Khumariyaan Center Stage US Tour 2014

Peshawar based band Khumariyaan tours the US.

By Ally Adnan.

“The tour was the greatest experience of my life,” says Khumariyaan band leader, Farhan Bogra. “All my life, I had heard that music was the universal language and did not observe geographical boundaries. This tour proved the adage right.” The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa based band recently completed a highly successful tour of the US which included live performances in nine (9) cities and numerous television and radio appearances. “Americans have a very keen sense of music and rhythm,” observes percussionist Shiraz Khan. “It was very heartening to see them take a genuine interest in our music. Their appreciation was both intelligent and knowledgeable.” The tour was arranged as a part of the US Department of State’s Center Stage program and afforded the musicians a number of opportunities to meet with musicians, record labels, journalists and music lovers. “No matter how many tours we have in the future, this one will always be special,” says guitarist Aamer Shafiq. “The amount of love and warmth we experienced during the tour has made us a fan of America and Americans. And the fact that there is no better place to shop in the world than the United States, is going to add to our desire to go back again, and gain.”