This will be a collaboration like no other because Mai Dhai and Natasha Baig come from two different worlds. Mai Dhai, with her rich vocals, is beautifully true to her classical folk traditions while Natasha Baig symbolizes the modern youth. Emerging as a true rock star in 2013, through Cornetto Music Icons with her rendition of Alamgir’s ‘Dekha Na Tha’, Natasha further delved into the music industry when she joined Ahsan Bari’s musical orchestra Sounds of Kolachi.
Behind the scenes: Mai Dhai and Natasha Baig are all smiles during the shoot of their upcoming song ‘Kesaria’.
Musicmix
The young and upcoming Natasha Baig will join hands with the timeless Mai Dhai for their first ever musical collaboration.
This will be a collaboration like no other because Mai Dhai and Natasha Baig come from two different worlds. Mai Dhai, with her rich vocals, is beautifully true to her classical folk traditions while Natasha Baig symbolizes the modern youth. Emerging as a true rock star in 2013, through Cornetto Music Icons with her rendition of Alamgir’s ‘Dekha Na Tha’, Natasha further delved into the music industry when she joined Ahsan Bari’s musical orchestra Sounds of Kolachi. In 2016, Natasha joined the big league when she lent her vocals to a song for Janaan. Now, she is all set to release her first ever collaboration with Mai Dhai, an original track titled ‘Kesaria,’ which promises to be a powerful performance.
“Actually, Mai Dhai says that ‘kesaria’ means groom, but my interpretation of the word is ‘beloved.’ It could be anyone,” Natasha told Instep over a telephonic conversation as she was getting ready to head out to a recording session. This discrepancy in translation perhaps defines the relationship Mai Dhai and Natasha share. “We met through Voices of Women, a platform that brought many female singers and vocalists together and from that day onwards, Mai Dhai and I have shared a very special bond.” The two musicians would sit and sing together because they don’t speak each other’s language. “I wouldn’t be able to understand what she would be saying and I thought to myself, if we can’t talk to each other, why don’t we just sing songs instead?”
Eventually, Mai Dhai approached Natasha with a song she had written with the intention of collaborating with the young budding star. “The song that you will be listening to soon is very different from the original. We worked on it a lot.” After going through many producers, Natasha finally found the right sound at the hands of music producer Saad Hayat, who recently produced two tracks for Mehreen Jabbar’s Dobara Phir Se. However, once the producer hunt ended, Natasha found herself looking for a sponsor to help make the video.
“Usually many musicians make videos and release them on Facebook but I didn’t want to do that. The song turned out so nicely that I decided it deserved a proper music video and a proper release,” she elaborated. Looking at the enchanting scenic beauty of Thar’s vibrant culture, one can safely assume that ‘Kesaria’ will be getting the face it deserves. “Bank Alfalah has sponsored the video and I am so grateful to them for it because we got to shoot a beautiful video in Thar.”
Directed by Hassan Ali Effendi and shot by Aamir Mughal, the video is set in three different locations in Umerkot. “We chose to shoot at the Umerkot fort, a temple and a well because the song talks about the different places and activities in Thar and the video paints a vivid image of what life is like there.”
What started off as a professional venture turned out to be a personally enriching experience for the singer because it exposed her to a culture that she had never seen this up-close before. “So far in my professional journey, I have worked with many notable names and people but my experience with ‘Kesaria’ has been the most unique and special experience of my life so far because it’s something I’ve tried outside of my comfort zone.” Natasha’s two day stay in Umerkot introduced her to the serene and peaceful winds of Thar, where Hindus and Muslims live peacefully, side by side. “There is so much harmony between people of these two different faiths. The sense of ownership of their culture is so strong that there is no difference in the way Hindus and Muslims dress or go about their lives. Muslims are welcome in the temples and vice versa. It’s completely different from what we see in Karachi,” Natasha laughed at the absurdity of this change of behavior in Pakistan’s biggest and apparently most progressive city. She also added that while the people of Thar are not used to seeing modernity, such as women wearing jeans or running on the streets, they were extremely welcoming and civilized in the way they appeared to Natasha and the entire crew.
However, while Pakistan needs more and more original music in the industry, how does a collaboration such as this one benefit Natasha on a more practical level? “I want to be considered as a serious artist and that will happen once I start producing original music. I don’t want to just be a cover artist and hopefully, this song will pave the way for further original music to come through.”
Staying true to her intention of releasing ‘Kesaria’ properly, Natasha will be launching the song at an official launch event on the 15th of January.
