Asian Song Contest – 1984 Programme

Series namePerformances
Description

The following pages belong to the programme of the Asian Song Contest which was held at the Town Hall in Birmingham on 25 November,1984. Najma Akhtar participated with nine other contestants and won the contest with the song “Jane Kis Tara Say”. The Asian Song Contest began in 1975 and ran until 1990. The contest returned in 2001 at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham.

Date of Creation / Publication1984
CreatorAsian Cultural Foundation
Associated Person/ Organisation
LocationBirmingham
Collection and Reference NumberNajma Akhtar (GB 2661 NA)
Catalogue NumberNA/PER/1
Copyright
Access to originalsThe originals are located with Najma Akhtar
Series notesNajma Akhtar began her musical career after winning the Asian Song Contest in Birmingham in 1984.
Her first album, Ghazals by Najma, was produced in 1988 by the Indian director Ravi. She began touring widely in the UK, Europe, Japan and the US after the release of her second album Qareeb (Closeness). With the help of a European promoter, Akhtar performed in numerous concerts and festivals throughout Europe such as the Lille and Bourges Festivals and in the middle east, at the International Palestinian Jazz Festival in Jerusalem. Some of her highlights include performing at the WOMAD (The World of Music, Arts and Dance) concerts, the jazz stages at the Reading and Glastonbury festivals, headlining at London venues such as the Ronnie Scott's, the Jazz Café and Watermans Arts Centre, and opening for Nina Simone at the Dominion Theatre. She has performed throughout England in areas such as Croydon, Birmingham, Somerset, Scotland and Cornwall and often participates in Asian community festivals and fairs or melas. The digitised items in this section include a selection of flyers, programmes and photographs of Najma Akhtar's national and international performances.
Collection notesThe Najma Akhtar collection consists of material relating to her performances such as flyers, concert programmes, photographs and paraphernalia such as CD, tape and record sleeves, press releases and other promotional items.
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