HYDERABAD: At around 07:30 pm on Friday, the strains of the ‘azan’ streamed into the Chowmahalla Palace like they do every evening. Only this time, the ‘azan’ notes blended with those of the song that storyteller-singer Parvathy Baul was rendering to a spellbound audience.

The sadhvi from West Bengal with the ektara in one hand and the duggi in the other, took a sudden, graceful break and waited for the prayer time to pass before resuming her performance.

This was just one of the many magical moments at the ‘Aman Ki Asha’ concert organised by The Times of India at Chowmahalla Palace on Friday, an initiative that hopes to bring India and Pakistan together.

The beautifully lit Palace reverberated with the sound of oneness as India and Pakistan came together through the music of Baul and Arif Lohar, folk singer from Pakistan. The venue, located in the heart of Old City, illuminated with the melody of the two accomplished singers as they initiated a step towards friendship between the two nations, with the power of music.

If Baul’s Bengali songs crossed language barriers and moved the audience, Arif Lohar’s Sufi, folk and Juni music took the audience to another foot-tapping level, with the lilting notes played on the flute marking his entry on stage. He sang in Punjabi, deftly playing the chimta along, with the catchy folk beats keeping Hyderabadis hooked. Dancing with his troupe in a colourful Punjabi attire and swaying to the beats of his songs, Lohar had the audience asking for more and obliged with Runa Laila’s “Damadam Mast Kalandar”.

Though from different sides of the border, the music of both the countries spoke of similar things like love, life and the almighty. The audience lauded the singers through the memorable evening, for which crowds had started assembling into the venue much before the show started.

The reception the two artistes received possibly showed that the city’s appreciation was not just limited to culture but also the peace initiative which hopes to bring the two neighbours together.

The event drew to a close with a 15-minute jugalbandi of the two artistes calling for Aman Ki Asha.