e was rightfully called ‘Shahenshah-e-Qawwali’ and died at the age of just 48. But before Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (NFAK) passed away, he accomplished a great deal. It wasn’t just that he popularized centuries-old qawwalis inherited from his 600-year-old lineage of qawwali singers.

His work with producer Michael Brook and Real World Records, culminating in the albums Night Song and Mustt Mustt before his passing, was seminal in putting Pakistani music on the global map. It was monumental, and nothing like it had ever been heard before by either the East or the West.

During his 25-year career, NFAK gained fans among international artists, including Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, the late Jeff Buckley, and the late Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.

What does this have to do with the present? To put it in context, Real World Records has announced a new Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan album. According to news on the Real World Records website, ‘lost’ recordings of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, never heard before and recorded 34 years ago, have been unearthed. Titled Chain of Light and set for release next month, on September 20, the album features Nusrat “at the height of his vocal capabilities in pristine sonic quality.”

Producer Michael Brook commented on the unheard recordings: “It touches you; it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Like the imminent light of the record’s title, these songs are transformative and transcendent, crossing languages and cultures. They draw the listener in, no matter their expectations. Thank God, or whatever you believe in: the voice has returned.”

In addition, Saiyna Bashir Studios, an Islamabad-based company, is developing a documentary on Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. They have received a grant from the British Council to support Real World Records in promoting Chain of Light.

Faris Shafi to peform at the Wireless
Festival Middle East Abu Dhabi in November’

n the zeitgeist of the current music scene, actor and rapper Faris Shafi will most certainly be remembered as one of the big names. Whether you like all his songs or certain ones more than the others, Faris Shafi is becoming the face of rap music in and across Pakistan.

This doesn’t mean there isn’t room for other artists, but in terms of popularity, Faris Shafi is ahead of every other rapper in the country.

In 2022, when he collaborated with Indian rapper Raftaar on ‘JASHAN-E-HIPHOP, the result was pretty cool. Many considered it the best collaboration between Indian and Pakistani artists. At one point, the song was trending on YouTube.

We know that Honey Singh considers him an exciting artist, and when the two met, sparks flew, leading fans to wonder if they were working on a song. Singh shared an image of the two of them in his studio, stating, “Welcome my brother from LAHORE the hip-hop Icon one and only @farishafi.”

But it isn’t just rap artists from across the border who are his fans.

One of the most promising actors in India, Vijay Varma, who has given strong performances in films like Darlings (featuring Alia Bhatt and Shefali Shah), also enjoys listening to Mr. Shafi. During the 2023 IIFA Awards (International Indian Film Academy Awards), Varma confessed to enjoying Faris Shafi’s music. In an Instagram video shared by Nabila’s Salon in 2023 — who were partners for the award ceremony — Varma said, “I love your music, Faris. I absolutely love it.” He also shared a caption for the video that read: “Here’s a special shoutout for Faris Shafi by the one and only darling, Vijay Varma.”

So, does it come as a surprise that Faris Shafi will be performing at the Wireless Music Festival, scheduled for November in Abu Dhabi? Headlined by SZA, Yeat, and 21 Savage, it will feature Faris Shafi as one of the supporting artists.

Other supporting acts include Karan Aujla, FRIDAYY, Flo Milli, Lancey Foux, Seedhe Maut, Raf-Saperra, DINA AYADA, Mazen, and Stick No Bills.

Kaifi Khalil’s new track shows he is not a one-hit wonder

f it wasn’t obvious before, let me say it again: Coke Studio 14 was simply better than Coke Studio 15, and it wasn’t because the latter got 1 billion hits. It was because Coke Studio 14 gave younger and lesser-known artists, who were appearing on the music series for the first time, a chance to showcase their talents. It didn’t sound like the same template, which is the problem with Coke Studio 15.

One case in point is Kaifi Khalil. He appeared in a collaborative song called ‘Kana Yaari’ that also featured Eva B and Wahab Bugti. Kaifi Khalil could have easily been overshadowed because the other two featured artists were as spectacular as him (if not more).

But he took the success that resulted from the song and used it to unveil his own songwriting, composition, singing skills, and variety.

‘Kahani Suno 2.0’ is a beautiful song that sky-rocketed and catapulted Khalil to another level. He followed it up with songs like ‘Jurmana’ and ‘Mansoob,’ with each song getting millions of organic hits. As part of Coke Studio 15,‘Piya Piya Calling,’ by Kaifi Khalil is nowhere close to what we, or at least I, were expecting. It sounds like a hotchpotch song.

However, Kaifi has played shows and is becoming a pro. ‘Piya Piya Calling’ is, on a commercial level, a hit song, and Kaifi is not letting this time slide by but is using it to release a new song called ‘Khair.’ It isn’t in Urdu, and with a running time of 2 minutes and 59 seconds, it is actually Kaifi Khalil flexing his linguistic supremacy without sounding like he is off his game. You don’t need a dictionary to enjoy this song.

The sonic design is not over-the-top; it matches the song’s delivery, and it is almost as if you can hear the joy in Kaifi Khalil’s voice as he records the track. Accessible, genuine, and full of flavor, this is another example of why Kaifi Khalil is a good artist and one who should be embraced as an artist. Period.

Kaavish’s sublime comeback in the new age of Pakistani music

Music is an ever-evolving industry. What worked once is no longer appli-cable. But there are always exceptions.

One such exception is Kaavish, a group formed by Jaffer Zaidi and Maaz Maudood in 1998. Before Coke Studio began, Kaavish released a beautiful album called Gunkali. However, it never achieved the commercial success it deserved. When Coke Studio arrived, Jaffer Zaidi played an instrumental role as a member of the house band in its early editions. Kaavish also appeared on the music series, under the guidance of Rohail Hyatt as music producer and later with Strings. Given the dramatic changes in the music industry, many older bands transitioned to acting or found other outlets within the industry instead of continuing as artists.

Kaavish, which means struggle, has always understood the challenges they would face. After releasing Gunkali, their debut album, and participating in a few Coke Studio seasons, they disappeared from the horizon as a band. However, they resurfaced almost a year ago with a studio version of ‘Faasle,’ a song they had performed on Coke Studio almost six years prior. With a stripped-down approach, the song retained the signature Kaavish sound, highlighted by Jaffer Zaidi’s haunting vocals.

Just three months ago, they released ‘Tere Naam,’ a significant addition to their discography. The band clearly wasn’t aiming to create an electro-pop love song to appeal to a wider audience. Their focus remained on their signature sound and artistic growth.

Zaidi’s poetic mastery is not only on display but also shows artistic growth—something rare for acts formed in the late 1990s that still exist. If you listen closely, you realize the song is not just about falling in love but embracing it wholeheartedly, and about how you feel when it’s gone, leaving you catatonic. The vantage point from which the song is written works beautifully with the music, where we find familiar players like Gumby and Kamran ‘Mannu’ Zafar alongside the band members, reminding us that not everything needs to be layered with electronic tones. Will the band make a second record? Maybe, or perhaps they will release singles in their own time, as is common in the current scene, especially for underappreciated artists.

For those who are unfamiliar with the band’s brilliance, they need only visit Coke Studio 15 and find their collaboration with Abdul Hannan, titled ‘O Yaara’. Hannan recognized what so many fail to realize: this is a band that should not be left in oblivion and must be appreciated for their melodic, pure, and haunting music, as well as for the fact that they never try to follow trends or copy other artists.