Aga Khan gives away music awards in Lisbon

LISBON: His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan presented the Aga Khan Music Awards in Lisbon along with President of Portuguese Republic Professor Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prince Amyn Aga Khan, says a press release.

Among the world’s many music awards, no extant award or prize focuses on the constellation of devotional music and poetry, indigenous classical music, traditional folk music, and tradition-inspired contemporary music that has flourished in cultures shaped by Islam.

Pakistan was represented through Ejaz Sher Ali Khan, singer and harmonium player, who as one of the finalists for the Award in Performance played in front of the Master Jury on March 30 in Lisbon and  Salima Hashmi, well-known painter and curator, former principal National College of Arts, Lahore, who was one of five selected for the Master Jury.

Following is the press release for the ceremony which includes relevant links for additional background material: https://www.akdn.org/press-release/aga-khan-music-award-laureates-receive-us-500000-prize.

“The technological forces that are reshaping our world now mean that neighbours who live on the other side of the planet are as close to us as our neighbours who live across the street,” said His Highness the Aga Khan in his remarks.

“In such a world, peace and progress require that we promote a pluralist agenda, that we invest in a cosmopolitan ethic.  These Music Awards aim to be an investment in that promotion.”

Sharing his experience after watching the concerts held in the Performance category yesterday, Ara Guzelimian, Provost and Dean of the Juilliard School in New York City remarked, “I simply feel better about the world, and if that’s a gift that the Awards give us, then there can be no better gift.”