Atif Aslam collaborates with Banur’s Band; Umair Jaswal goes solo and Fareed Ayaz, Abu Muhammad (with Humnawa) present a Hazrat Amir Khusro composition that has been passed down to them through Sufi legacy
After two disappointing episodes, it looks like things are looking up for Coke Studio 12 with its third episode that goes on air today.
Featuring a collaboration between Atif Aslam, the country’s most cherished pop star – and Banur’s Band – the song is said to be a merger of two sides of Balochi poetry and music known as Haalo and Naazek.
According to a press statement, “A song of celebration, the naazek aspect of ‘Mubarik Mubarik’ praises and celebrates the bride and bridegroom on their wedding day,” adding, “The song also lives within the haalo genre of Balochi poetry, wherein the word haalo is repeated several times and means ‘come’, inviting listeners to join the festivities. Musically, the song also includes a zahirok, which is the Balochi counterpart of Eastern Classical raags and forms the basis of Balochi music. In ‘Mubarik Mubarik’, the sarbaney zahirok has been used, which has been named after the cameleers who used to sing this, as they travelled through hills and mountains, vocalizing notes to match the gait of their camels’ footsteps.”
Atif Aslam joins Banur’s Band, adding to the celebration with Punjabi lyrics to the song. Speaking about the track, SM Baloch from Banur’s Band noted, “A person knows when he sings that something meaningful lives inside of him. When melody and tempo reside within, it moves you. If you’re not moved by your own music, how can you expect it to affect others?”
The second artist, Umair Jaswal, who made his debut on Coke Studio in season 5 with Qayaas and Atif Aslam collaborating on ‘Charkha Nolakha’ and has appeared on the show a number of times is back this year with his solo composition called ‘Chal Raha Hoon’ based on personal experiences. It was written during his University years. Speaking about the song in a statement, Umair Jaswal – who is working on a solo album – noted, “If I want to give one thing to the world with my music, with my art, it is honesty. If one is honest, one’s work will speak for itself. If one is honest, everything is going to be alright. With my music, I try to spread my truth. If, in one’s heart, one has complete faith that something is their truth, one should express it and people will connect to it.”
Similarly, Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad (with Humnawa) return to the series, this time with ‘Aadam’, a qawwali composition by Hazrat Amir Khusro, passed down to them through the Sufi tradition of music legacy. As the press release stated, “The piece, as presented by the duo, brings together three couplets and two taranas expressing the legacy of music in the Sufi tradition as well as the collective human inheritance. The first couplet narrates the incident of Hazrat Aadam’s creation, as told by Khusro, presenting music as humankind’s Divine inheritance and an integral part of our story in the Divine Order. It is joined by two other couplets, celebrating the Sufi Chishti Order’s religious practice of using music as a vessel to gain connection with the Divine, and recalling the famed musical gatherings of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.”
Fareed Ayaz and Abu Muhammad noted further in a press statement, “Your soul and your ears seek purity. What are you giving your soul? It is important for the soul to hear what is pure and to be able to understand it. The soul gets nourishment from this. You will find peace in the qawwali.”
– Photography by Kohi Marri
