PREMIERE: Madrigal launches Pakistan’s anthem

The creation and launch of the first choral arrangement of Pakistan’s national anthem on 23 March this year, performed by the Corul Național de Cameră „Madrigal – Marin Constantin”, conducted by Anna Ungureanu, and produced with the support of the Ministerul Afacerilor Externe through Romania’s Embassy in Islamabad, generated a major international impact, with an estimated total audience of over 25 million people through Pakistan’s press, television and digital platforms.

„Modern diplomacy can create results that endure as a legacy. Innovation and tradition can bring out the best in each other, and the collaboration between the Ministerul Afacerilor Externe and the Madrigal Choir has created a distinctive cultural moment in Pakistan’s modern history. We thank them for their professionalism! This year’s collaboration builds on the success of last year’s collaboration in Japan, where the Madrigal Choir’s performances were sold out”, said Oana Țoiu, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Pakistan Television: Historic choral tribute | A historic choral tribute

HUM News English: For the first time ever … A tribute to Pakistan’s rich musical heritage … musical depth and emotional resonance. | For the first time in history… A tribute to Pakistan’s rich musical heritage… musical depth and emotional resonance.

Pakistan TV Digital: For the first time ever, Pakistan’s Qaumi Taraana has a dedicated choral arrangement! | For the first time in history, Pakistan’s national anthem has a dedicated choral arrangement!

Danesh Kumar Palyani: Truly highlights how music and art can connect nations and strengthen friendships. | Truly highlights how music and art can connect nations and strengthen friendships.

Ayesha Ali: Unique cultural initiative. | A unique cultural initiative.

Pakistan in the World: Romania offers Pakistan the firstever coral arrangement and score of the National Anthem | Romania offers Pakistan the first choral arrangement and the first score of its national anthem

The World Ambassador (TWA): A Historic Musical Gift | A historic musical gift

Pakistan media coverage

Online, the story circulated not merely as cultural news but as a symbolic diplomatic gesture. The predominant descriptions were along the lines of „the first dedicated choral arrangement”, „historic tribute”, „cultural gift” and „respect for Pakistan’s musical heritage”.

„We are honoured to bring this truly historic cultural project to completion, one that will forever link the two nations”, said His Excellency, Dan Stoenescu, Romania’s Ambassador to Pakistan. 

Pakistan’s national anthem, „Qaumi Tarāna”, composed by Ahmed Ghulam Ali Chagla with lyrics by Hafeez Jalandhari, is one of the most important symbols of Pakistani national identity. 

The project received widespread public and institutional recognition, being shared and commented on by officials, opinion leaders, journalists and public figures in Pakistan. They include Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, MPs Danesh Kumar Palyani and Kasim Gilani, and influential analysts and journalists such as Nasim Zehra, Rabia Akhtar and Yasser Latif Hamdani.

The launch was covered by the national agency Associated Press of Pakistan and leading publications such as Parliament Times, Soon Times, Dawn, The Nation, Daily Times, UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News, Islamabad Post, Centreline, DNA News Agency, The Gulf Observer, Pakistan in the World, The Pakistan Times, The World Ambassador (TWA), Fuchsia Magazine, including in print editions and in Urdu, indicating extensive dissemination both within institutions and among the wider public. The anthem was also broadcast by national and private television channels, such as Pakistan Television and HUM News, and widely amplified on social media, where it generated millions of views and hundreds of thousands of interactions and reactions.

The choral arrangement of „Qaumi Tarāna”, created by Grigore Cudalbu and performed by the Madrigal Choir under the baton of conductor Anna Ungureanu, offers a refined polyphonic version while preserving the solemnity and musical identity of the original.

„For the Madrigal Choir, this project demonstrates culture’s real power to build relationships between nations. In the current international context, cultural diplomacy is becoming an essential means of earning trust and strengthening partnerships between states”, said Emil Pantelimon, Manager of the Madrigal Choir.

The launch forms part of the „Diplomacy – The Anthems of the World” | „Diplomația – Imnurile lumii” programme, initiated by the Madrigal Choir in 2021, a strategic cultural diplomacy initiative aimed at recording the national anthems of every country in the world and making them available to the public on a dedicated digital platform.

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Corul Național de Cameră „Madrigal – Marin Constantin” is a public concert institution of national importance under Romania’s Ministerul Culturii. The ensemble’s Honorary Director is the conductor Ion Marin, and its conductor is Anna Ungureanu. Since 2014, the institution’s management has been coordinated by Emil Pantelimon.