The National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) has recently launched a landmark publication on Pakistan’s musical heritage, a four-book collection compiled by S.M. Shahid, who is a distinguished writer, cultural historian, and musicologist and has authored over 50 books on music, art, and culture. S.M. Shahid is currently an advisor on music at NAPA. This series reflects the writer’s lifelong devotion to chronicling, preserving, and promoting South Asian music and builds on his earlier acclaimed volume, Great Masters – Pakistani Classical Music and Other Memorabilia.
The collection is monumental for its scope and method. Each of the four volumes documents the life and work of an iconic figure who shaped Pakistan’s musical and cultural identity: Noor Jehan, the inimitable Malika-e-Tarannum; Mehdi Hasan, the Shahenshah-e-Ghazal; Tufail Niazi, whose voice carried the essence of Punjab’s folk tradition; and Kamal Dasgupta, the composer who married classical finesse with lyrical modernity. These are not merely entertainers but cultural pillars, artistes whose contributions defined eras of emotional depth and creative audacity.
S.M. Shahid’s writing combines biography, musicology, and cultural history. Drawing on rare recordings, interviews, and archival material, he paints vivid portraits that situate each artiste within the socio-political and artistic movements of their times. His integrative approach makes the books accessible to students and general readers, while serving as invaluable course material for music education. Each book lists, with precision, the poetry sung, the songs performed, the raags employed, and the films and years in which they appeared, offering readers a structured historical record alongside narrative insight.
Importantly, the prose strikes a rare balance between readability and scholarship. Anecdotes, analysis, and cultural commentary are woven together to demystify complex traditions, helping new generations engage with classical and semi-classical music. For music students and teachers, the transcriptions of raags and rhythmic cycles provide practical tools that complement performance training, making the series an archive and a great teaching resource.
The books arrive at a critical time. Pakistan’s classical and semi-classical traditions face diminishing audiences and a loss of oral transmission. In this context, Tributes to Legends of Pakistani Music acts as a safeguard, ensuring that the philosophies, artistry, and values of our great musicians are preserved in print. For senior readers, the collection evokes the golden musical eras of film, radio, and mehfils; for younger generations, it opens a window into a world they may never have experienced yet remain heirs to.
Beyond scholarship, these volumes are cultural treasures. They reaffirm the idea that music is not static but a living heritage, shaping and reflecting national identity. In publishing this series, NAPA acts on its responsibility as a custodian of Pakistan’s performing arts, bridging past and present while educating future practitioners. This four-book collection is a heritage in print, a fitting tribute to the legends it honors.
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