NAPA reverberates with the sounds from Big Apple
Edited by M. M. ALAM
KARACHI: NAPA’s illegally-constructed/not so perfect theater, situated in the centuries-old heritage building Hindu Gymkhana, was the venue where the American Ari Roland Jazz Quartet performed to a capacity audience.
Speaking on the occasion US Consulate’s Cultural Attache Griffin Rozell told: “We have a longstanding relationship with NAPA. Bringing some of America’s finest jazz musicians to Karachi was too good of an opportunity to miss.
“NAPA is doing important work to promote music and the arts here in Karachi, and we are proud to partner with them. Love for music reaches across borders and transcends languages. We are fortunate to have partners like Zia Mohyuddin, Arshad Mehmud, Nafees Ahmed and the rest of the NAPA team.”
During its visit to Karachi, the Ari Roland Jazz Quartet also held a workshop with NAPA students as well as interactive sessions with Access English-language Micro-scholarship students.
The U.S. Department of State has long been a generous supporter of artistic and cultural endeavors in Pakistan. It awarded $1 million to NAPA and the University of Texas, Austin’s (UTA) Butler School of Music to develop a three-year university partnership. The grant focuses on composition, instrumental and vocals as well as providing for student and faculty exchanges between the two institutions.
Through this partnership, NAPA students and faculty travel to UTA for a six-month exchange to further develop their musicality, skill sets and exposure to other genres of music. In addition, UTA faculty members visit NAPA to conduct workshops and master classes with students.
The U.S. State Department, which financed band’s visit is working with the Foundation for Arts Culture and Education (FACE) to connect musicians in both countries.
[Ari Roland Jazz Quartet: The Ari Roland Jazz Quartet from New York is inspired by jazz music from the 1930s through the 1950s — the Golden Age of Jazz. The ensemble’s repertoire includes pieces by jazz legends such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday as well as its own critically acclaimed compositions. The band consists of four members: Ari Roland (bass), Keith Balla (percussion), Chris Byars (tenor saxophone) and Zaid Nasser (alto saxophone).]
