No matter what era we’re in, it seems, romantic numbers will never be out of fashion. That explains why a very typical, yet very well composed and produced romantic ditty called Chalte Chalte is proving to be quite popular with older and younger people alike. In terms of instrumentation, it’s quite simple in comparison to the other songs being released in the electropop genre. But then, Chalte Chalte falls under the alternative pop music genre.

An up-and-coming name in the independent music scene, Osaid Tabrez’s romantic ballad is available on his YouTube channel. Chalte Chalte, has been ‘performed’ by the musicians who contributed to it, which in modern lingo means each section was played by a musician instead of using a programme for including musical samples.

Chalte Chalte has been composed and performed by Osaid Tabrez. The lyrics are by Osaid as well as by Dr Fatema Hassan. The song has been produced by Shams-ul-Arifeen and Shahid Rehman. The guitars are by Zorain Shahzad and the percussion is by Sarmad Zaidi.

The song, with its live instrumentation, reminds one very much of the music released in the naughties in Pakistan. The bands that became popular during that era — Fuzon, Aaroh, Noori, Call etc — all had an affinity with real humans playing the music sections and it showed. The sound was simpler and more organic. Of course, that made it harder to do — complete albums took endless practice sessions and rehearsals before even more endless recording sessions over a period of a month or several months.

Chalte Chalte is a classic love ditty about the irresistible charm of the beloved

That was a far cry from nowadays, when an entire song can be written, rehearsed, recorded and produced within hours. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just a completely different vibe. It’s amazing how far we’ve come, and how fast we’ve become.

Chalte Chalte by Osaid Tabrez takes you back to that old model, that old way of recording music. The production is pretty decent as well and enhances the sound of the instruments. One quite enjoyed the guitar playing especially, as it made one feel transported to the studio during the recording.

The song, about how you’re drawn to your love interest, is an evergreen number that can be enjoyed by the whole family. It has an old-school charm to it, yet with a crisp, contemporary feel. It’s interesting how the producers managed to pull that off. And we now have a refreshing new name in the music scene to look forward to.

Published in Dawn, ICON, April 9th, 2023