PESHAWAR: A rising artist has said that Pashto Sufi music trend will have its heydays due to its soothing impact on the audience.

“Mystic numbers bring peace and solace and transform souls,” said Gulwareen Bacha, a resident of religiously inclined Punjpir village of district Swabi.

His recent Sufi numbers has taken Pashto music chart by storm on social media including appreciations from famed artists and large fans following.

His recent Pashto album titled ‘Da Khudai Pezhandgali’ with Khushal Khan Khattak’s Sufi numbers drew unprecedented appreciation from all and sundry. The video is directed by Muntazir Khan. The video being unconventional Qawwali is innovative form of mystic music.

Born with a penchant for folk music, Gulwareen scaled up stairs to top education as his parents bound him to do anything on God’s earth with no comprise on quality education. He got a civil engineering degree from University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar, followed by MS from abroad. He was student of intermediate at Edwardes College Peshawar when he was made the president of the college’s music society.

Recent Sufi numbers of Gulwareen Bacha receive great appreciation

He told this scribe that he had no formal teacher in music but learned from social media and found several perfect musicians, who registered an impact on his journey to learning intricacies of traditional orchestra.

Way back in early 2020, Gulwareen uploaded some videos on social media and received an encouraging response. But for him, it was more than excellent and he began pursuing passion of music as no radical approach existed in his family. After all, lucky was he for being nephew of popular folk artist Haroon Bacha.

He said that he wanted to utilise his talent for a social cause and his first project was on transgender persons. It was in fact a soft rock song with an objective to enlarge Pashto music scope. The focus was on softening attitude of people toward marginalised segment of society.

It was followed by his second initiative on girls’ education and it too was well-received on music chart. “However, my Sufi numbers being in Pashto were not understood but still I have received blessings from music idols like Ustad Ghulam Ali, Utad Javed Basheer, Ustad Akbar Ali Khan, Aunop Jalota, Dr Rhadika Chpora and Sonu Negam,” claimed the rising star.

About his future plans, he said that he had recorded two Urdu tracks to be released on an appropriate occasion.

“I personally think that social message could be passed on well through mystic music with no commercial motive because commercial robs originality of creative stuff. Urdu numbers will reach out to a large number of audiences. Therefore, I see bright future of Sufi music” he hoped.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2023