How a group of women finds joy and nostalgia in the crowded capital
“We are all bathroom singers here,” says Sehr, one of the women at a gathering called Sing Along Karachi, in a video story published by BBC Urdu last month. The group comes together once a month in Karachi, Pakistan, to sing. Sehr laughs as she describes the group as amateurs. But because they’re a chorus, no one feels singled out or nervous that they don’t have the vocal chops to be part of such a group.
The “Sing Along family”, as one of the members calls them, comprises mostly of women. They meet in a simple open-air space, surrounded by bougainvillea, champa (frangipani) and other lush green plants. Accompanied by a small band with a tabla, keyboards and harmonium, they sing a mix of classical Indian and Pakistani songs, as well as popular wedding and celebration songs.
The group is the “baby” of Afshan Ahmed, who first held such gatherings at her office at a cultural centre. When she retired in 2007, her daughter encouraged her to keep the tradition going and offered a space where people could meet. It is entirely free and open to the public, though it tends to attract older women. Younger generations might find this a novelty; recent Instagram reels have praised the approach to “slow living”. But for the older crowd, the gathering is a much-needed source of joy.
“This is therapy for me,” says Fareeha, another singer. During the two hour session, she is “unreachable” by family, and her phone is switched off. People sing and dance with abandon here; every gathering ends with a dhamal, an ecstatic dance often performed at shrines, accompanied by a frenzied drum or dhol beat – and there is little fear of being judged. “We’re too old for that now!” Fareeha says.
One of the group members describes the gathering as a “mehfil”, which has lovely festive connotations. She says she feels this kind of singing and dancing is a throwback to the days before Pakistani weddings were taken over by professionally choreographed group dances to thumping Bollywood mashups, and hired bands and singers entertained the guests.
There is a dearth of truly communal spaces in Karachi, particularly for older Pakistanis. DJ sets at upmarket cafes, raves or concerts are for a certain kind of young (and moneyed) crowd. That’s why Sing Along Karachi is an important physical space for the pursuit of joy.
“We have fulfilled all our responsibilities,” says Fareeha. “Now it is our time to live.”
The original video ‘Sing along & dance to blow your worries away, a unique musical gathering in Karachi’ was first published in Urdu by BBC Urdu on July 9, 2026.
Summary by Sanam Maher
