China Pakistan Folk Music Concert to Promote Cultural Exchanges and Cooperation

China Cultural Center in Pakistan and Hebei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism of China jointly produced the China-Pakistan Folk Music Concert to promote China-Pakistan cultural exchanges and cooperation, and to highlight the bilateral ironclad friendship.

Islamabad: 10 Dec 2022 – China Cultural Center in Pakistan and Hebei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism of China, in collaboration with Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA), jointly produced the China-Pakistan Folk Music Concert to promote China-Pakistan cultural exchanges and cooperation, and to highlight the bilateral ironclad friendship. The concert went live online via chinanews.com and the official Facebook page of China Cultural Center in Pakistan with culture and tourism promotion films of both countries.

Video speeches by senior officials from each country were also given before the concert. The concert was performed by Chinese Orchestra of Hebei Song and Dance Theater, and Pakistani Folk Band of Salman Adil / National Performing Arts Group of PNCA. In the 80-minute live online concert, artists from Chinese Orchestra of Hebei Song and Dance Theater also performed different musical performances.

These include “Battling Against Typhoon” played on Guzheng by Zhang Pei, musical “date Harvest” by Zhang Guoming, Wu Yahui, Wang Haiyun using Suona, which is a traditional Chinese musical instrument with double-reed horn as well as Musical performance by Pakistani artist such as Pakistani Folk tune of Rubab and Tabla, “Man di mauj vich” by santoor artist Ali Raza and flute performance “Heer Ranjha and Mast Qalandar” by Salman Adil.

Concert also included various different musical performance by other well-known artists from China and Pakistan. Hebei Provincial Song and Dance Theater National Orchestra is affiliated to Hebei Provincial Song and Dance Theater Performing Arts Co., Ltd., established in 1960, is the only professional national orchestra in Hebei Province.

After years of practice and development, especially after 2018, it has gradually developed into a full-staffed national orchestra with many high musical literacy. It has performed in the United States, Japan, Singapore, Italy, Greece, North Korea, Mongolia, Malaysia, Thailand and other countries as well as Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Salman Adil is a famous Pakistani musician who is good at playing flute and singing. He has published many albums such as “Dream Journey”. He is a member of the National Arts Council of Pakistan and has toured in many countries and regions or participated in cultural exchange activities on behalf of Pakistan.

The participating members also included Pakistani folk instrument players such as Pakistani sitar player Arsalan Nizami, tabla drum player Amoos Khan, and keyboard player Obaid Baber and dancers from the National Performing Arts Troupe of the National Arts Council of Pakistan.