This documentary gets off to a slow start, but in its final two thirds it really picks up quite a bit. Initially, we learn of the travails of classical musicians, and of classical music itself, in Lahore, Pakistan once a center of music for the entire region. This is mainly attributed to the imposition of Shariah Law (where music is forbidden) decades before, and the subsequent clashes between various religious factions.
However, when Izzat Majeed, the founder of Sachal Studios, in Lahore, came up with the brilliant idea of combining the classical Pakistani sounds with those of American Jazz, the results were quite amazing. Trying out this sound on some social media outlets such as YouTube, Majeed quickly found out how popular it could become.
Thus, the Sachal Jazz Ensemble would travel to New York City to combine their talents with those musicians of the Jazz at Lincoln Center, led by the highly acclaimed trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis. For me, this was really the heart of the movie, the reactions of the Pakistani musicians to their NYC experience, and the final mesmerizing results of meshing all of this talent into the concert at Lincoln Center.
Overall, after a slow start this documentary illustrated what the combining of musical talent and innovative thinking can result in, no matter how divergent the cultures are, or where on the globe this talent comes from.
To note: there are some technical issues with the subtitles here, as the lettering is too small, leading to the constant use of my remote zoom, which can get quite annoying.
However, when Izzat Majeed, the founder of Sachal Studios, in Lahore, came up with the brilliant idea of combining the classical Pakistani sounds with those of American Jazz, the results were quite amazing. Trying out this sound on some social media outlets such as YouTube, Majeed quickly found out how popular it could become.
Thus, the Sachal Jazz Ensemble would travel to New York City to combine their talents with those musicians of the Jazz at Lincoln Center, led by the highly acclaimed trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis. For me, this was really the heart of the movie, the reactions of the Pakistani musicians to their NYC experience, and the final mesmerizing results of meshing all of this talent into the concert at Lincoln Center.
Overall, after a slow start this documentary illustrated what the combining of musical talent and innovative thinking can result in, no matter how divergent the cultures are, or where on the globe this talent comes from.
To note: there are some technical issues with the subtitles here, as the lettering is too small, leading to the constant use of my remote zoom, which can get quite annoying.