week. May his soul rest in peace. Amen. Among the most enduring legacies he has left behind is the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) he helped establish in Karachi in 2005 with the support and funding provided by former President Pervez Musharraf (1943-2023). Zia Mohyeddin not only inspired generations of young…

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Pakistan is often portrayed in the international media, particularly the western media, as a highly tradition-bound conservative society dominated by Taliban sympathizers.  Fatima Bhutto, a granddaughter of former Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, offers evidence to suggest otherwise. …

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Pakistani-American singer Arooj Aftab's rendition of “Mohabbat” won the prize for Best Global Music Performance at the 2022 Grammys. The Brooklyn based singer won the category ahead of Femi Kuti (“Pà Pá Pà”), Wizkid and Tems (“Essence”), Angélique Kidjo and Burna Boy (“Do Yourself”) and Yo-Yo Ma and Angélique Kidjo (“Blewu”).  

The lyrics of "Mohabbat", part of her album "Vulture Prince", go like this: "mohabbat karne vaale kam na hoñge/ tirī mahfil meñ lekin ham na hoñge ". It is a…

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What legacy did Junaid Jamshed leave for Pakistan with his untimely and tragic death in PIA PK661 Air Crash in Havelian, KP?  What did Junaid Jamshed's life as a celebrity signify for his fans?  How did… Continue

“My advice to any heartbroken young girl is to pay close attention to the study of theoretical physics. Because one day there may well be proof of multiple universes. It would not be beyond the realms of possibility that somewhere outside of our own universe lies another different universe. And in that universe, Zayn is still in One Direction.”  British Physicist Stephen Hawking…



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Yasmine and Jahan Yousaf, Pakistani-American sisters born and raised in Chicago,  make up the popular EDM  (Electronic Dance Music) superstar duo Krewella.  EDM is recognized by the American music industry as a broad range of percussive electronic music genres produced for dance-based entertainment for nightclubs, raves, and festivals. …



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It was food for the body and soul and feast for the eyes at a Silicon Valley Pakistani-American event called The Stage is All Yours. Dozens of Pakistanis took to the stage to show off their talents at this open mic function inspired by Waldo Emerson's quote: "Every artist was first an amateur". There were aspiring singers, musicians,…

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Pakistan's Sachal Studios Orchestra, named after Sindhi Sufi Saint Sachal Sarmast (1739–1829), has topped iTunes jazz charts in America and Britain with its interpretation of Dave Brubeck's Take Five that blends classical violins with sitars, tablas and other South Asian instruments, according to British media… Continue

I recently gave a keynote at an event organized by Pakistani-American Cultural Center in Silicon Valley, CA, USA.

The subject was Pakistani culture and music.



Here are some of the salient points of the presentation:



Importance of Music and Culture:



-Music Helps Define Each Nation’s Culture and Identity



-Culture Helps Project Soft Power and Softer Image of a Nation





-Soft Power is Often More Effective Than Hard Power...It's easier… Continue

Have you ever wondered if Pakistan is really as one-dimensional a country as stereotyped by the negative torrent of international media coverage that dominated the news headlines in 2010?



Have you ever thought that Pakistanis engage in any pursuits other than as perpetrators or victims of terror that the journalists find the most newsworthy about the world's sixth most populous South Asian nation?



Well, an Indian-American producer Madhlika Sikka on NPR's Talk of the Nation… Continue