This could only have worked because it was Abida Parveen herself re-doing her own rendition of Wasif Ali Wasif’s Nara-i-Mastana [The Call of the Devoted]. Growing up in Karachi, I was first introduced to this very popular Sufi kalaam through her live performances.

In those performances, the only accompanying music would be the harmonium and the tabla. It gave the poetry both an air of simplicity and authenticity and enabled you to focus entirely on her vocalisation and its message. And it made it very difficult to like the various studio-recorded versions that kept popping up through the decades. While some have cheesy jhankaar beats programmed into the recording, there is even one that has a saxophone intro (shudders).

The Sufi Queen collaborated with Asrar on this latest interpretation of Nara-i-Mastana. This is not the first time both of these powerful vocalists have sung together. In 2021, they collaborated on Phool Khil Jayein, an original song written and composed by Asrar. There is an older video from 2018 showing the pair rehearsing the song, but it was finally released in its complete form sometime only last year.

Phool Khil Jayein is a more mellow number, with Asrar vocalising Abida Parveen’s rendition of the lyrics after a slight delay, as a way to sound like he is echoing her. It’s a soft sweet number where Asrar takes over in the chorus and sings a part of it with Abdia Parveen in unison, but at a much higher pitch. It’s a completely different vibe to their current collaboration.

Abida Parveen and Asrar’s rendition of the popular sufi kalaam Nara-i-Mastana has good production values but lacks soul

The Abida Parveen-Asrar collaboration on Nara-i-Mastana came out recently and it’s proved to be quite popular. One has heard it playing at local venues already. This version has been directed and produced by her son, Sarang Latif. Judging by the overall audio and video treatment, it comes across as if he is understandably ‘inspired’ by Coke Studio — when Rohail Hyatt was producing it.

It’s evident in the overall treatment of the song — the ‘live’ atmosphere, the merging of both contemporary Western and traditional folk instrumentation, and the following of a rhythm and tempo most associated with the popular television production. Having said that, this treatment has proven to be quite popular. Within a month of being released, the song has already garnered over 1.5 million views on YouTube.

Unfortunately, this version of Nara-i-Mastana sounds very much like the same old, same old — like a typical Abida Parveen composition in which even Asrar is trying to emulate her style. This version lacks authenticity. It seems a little contrived. It’s a good production, but lacking in soul. In terms of musical production, however, it is definitely one of the better-recorded versions of Nara-i-Mastana available to us.

One wishes there were a studio recording of Abidaji’s songs that evokes the dynamism and energy of her live performances. Unlike other artists, she doesn’t use a very large ensemble — just three or four accompanying musicians — but it works. Even on a large platform, where the space is left mostly empty, they command the entire stage. The passion with which both of her tabla players (yes, at times she would perform with two!) would tap on their instruments and the heart and soul with which she would perform needs to be preserved in the form of an audio recording before — at the risk of sounding morbid — it’s lost to us forever.

Published in Dawn, ICON, July 10th, 2022