Saira Peter Explained

Saira Peter[1]
Occupation:Vocalist[2]
Nationality:British[3] [4] [5]
Spouse:Stephen Smith
Website:sairapeter.com

Saira Peter MSc MA (Lon) is a British-Pakistani soprano officially recognised as the world's first Sufi Opera singer.[6] [7] [8] [9] She is Director of NJ Arts London, a multicultural performing arts centre opened in 1998 by Sir Cliff Richard OBE. She is also founder of Saira Arts Academy (SAA)[10] [11] which was officially inaugurated in Lahore by Fed. Min. for National Heritage and Culture, Syed Jamal Shah,[12] who lauded it as 'heralding a new era in the country’s music industry.'[13]

Early life

Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Peter displayed singing talent at a young age, performing for church and community events, but she had no formal music training as a child. Upon completing her first Masters she moved to London and began to study western classical voice.

Education and Training

Saira Peter completed both a BSc (Hons) and an MSc (Distinction) in Physical Chemistry from University of Karachi, followed by an MA in History from Queen Mary University of London.[14] [15]

She is coached in western classical voice by composer Paul Knight. She studied raagdari with Chitrarupa Gupta (disciple of Pundit A.T. Kanan and Geeta Bannerjee) and late Ustad Fida Hussain Khan (Patiala Gharana).[16] [17]

Performance

Peter has given solo western classical performances in the UK, USA, Germany, Turkey and Pakistan.

Her 2016 Pakistan debut took place at Pearl-Continental Hotel in Karachi, followed since by performances at major national venues including Mohatta Palace, Aiwan-e-Sadr (Presidential Palace, Islamabad), Governor House in Karachi, Alhamra Art Center in Lahore, Pakistan National Council of Arts (Islamabad and Lahore). She is regularly invited by the High Commission of Pakistan, London to sing at official events, which they feature on official social media.[18] [19]

Peter was Final Judge and then Chief Judge on two consecutive seasons of Pakistan's reality series Voice of Sindh.

In September 2021 she performed a well-received solo set at the international Mystic Music Festival, Konya, Turkey in commemoration of the birth of sufi poet Mevlana Rumi.[20] [21] [22] With the support of Department of Culture, Konya, Peter created a 'fusion qawwali' based on the poetry of Mevlana Rumi, featuring footage at the shrine of Mevlana Rumi in Konya.[23]

Television and Film

Peter is increasingly in demand as an OST (original soundtrack) singer for primetime television dramas. On 6 May 2022 her OST featured on GEO TV's "Dil Awaiz", a duet with Nabeel Shaukat (Composer: Naveed Nashad), the first episode quickly gaining millions of views.[24] She recorded a solo OST composed by Naveed Nashad for HUM TV network's "Nehar", the first episode airing 9 May 2022.[25] Her most recent OST recording is a duet with Naveed Nashad for Pakistan's GEO TV drama "Grift".

Sufi Opera

Passionate about bringing together people of all backgrounds, during her second MA (History) Saira Peter identified music as a historical means of bridging otherwise isolated communities and promoting a positive message. Simultaneously in the midst of studying Western Classical voice, she envisioned using her music to take Sufi peace poetry to the world stage.[26]

In 2015-16 she worked with vocal coach Paul Knight to create several Sufi Opera songs based on English translations of poetry by Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. These were well received by diverse audiences in the UK, USA and Pakistan. She is currently working with a team of British artists to develop the world’s first full-scale “Sufi Opera”, a musical stage drama based on the story of Umar Marvi, one of Latif’s “seven heroines” of Sindh.[27] It is set to be staged in London upon completion, and Peter will take the role of "Marvi".[28] [29]

Saira Peter has also pioneered a fusion style of the qawwali genre in which she incorporates both Western operatic and South Asian classical styles of singing. This may be heard in her fusion qawwali Rabeem Ver ', which feature's text by famed sufi poet Maulana Jalalluddin Rumi. Peter first performed the song live at Mystic Music Festival (Konya, Turkey) before producing an audio and video recording in collaboration with Konya Culture and Tourism Directorate.[30]

Personal life

Saira Peter lives in London, UK with her husband, the ethnomusicologist and pianist / harmonium player Stephen Smith.

