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Now that’s music!
In the recent past, the Pakistani pop scene has blossomed into a mature music industry. Even if one were a fierce critic of Pak pop, one would find it exceedingly difficult not to acknowledge the worth of the recent crop of songs that have lately hit local TV channels and music stores. They’re melodic. They’re catchy, they’re groovy and they’re soulful.
Chhoti si baton mein koee is quite a mellifluous number, sung by Seher, whose earlier effort (a national song) couldn’t generate much hype. Chhoti si baton is a semi-romantic composition sung with the velvety smoothness of a nightingale. The lyrics are also something to write home about. The video isn’t bad either. Shakil Mallick has shown a lot of promise lately and his interpretation of the song, through the video, comes quite close to what one would imagine while listening to the song.
Strings’ new song Chhaey Chhaey is a finger-snapping, desk-thumping tune that enchants you with its poetry and simple, yet catchy chord progression. The band has matured over the years, but what really elevates the song to a superior level is its visual representation. Jami is proving to be the only director (among the younger lot) in the pop industry who is second to none. The fellow not only knows how to narrate a story through the viewfinder of the camera, but has brains as well. Unlike other video-makers who splash television screens with a myriad of colours and try to impress the viewers with quick-paced shots, Jami compels you to take a journey. Chhaey Chhaey’s visuals, albeit being a little vague, glue the viewer to the TV in order to decipher what’s going on. Simply smashing.
Shoaib Mansoor’s tune ‘Ishq,’ soulfully sung by Shabnam Majeed, transports you to an era when people spoke Kabuli Persian and indulged in romantic liaisons amidst the pomp and grandeur of the Mughal empire
Junoon’s latest offering is groovy. Pappu yaar tang na ker makes you want to head-bang, but without the cost of getting giddy. It’s a powerhouse number, peppered with excellent riffs, strong vocals and incisive lyrics. The band seems to have caught on to the fact that the industry is now inundated with rock bands, and they all have their own fan followings. Though Junoon has tried to take some young musicians to the cleaners, if one has got it right, the song could also have political connotations. The only chink in the armour of their new song is the video. It has to be understood that the video of a song means translating the audio into the visual domain. Using loud, vibrant sets against whose backdrop the band has lip-synched the song hardly go along with the lyrics and the music of the number.
And this is precisely where Shoaib Mansoor hits the jackpot. The multi-faceted, multi-talented director has proved, yet again, how one should go about the art of film-making. His spiritually enriched dedication to the fabled Shahzada Saleem-Anarkali tale of love, delectably shot and soulfully sung by Shabnam Majeed, is a top-notch effort. The way he has interpreted a story that remains popular to date, is amazing. The music, composed by Shoaib Mansoor himself, transports you to an era when people spoke Kabuli Persian and indulged in romantic liaisons amidst the pomp and grandeur of the Mughal empire. Not to mention the lyrics of the song (again written by the director himself) that are as romantic as the story itself and commensurate with the painstaking research work that the creator of the song has done to impart veracity to the project. Shoaib Mansoor appears to be the only person in the Pakistani showbiz industry who is capable of shooting a 35mm feature film meeting international requirements. And it’s time he graduated to that.
Last but not least, Fuzon’s Terey bina is no less melodic, romantic or soulful. A big hit among the masses, it is brilliantly composed and masterfully sung. The song signifies, quite clearly, that the Pakistani pop industry has now come of age. Way to go.
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