Simran Siraj

KARACHI: In Pakistan&rsquo;s restless commercial capital, where thousands arrive each year to work, rebuild, and reinvent themselves, a centuries-old Sufi allegory found new breath and movement on stage.&nbsp;At the World Culture Festival this week, global theatre ensemble ANIKAYA performed &ldquo;Conference of the Birds,&rdquo; transforming the Arts Council of Pakistan into a living reflection of the city itself: searching, fragmented, striving, and endlessly becoming.&nbsp;Directed by American choreographer Wendy Jehlen, the multi-media movement performance reimagined Farid ud-Din Attar&rsquo;s 12th-century Persian epic, where a flock of birds journeys to find their divine king, the Simorgh, only to discover that the truth they seek lives within themselves.&nbsp;Karachi, home to migrants from every province, every language, every story, mirrored the allegory. Like Attar&rsquo;s birds, many here carry maps of places left behind, hopes folded into suitcases, and dreams stitched into survival.&nbsp;&ldquo;This journey began in 1991 when I was at Brown University,&rdquo; Jehlen told Pakistan TV Digital after the performance. &ldquo;It was when I first encountered Conference of the Birds and the poets and ideas that shaped my entire life.&rdquo;&nbsp;The production was performed by dancers from Benin, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, South Africa, Japan, Palestine, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United States.&nbsp;Though drawn from different homelands, their bodies moved as one organism, separate rhythms, shared breath, evoking the poem&rsquo;s central revelation: unity is not sameness, but harmony across difference.&nbsp;Jehlen explained that the work evolves with each place it is performed.&nbsp;&ldquo;Everywhere we go, the story changes,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;The people, the air, the land, they shape how the birds fly.&rdquo;&nbsp;For Jehlen, movement itself is a philosophy.&nbsp;&ldquo;Movement is my language, but it&rsquo;s also a human and animal language, the most direct way to access empathy,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Through physical theatre, you don&rsquo;t just understand a story, you feel it.&rdquo;&nbsp;The performance drew deeply from real experiences of refugees and migrants, echoing the emotional terrain of Karachi: longing, uprooting, resilience.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are on this journey together, whether we like it or not,&rdquo; Jehlen added.&nbsp;&ldquo;Each imperfect, each necessary. Unity exists only through difference.&rdquo;&nbsp;Bringing the performance to Pakistan, she noted, felt like returning the story to one of its spiritual homelands.&nbsp;&ldquo;I liked doing it here because people in Pakistan already know Conference of the Birds,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;They&rsquo;ve studied it, they understand it.&rdquo;&nbsp;The show concluded to a standing ovation. Fluid, fierce, wordless storytelling that needed no translation.&nbsp;As the audience rose, one truth hovered softly, like a final wingbeat:&nbsp;Karachi, too, is a flock in motion, wandering, weary, hopeful, still searching for the Simorgh it carries within itself.

Culture

Global performers reimagined Conference of the Birds in Karachi, blending movement, mysticism, and migration narratives, reflecting the city’s journey of belonging and unity through shared human experience.

‘Conference of Birds’ reimagines mystic journey in Pakistan’s migrant metropolis Karachi

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani folk, Sufi, and spiritual singer Sanam Marvi captivated a packed audience at the historic Th&eacute;&acirc;tre de la Ville on Sunday night, delivering a soul-stirring performance that celebrated Pakistan&rsquo;s rich musical and spiritual traditions. The concert, jointly organized by the Embassy of Pakistan in France and Th&eacute;&acirc;tre de la Ville, drew hundreds of Parisians and members of the South Asian diaspora, all eager to witness a rare live performance by one of Pakistan&rsquo;s most powerful and acclaimed voices. Known for her deep, emotive renditions of classical Sufi poetry, Marvi&rsquo;s repertoire for the evening included verses by revered mystics such as Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Bulleh Shah, and Khwaja Ghulam Farid. Her powerful voice reverberated through the theater, seamlessly blending Sindhi, Punjabi, and Urdu verses, carrying messages of love, spirituality, and divine unity that transcend borders. A night of cultural diplomacy In her address to the audience, Pakistan&rsquo;s Ambassador to France, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, praised Sanam Marvi&rsquo;s performance and highlighted the growing importance of cultural diplomacy in strengthening international relations. &ldquo;In today&rsquo;s world, cultural diplomacy connects people, societies, and countries,&rdquo; Ambassador Zahra Baloch remarked. &ldquo;We are delighted to see such a warm response from the French audience to Pakistani music. It is through art and culture that nations truly understand one another.&rdquo;&nbsp; The ambassador also expressed her gratitude to Th&eacute;&acirc;tre de la Ville&rsquo;s management, particularly Soudabeh Kia, Conseill&egrave;re Musique du Monde, for their longstanding efforts to showcase global music traditions. The theater, one of Paris&rsquo;s premier venues for world music, previously hosted performances by legends such as the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, further deepening its connection with Pakistani musical heritage. Music as a bridge between worlds Speaking after the performance, Sanam Marvi described the experience as deeply emotional. &ldquo;Music is the spice of life, and we love our traditional music,&rdquo; she said. Marvi was overwhelmed by the presence and appreciation of a large international crowd.&nbsp; Born in Sindh, Marvi began singing at an early age, training under the tutelage of classical musicians before rising to fame through performances on platforms such as Coke Studio Pakistan and international festivals.&nbsp; Over the years, she has become a global ambassador for Sufi and folk music, performing across South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Renewed interest in South Asian art The Th&eacute;&acirc;tre de la Ville&rsquo;s management noted that events like this are part of an ongoing initiative to introduce French audiences to diverse musical expressions from around the world. &ldquo;Music transcends language and geography,&rdquo; a representative said.&nbsp; The evening&rsquo;s success underscored not only Marvi&rsquo;s immense talent but also the growing interest in South Asian art and culture among European audiences. With every note, Sanam Marvi reaffirmed her status as a leading voice of Pakistan&rsquo;s spiritual music tradition and as a powerful symbol of the unifying force of art.

Entertainment

Pakistani Sufi singer Sanam Marvi enthralled a full house at Paris’s Théâtre de la Ville, delivering a moving performance celebrating Pakistan’s spiritual music. The event, backed by Pakistan’s embassy, highlighted cultural diplomacy and growing French interest in South Asian art.

Articles tagged with "Sufi Music"

‘Conference of Birds’ reimagines mystic journey in Pakistan’s migrant metropolis Karachi

Sanam Marvi enthrals Parisians at Theatre de la Ville, Paris