Artistry

According to The Express Tribune, Peter's career wish is "to translate Sufi poetry for Western music so they can understand Pakistani people and their desire for peace."[17] In an interview with Arab News, she described her own music, culminating in the sufi opera genre, as 'merging the two worlds,' of Western and Pakistani classical music.[31] She regularly incorporates both traditional Pakistani songs and Western classical art songs into her concerts.[14] Pakistan's mainstream media often credits Saira Peter with introducing Western operatic singing to Pakistan.[32]

Awards and Distinctions

Discography

Videography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sufi star enthralls audience at PNCA. October 24, 2017. The Express Tribune.
  2. Web site: Saira Peter and the All Souls Choir come together. Akhtar Ali. Akhtar. www.thenews.com.pk.
  3. Web site: Sufi-opera singer Saira Peter to release her two new songs next week. www.radio.gov.pk.
  4. Web site: Pakistan's first opera singer takes message of spirituality to western audience. www.geo.tv.
  5. Web site: Saira Peter to perform in online concerts. July 8, 2020. Times of Islamabad.
  6. UK Intellectual Property Office Trademark No UK00003709868
  7. Web site: September 29, 2021. "British Pakistani soprano Saira Peter...". September 29, 2021. Official Twitter account for the Foreign Minister of Pakistan's Public Diplomacy Initiative.
  8. Web site: Pakistan's first Opera singer enthralls audiences. gulfnews.com. 24 April 2017 .
  9. Web site: desk. you. Pakistan's first sufi-opera singer. www.thenews.com.pk.
  10. Web site: October 9, 2019 . Saira Peter to establish music academy for young female amateur singers of Gilgit-Balistan . Daily Pakistan Global.
  11. Web site: Saira Peter . The Express Tribune.
  12. News: 16 December 2023 . Minister inaugurates first opera music academy in Lahore . 27 February 2024 . Associated Press of Pakistan: Digital . English.
  13. News: Zehra . Syeda Qandeel . 18 December 2023 . Lahore Welcomes the Inauguration of Pakistan's First Opera Music Academy . 27 February 2024 . Hamari Web News.
  14. News: Akram . Sophia . On a High Note: Meet the World's First Sufi Opera Singer . 10 February 2021 . OZY . 30 March 2019.
  15. News: Datta . Anil . Saira Peter: Her velvety voice is her greatest asset . 10 February 2021 . The News International . 25 April 2017.
  16. News: Agha . Saira . Pride of Pakistan: Saira Peter . 10 February 2021 . Daily Times . 29 August 2020.
  17. News: Aijaz . Rahul . I wanted to see how different communities and nationalities worked together in harmony: Saira Peter . 10 February 2021 . The Express Tribune . 26 March 2017.
  18. Web site: Saira Peter performs at Pakistan HC London on Independence Day. www.thenews.com.pk.
  19. Web site: 23 March 2022 . Saira Peter, Pakistani Opera Singer performs at Pakistan Day ceremony. . 29 March 2022 . Pakistan High Commission UK (www.facebook.com/PakistaninUK1).
  20. Web site: 26 September 2021. Saira Peter's performance stuns audience at int'l Mystic Music Festival, Turkey. 26 September 2021. Associated Press of Pakistan Digital.
  21. News: "Saira Peter's performance stuns audience at international Mystic Music Festival". Daily Times Pakistan. September 29, 2021.
  22. News: September 27, 2021. "Turkey's International Sufi Festival was looted by Saira Peter". ProIqra. September 29, 2021.
  23. Web site: 15 June 2023 . Sufi opera star Saira Peter records Maulana Rumi's Qawwali in Konya . 16 June 2023 . Voice of Sindh.
  24. Web site: 6 May 2022 . Dil Awaiz Episode 01 - Har Pal GEO . 16 June 2023 . YouTube.
  25. Web site: 9 May 2022 . Nehar . 16 June 2023 . Hum TV Live Stream: Hum Drama.
  26. News: 2017. Sufi Opera: Where No Woman Has Gone Before.. Libas International, Volume 30, Issue 2.
  27. News: Akram. Sophie. March 2019. On A High Note: Meet the World's First Sufi Opera Singer . OZY Media.
  28. News: Jamal . Sana . January 1, 2023 . Saira Peter: World's First Sufi Opera Singer . Gulf News . January 1, 2023.
  29. Web site: 16 June 2023 . Saira Peter records Rumi's qawwali in Konya . 16 June 2023 . Daily Times (Pakistan).
  30. News: 13 July 2023 . Saira Peter releases Maulana Rumi's fusion qawwali ('Rabeem Ver') worldwide. . y . Daily Parliament Times . 14 July 2023.
  31. News: Imran . Kashif . 3 December 2023 . 'Merging two worlds together': British-Pakistani soprano plans to take 'Sufi opera' to new heights . 27 February 2024 . Arab News.
  32. Web site: 8 November 2022 . I introduced opera music to Pakistan!! . 8 November 2022 . Jang News.
  33. Web site: IAF19 AWARDS – ISLAMABAD ART FESTIVAL .
  34. News: Ali . Ali . 25 May 2024 . British-Pakistani opera singer receives King's commendation . live . 26 May 2024 . Associated Press of Pakistan.
  35. Web site: Saira Peter's new song 'Yeh Zindagi' released, garners praise from fans around the world -. 10 February 2021.
  36. Web site: Pakistan's first Opera singer Saira Peter releases debut album | SAMAA. Samaa TV.

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