Musical Bands Shined In KP Despite Social Media Addiction

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Musical bands shined in KP despite social media addiction

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Oct, 2024) The cultural programs including musical bands and traditional drumsbeating shined in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to marriage season despite social media's addiction, especially by youth.

With the start of weeding season in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the business of drumbeaters, professional singers and musical bands flourished attracting cultural program lovers and area people in substantial numbers.

Almost every weekend, cultural and musical concerts are held at the Hujra of Qasier Khan in village Mohib Banda Nowshera.

These programs are arranged at weddings, birthday parties and other cheerful occasions of the area people.

The local populace gathered at the said Hujra to enjoy live concerts and also learn about each other well beings amid great fun and laughter.

“The doors of my Hujra are opened for cultural programs for the area’s people in organizing musical concerts which gets boom despite the mushroom growth of social media and in-house functions,” said Qaser Khan, former Nazim.

He said that he can still recall the live music concert of the Pashto Gazal Mestro and pride of performance, Khayal Muhammad, a great musician of Pashto Ustad Rafiq Shinwari and Gulazar Alam, who enthralled spectators with their melodious singing amid impressive Tabla and Rabab by the local musicians till late night.

Carrying the legacy of his father, Haji Sherzada Khan to promote young artists and musicians, Qaiser Khan said the guests from nearby villages came to attend the music programs, especially on weekends in large numbers amid a spirit of friendship and warmth.

‘As per my father’s will, I had never closed my Hujra doors for anyone since 2000,” said Qaiser Khan, whose Hujra remained a centre of warmth and friendship besides cementing bonds of brotherhood and tolerance in the society in the village having a population of about  50,000.

The visitors enjoy cultural programs while sitting in traditional wooden beds, chairs, sofas and Charpayees at the said Hujra which was often jam-packed with spectators where they exchanged views on regional and international issues, sports, and culture besides their siblings' success in examinations. 

He said the children learn a lot from senior citizens at Hujra, providing a platform for new musicians.

“I started professional singing from this Hujra and performed successfully on live music shows on several tv channels including Khyber TV,” said Shahzaib Khan, a local singer. 

Admitting decline of music programs at Hujras in the wake of social media’s invasion, he said that competition in such a rich culture was imperative for a tolerant and prosperous society.

“The culture of Hujra was as old as the history of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa itself” said Bakhtzada Khan, senior research officer archaeology and museums department KP while talking to APP. “Based on archaeological evidence recovered from Gor Kathri excavations, Hujra existed some 5,000 years ago in our province where Pakhtoons gathered for relaxation and to enjoy local culture dances including the famous Khattak dance.”

“Hujra institution had originated alongside the social life of Pakhtuns because hospitality was their long culture where people warmly welcomed guests and culture programs arranged for them.”

He said it was hard to imagine a village without a Hujra in a Paktuns society in ancient history and this unique culture passed from one generation to another. The great Pashto poets, Rehman Baba, Khushal Khan Khattak, Ghani Khan, Ameer Hamza Shinwari and Rehmat Shah Sail also highlighted the significance of the Hujra and Pakthoons music in their literary works.

Declaring Hujra a multi-purpose cultural institution, he said it was also exclusively used for the development of men and maintained collectively by the villagers and tribes as it ties them together as a community on joyous and sorrowful occasions.

“A Hujra is considered much more than a mere building or a room in a village and served as a seat of learning, a centre for teaching young people about Pakhtun traditions by abiding by ‘Pashtunwali’ — the code of conduct of Pakhtun society,” he said.

Hujra serves as a community centre, social club and alternate dispute resolution centre, wedding hall, literary and traditional music club, and it has long occupied centre-stage in Pakhtun communities for good reason where people shared each other’s success and grief.

In Pakistan, internet users had swelled to a record 111 million in January year while about 71.90 million people use social media which equates to 29.5 million of total population of the country.

Similarly, about 188.9 million cellular connections are active in Pakistan which is equal to 77.8 percent of the 241 million population of Pakistan. Alike, the number of users of Facebook has jumped to a record 44.50 million while 71.70 million population use YouTube, 17.30 million Instagram, 54.38 million TikTok and 30.21 million on Snapchat, affecting traditional games.

Khayal Muhammad, Pashto Ghazal maestro and Pride of Performance said that Hujra is the backbone of Pashtun society and carries a unique distinction in global cultures. He said that Hujra culture also became a victim of social and digital media.

“When I was young, the hujras were jam-packed with people. My priority was staged performance in Hujra compared to other forums, ”he said, adding with the passage of time, the hujra were converted into houses due to the population bulge and speedy growth of social media.

Famous actor, Javed Babar said that other nations may have guest houses, community centres, gymnasiums, playgrounds and wedding halls but, in Pakhtun culture, all of these activities take place in one Hujra, which is a reflection of Pashtun’s rich culture.

He said that it was Hujra where youth was used to learn ethics such as respect for elders and avoiding idle talk; adding a person well-versed in the norms of the Hujra is called ‘Hujra pass.”

Javed Babar said in case a person was a PhD scholar, but unaware of the values of the Hujra, he is deemed as someone who has not mastered the ethics of Pakhtun culture.

The speakers said that indoor games such as table tennis could also be introduced to attract youth. The experts feared that if Pashtuns fail to revive the Hujra and their local music, Pakhtun youth will be left isolated, leading to psychological and mental health issues besides a setback to regional sports, tolerance and empathy.

They underscored the need to revive local Pashto, Hinko music and Hujra culture with the consensus of all stakeholders to bolster peace and mutual coexistence.

The experts urged the KP government to chalk out a plan for the revival of Hujra and local music such as the allocation of rooms for a library, indoor games, a meeting hall and a guest room with an internet facility and essential furniture to facilitate young lots and musicians. 

They also urged the provision of soft loans to local musicians, singers and filmmakers which is imperative for a peaceful society.

APP/fam