Nothing catches your attention like Shubha Mudgal on a Mizmaar track. I recall Mizmaar frontman Kashan Admani’s sharing the information with me that Mizmaar was going to come out with an immaculate collaboration on Independence Day, which they duly did.

From the smooth guitar chords and Mudgal’s soulful and powerhouse vocals, the track titled Jogi made its mark on the local music scene. Also worth mentioning here is Mizmaar’s new vocalist Asad Rasheed’s energetic vocals fused with Admani’s blistering guitar score. Add to it Alfred’s hardcore drum slaps and inspiring lyrics, and there’s no reason why the track should not make it to your repeat list.

The collaboration in the name of peace and harmony comes at a time when there is a dire need of positive initiatives between Pakistan and India. Images on Sunday caught up with Shubha Mudgal and Mizmaar’s front man Kashan Admani regarding the track and future projects.

Mizmaar and Shubha Mudgal join voices for Jogi

“The concept behind Jogi is basically about seeking God and understanding that we ourselves are responsible for our devastation and destruction. It’s a prayer for peace,” says Kashan Admani.

So whose idea was it to collaborate with Shubha Mudgal? “Dr Palash Sen and Alok Parande from Euphoria suggested that Shubha Mudgal would be a great artist to collaborate with. Of course, we were very interested. Our friends from Euphoria then approached Shubha on our behalf,” he adds.

As mentioned earlier, Mizmaar has brought on board Asad Rasheed as their new lead vocalist. “Our previous vocalist could not carry on with the band due to his relocation from Pakistan, which is why we had to bring Asad on board. His style goes perfectly with our music. We experiment a lot with different sounds and Asad’s vocal range allows him to be able to sing various genres.”

Kashan says it was a phenomenal experience recording Jogi with Shubha. “Her voice takes the song to the next level, and it will most definitely remain as one of our most memorable recordings ever.”

Jogi is Mizmaar’s second collaboration with an Indian artist. Will they be working with more in future? “We have a couple of collaborations with international musicians in the pipeline which will be released in the next few months,” says Kashan.

Shubha Mudgal

Shubha’s day revolves around music as a large part of her time is spent in riyaaz, teaching, performing and of course recording from time to time. “On the cards in the coming weeks is the release of another single called Betaabiyan which I wrote and composed some time back, and recorded in collaboration with a young Indian band based in Delhi called Fuzz Culture. I am also looking forward to collaborating with Dr Palash Sen and Euphoria on a new single.”

On the experience of working with Mizmaar, she says, “It is always special when an artist or band invites me to collaborate with him/them. There is always a unique sense of satisfaction in collaborating with fellow musicians. Though neither Palash nor Alok told me if it was one of them who suggested to Mizmaar that they might consider collaborating with me, I have a feeling that it was initiated by one or both of them. Needless to say, it was a pleasure to have worked with Mizmaar. We could not meet in person because I recorded in Delhi as Alok had assured me that the recording would be efficiently handled in India. And of course, the message of peace that forms the theme of Jogi is of special significance for me.”

Shubha says she is aware of her huge fan-base in Pakistan. What kind of response has she received from them? “The response has been appreciative and encouraging, and proves once and for all that music truly transcends barriers like no other medium is able to. I would also like to seek their good wishes and prayers, because for a student of music, these are invaluable assets. Also, I’m looking forward to the possibility of visiting Pakistan sometime in November.”

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, September 18th, 2016