Canvas of Sound with Tazeen Qayyum

Middle Eastern rhythms merge with live painting in a reflective and mindful performance blending ancient wisdom with contemporary expression. Watch as visual artist Tazeen Qayyum creates an intricate calligraphic drawing in real-time, inspired by the expressive power of Urdu, Arabic and Farsi, accompanied by Aga Khan Master Musicians Feras Charestan and Basel Rajoub.

Uniting the qalam (pen) and saaz (a musical instrument), the performance is interdisciplinary artistic response to The Truth We Seek, this year’s International Festival theme. The performers have thoughtfully chosen to anchor their recital in four Arabic words:

أمل amal (hope), عدل adl (Justice), كرم karam (kindness) and سلم silm (peace).

Middle Eastern rhythms meet jazz, as performed by Basel Rajoub (saxophone, duclar and percussion) and qanun player Feras Charestan. As a counterforce to the tragedies of our times, the musicians invite you to slow down, observe and reflect to find a state of harmony and mindfulness.