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We might be living in the age of an electronic music moment - that is global – but the importance of poets and lyricists hasn’t diminished.They still play a strong role, allowing songs to flourish in unexpected ways, whether the sonic base is an exploration of cheeky humour, carry allegories or simply be so timeless that the meaning might change over time creating new context but its power to hold us remains the same sway.
1. From the following poets, who penned the famous Urdu ghazal, ‘Mohabbat Karne Wale’?
A) Mehdi Hassan
B) Farida Khanum
C) Ali Sethi
D) Hafeez Hoshiarpuri
E) All of the above
3. Which former music act has written songs that were not penned by lyricist, writer Anwar Maqsood and poet Zehra Nigah.
A) Ali Haider
B) Strings
C) Kashmir
D) None of the above
2. Who wrote or co-wrote several songs by Junoon and Ali Azmat?
A) Sabir Zafar
B) Anwar Maqsood
C) Allama Iqbal
D) None of the above
4. Which artist, who made films after the resurrection of contemporary cinema, was also the primary lyricist for a former major pop group?
A) Shoaib Mansoor
B) Jami
C) Asim Raza
D) None of the above
Answers
1. D) Hafeez Hoshiarpuri wrote this Urdu ghazal, which has been sung by artists such as Farida Khanum, Ali Sethi and popularized significantly by Mehdi Hassan for decades before Arooj Aftab sang a unique iteration ft. the poetry that won her a Grammy.
2. A) Sabir Zafar has penned and co-penned many songs for Junoon and Ali Azmat when he went onto become a solo artist. Having said that, Junoon did deviate from Sabir Zafar and explored and sung works by Pakistan’s national poet, Allama Iqbal from time to time.
3. B) Strings. Anwar Maqsood was the chief lyricist for Strings during their 33-year-long career. However, some of their most iconic songs were written by Bilal Maqsood including 'Mil Gaya', ‘Urr Jaoon’ from their last album, Thirty and the colossal hit 'Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar' from their second album, Strings II.
4. A) We’re just messing with you. The obvious answer is Shoaib Mansoor, who directed mainstream films such as Verna, Khuda Kay Liye, Bol and has another film on the cards. However, before finding a career in film direction, Shoaib Mansoor wrote most of the lyrics for Pakistan’s pioneering [former] pop music group, Vital Signs. It featured the [late] Junaid Jamshed, Rohail Hyatt and Shahi Hasan as chief members with several contributors including Salman Ahmed, Nusrat Hussain, Rizwan ul Haq, Asad Ahmad, and the late Aamir Zaki. Since the group disbanded, each member has gone on to pursue different avenues within music and beyond.
