Faiz Ahmad Faiz Centennial Celebrations
By Ras H. Siddiqui
The centennial celebrations of one of Urdu’s greatest poets Faiz Ahmad Faiz (born February, 1911) were kicked off in Lahore, Pakistan on February 7th and will continue worldwide, including several cities in North America this year.
The Lahore series of events included a book launch, international mushaira, an evening with Shabana Azmi and the well attended Faiz Amn Mela topped off with a vocal performance by Tina Sani on Sunday, February 13.
The following programs are scheduled in Canada and America to mark the occasion featuring live performances arranged with the help of The Citizens Foundation or TCF:
March 12, Toronto, Canada: Featuring Zia Mohyeddin reading Faiz prose and poetry.
March 19, San Francisco/Mountain View, CA: A Zia Mohyeddin reading followed by Mehdi Hasan’s sons performing Faiz ghazals.
March 20, Los Angeles, CA: Zia Mohyeddin reading Faiz.
April 16, Houston, Texas: Ghazal performance of Faiz Sahib’s work by Kamran Mehdi Hasan accompanied by Imran Mehdi Hasan on tabla.
April 23, Chicago, IL: Ghazal performance of Faiz Sahib’s work by Kamran Mehdi Hasan accompanied by Imran Mehdi Hasan on tabla.
April, 30, Dallas, TX: Ghazal performance of Faiz Sahib’s work by Kamran Mehdi Hasan accompanied by Imran Mehdi Hasan on tabla.
