On Wednesday, September 12, Coke Studio-famed Pakistani duo, Zeb & Haniya, performed live for a small audience at the Millennium Stage of the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Currently on their US tour, this was their second performance of their seven city tour around the US. The night before, they participated in a panel discussion at the Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service to discuss cultural, societal and political forces that counter extremism in Pakistan, and how the music they produce is playing a role in the changing times.

The hour long concert, consisted of a very racially diverse audience, as the duo’s music and lyrics consist of languages and instruments from all over Central and South Asia. They sang popular songs like Chup, Paimona, and Bibi Sanam Janem as well as some covers of Turkish and Dari songs. They also debuted some of their upcoming work that is to be released. One song in particular, Barish, which is an ode to the Monsoons of Lahore got the crowd very engaged and eager to hear more of their original songs. After the concert, both women were mingling with the audience and enjoying the beautiful September weather Washington, DC has to offer.

Their tour is organized by the New England Foundation of the Arts (NEFA) which is a nonprofit organization that provides leadership and resources that benefit artists, the public, arts funders, and policymakers. It is part of their Center Stage initiative which was designed to bring diplomacy to Main Street USA by bringing ten striking foreign performing ensembles to the U.S. for month-long tours from June-December 2012. Out of the ten, four are Pakistani (as you might remember the popular rock-pop band Noori and sufi-esque Arib Azhar’s performance earlier this summer). The next Pakistani performer to be taking up stage, unfortunately only in the city of, Hanover, NH, is the comedy duo Very Live – also known as Ali Gul Pir and Danish Ali).