American Artist Elio Villafrance and Omani Artist Shoomb Set the Stage Ablaze with a Soul-Stirring Musical Fusion.
by : Manzoor Alam Balakoti.
Karachi: On the 29th day of the World Culture Festival 2025, organized by the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi, a Fine Arts workshop, musical performances, a film screening, and two theatre plays were presented. Writer-director Bazelah Mustafa’s theatre play “X – Mysteriously Murderous Investigation” captivated the audience. The 29th day began with a dance workshop conducted by Singapore’s Maya Dance Company, featuring children with Down syndrome, held in collaboration with students from Karachi’s special education institution Scinosa. The students of Scinosa warmly welcomed the visiting group from Singapore with an impressive dance performance. During the workshop, children with Down Syndrome and other artists from Maya Dance Company introduced students to various aspects of dance, including technique and artistic expression, through a musical performance. Kavita Krishnan, the leading force behind Maya Dance Company, expressed her gratitude to President Arts Council Muhammad Ahmed Shah for providing an equal platform to children with Down Syndrome alongside artists from around the world.
She said it was heartening to see no discrimination in the festival and announced that these children would showcase their creative skills on November 30. A workshop by Iceland’s painter Halldor also drew a large number of participants, including President Arts Council Muhammad Ahmed Shah, Shahid Rassam, international artists, art students, and art enthusiasts. Speaking at the Workshop, Halldor discussed various dimensions of painting, sharing that he began his creative journey with poetry, then moved to philosophy, and eventually to fine arts. “I even learn from my mistakes, and they delight me,” he said. “I use words in my paintings to find new meanings, turning my poetry into colors. I believe an artwork should reflect all emotions.” He praised the remarkable work of Pakistani artists. In the film screening segment, the film “Gunjal”, written by Nirmal Bano and directed by Shoaib Sultan, was showcased. The story follows journalist Shahbaz Bhatti on an extraordinary investigative journey in search of the truth.
Speaking via video link during the film discussion, director Shoaib Sultan said that cinema plays a crucial role in transforming society. He added that this festival brings unique joy because it offers everything under one roof, including cinema. A special musical performance titled “Elio Villafrance” also enthralled the audience. American musician Elio Villafrance and Omani musician Shoomb delivered a powerful performance. They were joined by Pakistani musicians Ahsan Bari, Shams-ul-Arifeen, Shahid Rehman, Intizar Hussain, Waqas Gulab, and Imran Ali. From Belgium, director-actor Ronnie Aelbrecht presented the theatre play “CHEF”, where puppet-style storytelling delighted the children and kept them laughing. Young audiences also enjoyed a musical performance by Wannes. The day concluded with Bazelah Mustafa’s gripping theatre production “X – Mysteriously Murderous Investigation”, a story set around a single room, a body, four obedient minds, and an intricate web of limitless ideologies. Actors Ali Sher, Ashmal Lal Wany, Awais Khaira, Farhan Rahim, Kiran Siddiqui, and Ram Govind delivered outstanding performances, earning loud applause from the audience.
