The Song Whisperer

Creativity was at its peak,so was poetry,the world of art,music and lyrics…and why not,those were the eighties. “A great period to be part of,” Tina Sani goes back in time,when she stepped into the world of music,and became an instant hit. “Well,it was not that easy,” she smiles,in town for a performance courtesy Delhi-based NGO,Routes to Roots. “Auditions for television and radio were difficult,and the Pakistani audience is unrelenting,tough listeners and very critical of your work. They praise slowly,in measured tones,and that too with time,” Tina enlightens us on a musical tradition and fine tuned ears that thrive across the border.

“Music is in my nature,it’s the reason I exist,” she flows with the notes,classical,semi-classical,penned by Faiz,Allama Iqbal,Pervin Shakir,Ghalib,Munir Niazi,Firaq….”It was Faiz saab who pulled me towards ghazal gayaki,and I submitted myself completely to it,” the lady speaks softly,in a husky tone,so finely tuned for this genre. “Urdu does have an effect on the voice,it modulates and fine tunes it for ghazal singing,whereas women in South East Asia,including India tend to have thinner,high-pitched voice. More than a high frequency,ghazal requires softer,lower ones…it’s like a whisper in a lover’s ear,” she puts it beautifully. Back home,she adds,being a ghazal singer is like blossoming of a person. “It’s expression through poetry,and this requires a lot of intelligence,maturity,and life’s experiences put together. You have to feel and weigh each word. No one will tolerate ramblings,” says Tina.

One of the first artists to come across the border after 26/11,Tina says some links must be maintained no matter what. “Politics is for the land,whereas art is for soul,it has much higher seat which should not be questioned,” she feels that the fluidity of art forms should carry on. But hasn’t the Taliban raised walls around it? “They tried in Swat,but our own people retaliated. Pakistan has always been a route,a passage under attack,and nowadays,when terror has taken over,and we are frisked at airports,questioned abroad,looked upon with suspicion,I feel frustrated and angry. You know,perceptions are much larger than life…I live a normal life in Karachi,and as a woman,have done pretty well for myself! I feel we need to express our identity,and tell the world we are not the way they perceive us to be!” If only they’d understand!