Weighing in on the latest Pakistani music scene thanks to the ubiquitously known Coke Studio and new-kid-on-the-block Velo Sound Station.
After recovering from a music smorgasbord that made our heads spin, Ayesha Akif and I decided to paint our own little opinion-scape to see what Pakistani music has given us this December. Every song is not covered — ignore the omissions or share your opinions in the comments section below.
Coke Studio 2020 – Season Opener: Sung by Meesha Shafi, Sanam Marvi, Fariha Pervez, Zara Madani, Wajiha Naqvi and Sehar Gul Khan
Amna: No doubt Meesha is a confident and powerful singer who always brings her A-game to her songs, especially on Coke Studio, but this year her premiere ensemble song kicks the ball right out of the park — into a dumpster of clichés! While the tune is catchy and Rohail Hyatt has produced the music with his inimitable technique, the song suffers from some overarching flaws which —once we share here — will have the song’s fans feel as if they just heard someone scratch a blackboard with their nails!
Disappointing for an all woman-anthem —interesting that these lyrics were written recently for this folk-styled composition. Right from the beginning our heroine takes a backseat as a typical desi woman — she is profiled in the song as busy doing housework: ‘tuttay phanday kali karawan galli dey wich bay key’; she proclaims she is sad about how ‘zanjeerein’ are holding her down; and how her husband is her ‘tu meray sir da sayeen’; while she is the perfect wife because ‘tasleeme, kunba tera tasleeme’. I’ve checked the lyric credits and am so disappointed. This kind of text just appeals to the lowest common denominator and the story perpetuates patriarchal norms from this part of the world. Personally, I don’t want to hear an ordinary woman’s suffering life story as she washes ‘phandas’ (dishes) in the ‘galli’ (street). Can we show greener pastures to the women of today, especially those who are not as privileged as us — please give them a newer narrative!
Dil Khirki I Mehdi Maloof
Amna: I like the lyrics and the honesty— this is the kind of song which could have gone places if well-sung, something like Jimmy Khan’s ‘Wo Kaisi Ho Gee’ for the film Dobara Phir Se (2016). But sadly Mehdi Maloof’s voice does not play the part it should have for his first music launch — it’s not trained and his annunciation is incorrect in so many places. Just see the way he pronounces ‘naheen’ — cannot enunciate the Urdu letter ‘hay’! (hand on head emoji)!
Ayesha: Most people’s reaction to this song in the YouTube comments section starts from ‘what the hell’ is this, and even though the majority of these comments end in ‘but I now love it,’ I am afraid I can’t say the same. Maloof’s supporters call this indie, but indie should not mean out of tune which this song very much is. It was hard to get through the entire song on the first listen and was quite painful on the second. The diction is unclear and words seem muffled, I am just surprised that this track got approved!
Velo Sound Station: Kadi Te Hans I Atif Aslam
Amna: Once again the legend that is Atif Aslam reinvents an old song and makes it more heartfelt and satisfying than before. The new music production is on point and the avant-trendiness is done pretty well, so for a moment you may get carried away and think Atif did it all afresh — but he didn’t. Lucky him, he got it served on a platter — easy peasy!
Ayesha: Atif brings his usual charm to this number, a popular and familiar Punjabi tune originally composed by Shaukat Ali Khan. The song has been covered by various other artists in the past, and has also been featured in a Hindi film. Atif’s look featuring a glittering blue blazer and a hipster beard (or so it seems to me) go along nicely with the contemporary arrangement of the song but there is only so much excitement that can be had with yet another remake.
Te Quiero Mucho I Aima Baig
Amna: She may be criticised for being a coquettish cliché with all that pouting while singing and the red rose behind her ear, but Aima Baig brings all her millennial confidence to the Velo sound stage. Even though you’ve heard this tune (or similar) before in the Latin music genre, yet much like an American Idol contestant, Aima Baig makes it her own. I also like the fact that her body language screams, ‘I don’t care!’ Part Two of her Te Quiero journey — (Part One was the rather underwhelming Haadi Uppal duet in May, 2020) — this song is pretty appealing, the lyrics and composition by the Maqsoods, Bilal and dad, are fun.
Gagar I Umair Jaswal
Amna: The kick, the rock salute and the twirl has really made this a real 2020 anthem for the trendy who want to reminisce about how cool the 80’s was! Alamgir’s original ‘Gagar’ was such a classic, that there was no way you could bring back its original sweetness in 2020. Taking it to another level with rock notes and potent punches kinda works!
Boom, Boom I Meesha Shafi
Ayesha: Ok, so I’ll just say it if music producers are listening: leave the legacy of Nazia Hasan alone because nobody is going to do it better than her, and constantly rehashing the genius of Nazia and Zohaib Hasan feels like an easy way to get likes and views. Originally composed by Biddu, the Indian composer who collaborated with Nazia and Zohaib on many of their big hits, the original Boom Boom was released in 1982. While disco music was already popular the world over at the time, Nazia and Zohaib were the main practitioners of the medium in Pakistan and helped popularise it. The original track, therefore, held a greater cultural significance, especially against the backdrop of a military regime. In one of the versions uploaded to YouTube, Nazia Hasan can be seen wearing a bright green shalwar kameez and court shoes with straight hair and minimal makeup as was her signature look — driving home the point that you don’t need to look the part of a rockstar to create impact.
Ayesha Akif has an MA in Global Creative and Cultural Industries from SOAS, University of London. She currently works in the communications and social enterprise sector.
