PESHAWAR: Pashto folk singers of the past have tried fusion music.

A private Pashto TV channel has launched a programme ‘Stayena’ (tribute) in which Pashto folk singers experienced fusion of old and new Pashto music through live performance.

According to producer Asif Yousafzai, so far, Pashto folk maestros including Ahmad Gul, Mahjabeen Qazalbash, Zarsanga, Qamru Jan, Almas Khalil, Gul Sharaf Kaka, Mullah Abdul Wahab, Akbar Hussain, Naeem Jan and Mushtaq Sultana have so far performed live for his programme without traditional musical instruments for the first time.

He said a full-fledged music library of senior Pashto folk singers would be preserved.

The producer said the show was being anchored by pop singers Bakhtiyar Khattak and Humayoon Khan to help synchronise old voices with modern tunes.

He said folk singers from all parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata would be accommodated. Asif Yousafzai said the ‘benefit live TV shows’ would also be conducted to extend financial assistance to veteran singers.

“The fusion has proved wonderful. Our matchless voices have found an altogether new life. This is the first-ever experience in Pashto music. I hope it goes straight to the hearts of the audience,” he said.

Zarsanga, folk singer of high-pitched sound, told Dawn that she thought she got a new life by performing live following sequence music.

“I earlier thought we are redundant and may never be relevant for today’s music buffs who want to see music rather than listen. I was not used to this kind of musical arrangement before,” she said.

Mahjabeen Qazalbash was of the view that traditional Pashto music had an edge over digital music.

She said the charm of the old music should be retained and that new experiments should be done in Pashto music.

“Fusion of classic and modern music could serve as a bridge. I am in favour of sequence music but not at the cost of our own natural flavour,” she said.

Folk singers experience fusion of old and new Pashto music

Bakhtiyar Khattak, a noted young singer and anchor of the show, said around 200 senior folk Pashto singers, both men and women, would be invited to put their voices into sequence music arrangement.

He said the basic aim of the show was to boost the confidence and up morale of those folk music maestros who thought they had become irrelevant to the modern world of music.

“When I contacted these popular folk singers of their time, I found them demoralised and upset. I conceived the idea to restore their confidence by launching a live show in which they would experience fusion of their velvety voices into electronic tunes. The response was superb as ‘likes’ on social media ran into millions especially from youth,” Khattak claimed.

Almas Khan Khalil, senior folk firebrand singer, said old Pashto music maestros should learn digital techniques. “I think this is a new turn in our music career. We should own it to make our access possible to modern youths. I personally found it a magical experience that transported me to new heights of ecstasy. It does not mean that we should discard traditional music flavour,” he said.

Humayoon Khan, co–anchor of the show, complained that doors of the state–run radio and TV had been closed on senior folk singers since long.

He said the era of live performance with traditional musical instruments on wedding and other festive occasions had gone.

“Our show format is to welcome an old folk singer by rendering his/her popular song and then one of us sings a duet with same pitch along with the guest singer. The purpose is to ensure that old voice is still relevant and also could serve as a great source of inspiration for youngsters,” he said.

A senior producer in Pakistan Television (PTV), Peshawar Centre, however, dispelled the impression that state-run TV had sidelined senior Pashto folk singers.

“PTV considers senior folk singers as a national asset and give them due time for performance off and on,” he said.

Ziyad Khan, expert on sequence music, said old folk singers had gift of high-pitched sounds but had no knowledge of digital music.

He said on other hand, most young pop singers had expertise on sequential adjustment but were not gifted with natural voice quality.

“I am responsible for this fusion of voice and technology. Most pop singers are unable to perform live. Working with senior singers is a joyful experience,” he said. The producer said 10 episodes of the show had already been telecast on Sunday nights.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2015

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