The Annemarie-Schimmel-Haus (German Cultural Centre) organized a German Fusion Concert by the band ‘Berlin to Lahore’ on Monday at the garden of the German Cultural Centre in Lahore, where a large number of people from all walks of life attended the concert and praised the performance.
The Berlin to Lahore band comprises Ustad Ashraf Sharif Khan (Sitar), Christoph Reuter (Keyboard), and Thomas Rüdiger (Percussion).
The band members, who all reside in Germany, last came to Pakistan ten years ago for their inaugural concerts and performed in front of packed audiences in various cities of Pakistan. This year, the band is celebrating its 10th anniversary and is performing in all three major cities of Pakistan: Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi.
Annemarie-Schimmel-Haus Deputy Director Shehnaz Adnan told SAMAA Digital that the ‘Berlin to Lahore’ band consists of Christoph Reuter, Ashraf Sharif Khan, and Thomas Rüdiger.
Christoph Reuter, on piano and keys, studied jazz piano in Berlin and Leipzig, Germany, and graduated as a student of Prof. Richie Beirach (New York).
Christoph told the audience about his album's songs, during which he beautifully played pieces titled ‘Shalimar Garden’, ’50 Miles to Lahore’, 'Lahore Funky’, and ‘Beginning of the Love’.
The musician said that when he met people and visited various places, he observed a lot and took inspiration from the words and happenings around him to create his music. At the request of the audience, the band performed 'Shalimar Garden' once again and received a huge round of applause.
As a pianist, he has performed in Germany and many other countries, such as France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Sweden. In addition to his solo appearances, he is the musical director and accompanist of various singers and bands with whom he has released several CDs.
As a composer, Christoph Reuter has written three piano concertos and four oratorios. His oeuvre also includes compositions for various orchestras and choirs, an opera, and music for theater. Christoph Reuter lives in Berlin.
The band explored Lahore's cultural and heritage sites and visited Masjid Wazir Khan and the Mughal-era Shahi Hamam inside the Delhi Gate of the Walled City of Lahore.
Ashraf Sharif Khan was born in Lahore, the son of South Asian sitar master Ustad Muhammad Sharif Khan Poonchwala. He has now settled in Germany. At the age of 21, Ashraf Sharif Khan was awarded the Khwaja Khurshid Anwar Award and the Hazrat Amir Khusrau Award. In 1992, he represented Pakistan at the International Sound Celebration Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. He also won the Kelaniya Prize from Colombo University in Sri Lanka. He has played numerous concerts in the USA, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Thomas Rüdiger on drums, studied piano and drums, and works as a percussionist and drummer in various bands and theaters. His playing style is characterized by a very unusual sound concept: a classic drum set meets world music sounds. In 2000, he began studying tabla with Sajal Karmakar (Calcutta) and spent several study visits to India. Thomas Rüdiger lives in Berlin.
