October 7, 2017
Pakistani-origin Bollywood singer Adnan Sami, who is half
Kashmiri, is set to perform a musical gala on the banks of the Dal Lake here on
Sunday
The 'Rhythm in Paradise' concert will take place at the sprawling
lawns of the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) with a
select audience of around 3,000 VVIPs.
The SKICC complex has been given a
facelift to provide the right ambience. A deweeding and preservation operation
in the Dal Lake has been speeded up so that the dazzling lights of the concert
fall on clean glistening waters.
"He will perform without charging
anything for the over two-hour long concert organised jointly by the union Home
Ministry and the Jammu and Kashmir government," Mehmood Shah, Director of the
state Tourism Department, told IANS on Saturday.
Doordarshan will stream
the concert live. The government has deployed over 100 liaison officers to
ensure that the concert takes place smoothly.
A security drill was held
on Saturday around the venue to ensure foolproof security.
Sami
interacted with some local artists at the Taj Vivanta Hotel here on Friday
evening.
Discussing his music journey and sharing experiences with the
local artists, Adnan said: "Language of art is a form of communication that
transcends all differences created by humans as it reaches above hate to spread
a message of peace and harmony."
On his experiences of visiting the
state, Sami said the region hosted a rich culture which had art woven in its
roots.
"The mysticism and Sufism found in Kashmir will continue to
inspire me and influence my music so that I can produce rich melodies," he said.
Sami tweeted on Saturday: "I really enjoyed meeting the amazing local
artists. It was delightful talking with them. Felt as if we knew each other from
ages. The love."
Although he has visited the Kashmir Valley previously
including for the shooting a Qawali sequence for Bollywood blockbuster "Bajrangi
Bhaijaan", Adnan said about his present visit: "I am in heaven on Earth.
Kashmir, Srinagar, love, peace, brotherhood and music."
Many locals have
expressed disappointment about the concert being a closed affair and not open to
the general public.
"We looked forward to the concert and were ready to
pay for the tickets, but we are now told it is not an open concert," said Suhail
Ahmad, 23, a university student.
According to the organisers, the initial
plan was for an open concert but security concerns forced it otherwise.