Pashto melody queen Zarsanga wins Aga Khan music award
The Aga Khan Music Awards Master Jury has announced to honour 10 prominent folk artists, composers and instrumentalists around the world including Pashto folk maestro Zarsanga Bib
Senior vocalists, artist organisations and music buffs have appreciated conferring the Aga Khan music award on Pashto melody queen Zarsanga Bibi.
They have demanded of the authorities to provide permanent abode and healthcare to the folk music maestro
Shahzada Khan, the son of Zarsanga, said that his legendary mother would proceed to Oman’s capital Muscat to receive the celebrated award at an event to be held in last week of October. The award ceremony is held triennially to encourage folk music tradition across the globe.
Pashto melody queen Zarsanga wins Aga Khan music award
“It was a matter of great pride for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and our belovedcountry atlarge when Aga Khan Music Awards Master Jury decided to confer themost covered award on my mother in recognition of her tremendous contribution to Pashto music,” he said with pride
Zarsanga, when contacted, said that he news put a fresh spirit in her though her financial condition was far from good because she was forced to live in a tent in the open in Kohat district along with a crowded family exceeding 80 members and all dependent on her
`I have not attended any music concert since my last performance on a private Pashto TV channel, said the octogenarian folk maestro
Aga Khan Music Master Jury (AKMAMJ) has announced awards for 10 popular folk music artists around the world including two f rom India, one each from Afghanistan, Iran, Tanzania, Mauritania, Indonesia, Mali and UK. The winners have been selected from over 400 nominations
The cash award $500,000 would be shared by 10 winners and six special mentions including Sain Zahoor, prominent Punjabi folk musician with a lifelong practice of singing Sufi poetry in local shrines and festivals, often accompanied by ecstatic dance
Zalubai alias Zarsanga launched her singing career from Radio Pakistan Peshawar in her early teens and since then has been contributing to Pashto folk music having represented Pakistan in the US, UK, Japan, Germany and Gulf countries
Khayal Mohammad, senior folk singer, said that he was pleased to hear about Zarsanga’s award at a global level
He said that she deserved it
“I appeal to music buf fs and well-off fans to provide a humble abode to the legend Pashto singer, Zarsanga Bibi,” he added
