State level Gojri Music Festival organised

Excelsior Correspondent
KANGAN, Aug   25: The rich cultural inheritance of Gujjars were showcased today in a largely attended  ‘State Level Gojri Music Festival’ organised by Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages held at Baba Nizam-ud-Din Park and  attended by prominent dignitaries of the tribe and youth of the community.
Welcoming the guests Dr Javaid Rahi Chief Editor of State Academy stated that the main objective of this programme was to propagate richness of Gojri Folk  and light music among our new generation especially amongst youths of the community.
He said tribal Gojri music is facing tremendous threats from rapid development, satellite channels and globalisation and there is an urgent need to document its centuries old traditions in audio visual form adding that State Academy is documenting it in printed and audio form since last thirty years.
Prominent writer and poet Ch  Iqbal Azeem in his inaugural remarks said that that Gojri is having rich traditions of music and performing arts reflecting diverse shades of Gujjar Culture .He appreciated the Academy for holding such a purposeful event at Jammu-the nerve centre of Cultural activities.
Around one hundred artists drawn from different parts of the State performed on the occasion. Prominent among them included Begum Jan and Party, Noor un Nissa and Party, Razia Begum and Party, Tasleema Chowdhary and Party, Ghulam Hussan Tabasum and Party, Freed Parwaz and Party and Parveena Jan and Party.
Mohammad Manshah Khaki Senior Editor of Gojri presented vote of thanks while Dr Shahnawaz Khatana conducted the proceedings of the event.