GHAZAL NIGHT: LITERARY COLORS FROM PAKISTAN

Saturday, June 22nd  |  7pm -10pm  |  Royal Banquet Hall (Flatbush)

Aziz Peerzada, Farhat Nadeem Humayun, Professor Hamad Khan, and Saboor Aziz brought the intimate teahouse atmosphere of a mushaira (Pakistani poetry recital) to the Royal Banquet Hall in Flatbush on June 22, 2019. 

Aziz Peerzada, originally from Rawalpindi, came to the United States in 1987 for better life and to be closer to his family. Naturally talented and self taught, Aziz had already been performing on national television for almost eight years. In the US, he performs everywhere from weddings to embassies, and has performed in almost 25 states to date. His son, 14-year-old Saboor Aziz, is a naturally talented tabla player and has been performing alongside his father for couple of years now. His repertoire is versatile; although most of Aziz’s work is classical-oriented and based on older renditions of ghazals, he also plays Punjabi folk songs with equal ease and talent. Aziz Peerzada has also been involved in promoting Pakistani culture and heritage in New York. Besides being personally involved in managing Brooklyn Mela for years, his organization Pakistan Music and Culture Association was active in organizing cultural events in schools to promote Pakistani music in the 90s.

Farhat Nadeem Humayun is an accountant by profession but has been writing poetry since childhood. Farhat comes from a literary background from Budaun, India, and has published two collections of poetry. He is a devoted member of collectives of Pakistani poetry in both New York and New Jersey. 

Professor Hamad Khan came to the United States in 1990 and has earned masters degrees in electrical engineering and education. In addition to teaching at Bronx Community College, he has published three books of poetry, including one written in Siraiki and two written in Urdu. He has also been a regular contributor to Urdu newspapers for the past 20 years. 

Ghazal Night: Literary Colors from Pakistan was part of Tracking Traditions Along the B/Q, BAC's summer Folk Arts program series.