We take great pride in sharing Askari’s performance at Saahas Foundation and endorse his views regarding the beauty in diverse cultural heritage and traditions of our country, which he displayed through various performing art forms at Saahas Foundation.
Askari’s visit to Saahas was an event, a ‘cultural tour’ for the team, which he deftly curated/tailored through a variety of art forms. It was wonderful to learn from him what he refers to as the ‘music of language’: a distinct way of carving cultural depths, sparking a great sense of inquisitiveness towards knowing the mosaic and harmonious landscape that characterise the uniqueness of India, it’s composite culture; the immense diversity of beliefs, traditions and practices subsisting across centuries.
Askari brought out the uniqueness of the country’s syncretic culture by showing how in the face of modernization – in fact despite it – the essential character of its ethos, its spirit has remained intact. This unique phenomenon is largely the product of long drawn out and complex historical process of accommodation, assimilation and coexistence of an immense range of diverse cultures and ways of life that India has been home to across millennia.
Askari performed on the lines of Dastan Goi, a now lost Persian style of oral storytelling, Sozkhwani, a vocal art form that narrates the story of the battle of Karbala, Bhajans and Marsiya – poems to commemorate martyrdom.
Through his style of performing arts, Askari is trying not only to revive lost art forms, but he is also blending them with contemporary styles of performing arts. These efforts are a part of his ‘discourse’ of spreading the message of peace, joy, justice and togetherness in the world.
Askari cited the rich cultural heritage of Awadh as an influence in his adaptation to the art form that blends with the Indian classical ragas, references to and recitation of couplets from the poetry of Mir Anis, an eighteenth-century poet who wrote extended Marsiyas – in Persian, Urdu, Hindi and Sanskrit.
Askari performed two different beautiful bhajans in Indian classical raga: – सुमिरन कर भज नाम राम को जो कछु भला होवे तेरो बन्दे (sumiran kar bhanam ram) – an Alhaiya Bilawal bandish (composition) and सब ही राम क्रिया को (sab hi Ram kriya ko karen) – a behag bandish (composition) touching hearts of everyone at Saahas.
Askari dwelt upon Akbar Allahabadi, an Urdu poet of the mass with a remarkable sense of irony and humour and showed how his work surfaced and portrayed syncretistic cultural values. He spoke about Ghalib, Kabir, Sufi mysticism and how they were woven into the fabric of different faiths, detailing an earthly particularity of everyday life.
Askari Naqvi is a human rights lawyer turned performing artist who has performed widely in India and many other parts of the world, including Germany, France and the Middle East.
We were happy to have Askari at Saahas and wish him great success in his future assignments and life.