PAKISTAN Army School of Music hosted a two days’ soirée on 5-6 June 2024, in which scholars, artistes, musicians, vocalists, composers, music directors and enthusiasts including students of various genre of music were invited. Located in the verdant hills of Abbottabad, the event was the first of its kind in Pakistan and enabled the participants to get a taste of the Army’s hospitality, mingle with some the great names in contemporary musical culture and learn of the contributions of the school. Established in 1952, the Pakistan Army School of Music was a brainchild of the indomitable soldier cum diplomat Lieutenant General Sahibzada Yaqoob Khan. It was initially operated in Cherat under Captain Donald Keeling’s administration. Later, it moved to Lahore and, in 1956, found its permanent home in Abbottabad.
The Pakistan Army School of Music was established with the primary objective of providing musical training to officers, soldiers from the Army, Air Force, Navy and students from friendly Allied nations. Annually, it trains up to 640 students. Over the past 60 years, the school has grown significantly and is now renowned as an internationally acclaimed music institution. Its high standards, discipline and code of conduct contribute to producing exceptional musicians. After rigorous selection, students pursue courses lasting from five months to nearly two years, each faculty led by a qualified and experienced staff.
Army School of Music has a couple of notable alumni of the notable institution, who have made significant contributions to the world of music. One of them is Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Wahab Khan, who was the first Pakistani conductor to lead the Tri-services band in the International Music Festival (IMMF) at Moscow, Russia. Lieutenant General Valery Khalilov (who is the chief of the military band service, chief military conductor of the Russian orchestra since 2002 and a gifted music composer) highly praised Pakistan’s band’s performance in press conferences and TV interviews as well as on the radio.
In 1992 a group of participants from the Army School of Music performed in Turkey with their celebrated Mehtar band. In 1995 they performed in China. In 2000 they performed in Karachi when IDEAS (International Defence Exhibition and Seminar) was held for the first time. In 2006 they performed at the birthday ceremony of the Sultan of Brunei. In the same year they participated for the first time in the Berlin Music Festival. While in 2007 they took part in Malaysia’s 50th Independence celebration.
On a separate note, it is a notable fact that the Pakistan Desert Rangers formed their unique band in 2014, making it the country’s first of its kind. Their debut performance during Pakistan’s National Day parade on March 23rd in Islamabad left the audience awestruck. The band’s eye-catching uniforms, bagpipes and decorative neck and leg bands worn by the camels (all crafted in Sialkot) were extraordinary. Stationed at Moj Garh (100 km east of Bahawalpur), the band operates from an ancient fort. The Army has established a large farm for their 170 camels, where a dedicated team of handlers, veterinary doctors and medics ensures their care and training.
Balancing on the camels’ humps while playing bagpipes during marches posed a challenge, but Band Major and Sub-Inspector Muhammad Iqbal successfully completed the training. Some camels are even trained for acrobatic acts, including forming pyramids with riders across three camels. Pakistan now boasts the second camel-mounted military bagpipe band globally, following the Sultan of Oman’s Royal Cavalry Band. To achieve international recognition, they aspire to receive specialized training from the Army School of Music.
The theme of the National Music Conference 2024 was “Harmony in Heritage: Unveiling the Musical Tapestry of Pakistan.” Various aspects were discussed by the participants including ‘Music as a proponent of: Sustainable Peace; National Signature of Defence; and Symbol of Unity’. Presentations on the ‘History of Military Music and Significance of Music During War’ enriched the experience of the guests. Panel discussion on ‘Music as a Profession in Pakistan Music Industry’ brought out thought provoking aspects by Sohail Javed, Shuja Haider, Ahmad Jahanzeb, Wajahat Hassan Khan, Imran EMU, Abdullah Badini, Sitar Maestro Ustad Nafees Ahmad Khan and renowned drama and film producer Sarmad Khosat. Interludes by the Army School of Music Band and Drum Solo enthralled the participants.
Visitors got a glimpse of the Abbot Music Studio, which is the only sound facility in Pakistan that offers state-of-the-art technical support as well as an excellent environment that enables artistes to create, develop and conceptualize their masterpieces in the peaceful surrounding of whispering Pine trees. The grand finale was a musical concert in which the country’s top vocalists and musical instrument players mesmerized the audience. This scribe was invited to speak on the ‘Impact of martial songs in motivating fighting forces.’ I commenced my talk with the song Mujahedeen e Aflak “Shaheed ki Jo maut hai wo qaum ki hayat hai….”
The idea behind the production of this indomitable song was highlighted: how Air Chief Marshal Hakimullah, who was the Air Chief, in 1989, tasked me to search for this powerful poem and produce a powerful video, which would motivate the youth of Pakistan to join PAF and the personnel serving in the fighting force to be ready for the supreme sacrifice of their lives for the defence of Pakistan. Searching through various libraries for the epic poem by Abdul Majeed Salik in an era where internet browsing facility did not exist, personifying the poem to PAF, picking a suitable vocalist to render the song in a powerful manner was an uphill task. Alamgir, who was selected to sing the lyrics, recorded it in California and the song was the first digitally recorded audio in Pakistan. Shooting thrilling visuals in a time period, when animation and computer gimmickry did not exist, was a painstaking process and every shot had to be recorded in real-time. The audience, mostly the youth of Pakistan, were fascinated to learn the background of this thirty-five years old epic. Kudos are due for the Army School of Music for hosting a unique soirée.
—The writer, Retired Group Captain of PAF, is author of several books on China.
