Game-changers and comebacks

Nescafe Basement, which was spearheaded by Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, also known as Xulfi, for five seasons before disappearing from the horizon, has officially dropped a promo, confirming our theory that in 2025, this show will be returning. Who will be spearheading it remains a different question. After the fifth season of Nescafe Basement, Xulfi went on to work with Pepsi Battle of the Bands 2.0 (2017-2019), where he worked with several artists, including Meesha Shafi and Fawad Khan, and even made a comeback with the original lineup of EP in a one-off appearance—a moment for the ages, if you ask me.

He then shifted gears and became the executive producer of Coke Studio 14 and 15, the country’s most celebrated platform for music, catering to producers, directors, and artists alike. He took over from Rohail Hyatt, the creator of Coke Studio, who fully endorsed Xulfi for the role. Not only did Xulfi assume the position of executive producer, but he also changed the show’s entire visual format, working closely with directors to bring that vision forward and with younger artists to recreate the sound for Gen Z including curating partnerships with musicians, such as Abdullah Siddiqui and Sherry Khattak—both of whom had been a part of Nescafe Basement.

The release of a promo for a sixth season has sparked speculation about whether Xulfi will leave Coke Studio behind to return as the producer of Nescafe Basement, or if someone else is set to take over the show, which focuses primarily on discovering newer artists and creating unique collaborations. Many of the artists from Nescafe Basement have gone on to work on Coke Studio in various roles. Who will produce this upcoming season and whether the visual platform will remain the same are questions we look forward to discovering in 2025.

According to anonymous sources and the music industry grapevine, Pepsi Battle of the Bands 3.0 could also make a potential comeback. Given the evolution of Coke Studio and the official announcement of Nescafe Basement’s return, it will be very interesting to see – before anything else – who will sit on the judges’ panel. The first season of Pepsi Battle of the Bands featured Rohail Hyatt, Fifi Haroon, and Shahi Hasan on its judges’ panel, whereas Pepsi Battle of the Bands 2.0 featured Fawad Khan, Meesha Shafi as program judges and Aaroh’s Farooq Ahmed during the auditions phase. Khan and Shafi were later joined by Atif Aslam and Shahi Hasan for the rest of the season. Ali Azmat joined this motley crew as a guest judge during the finale episode, where Kashmir emerged as the winning band. Thankfully, the band continues to exist.

Major shuffles took place as season two of Pepsi Battle of the Bands 2.0 approached, beginning with the departure of the show’s biggest musical asset, Atif Aslam, who was replaced by the always dependable band, Strings, featuring Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood. Ironically, while a comeback appears to be in the works, Strings is no longer a band. This makes us wonder which longstanding band with similar widespread public and critical acclaim could potentially step into such a significant position. During Pepsi Battle of the Bands 2018 season, Shahi Hasan took over the role of producer from Faisal Rafi.

Pepsi Battle of the Bands’ 2019 iteration changed the game. Strings assumed the role of program co-judges, while Farooq Ahmed exited the audition phase. Meesha Shafi and Fawad Khan stayed on as judges, maintaining the show’s dynamic. All said and done, Pepsi Battle of the Bands 2.0 led to the emergence of several bands, but not all of them have survived.

Kashmir and Bayaan, the winners of the 2017 and 2018 seasons, respectively, have produced quality records, singles, and music videos. However, 2019’s winning band, Auj, recently announced a major change, with its brightest spark, vocalist Abdur Rahman Sajid, choosing to leave the band and pursue a solo career.

While notable bands such as Mekaal Hasan Band continue to thrive, solo artists have outnumbered music groups in mainstream music to a significant degree. It remains to be seen how Pepsi Battle of the Bands, if it does comeback in 2025, counters the popularity of solo acts and creates a show that can go toe-to-toe with other established ventures like Coke Studio, the possible return of Velo Sound Station 3.0, and Nescafe Basement 6.

Treasure trove

For a connoisseur of music, 2024 has been a wonderful year, extending far beyond televised music shows. One of the major noteworthy moments was the release of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s album, Chain of Light, produced by Michael Brook. Their previous collaborations led to iconic records like Mustt Mustt and Night Song. Released by Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records, Chain of Light featured four qawwalis (‘Ya Allah Ya Rehman’, ‘Aaj Sik Mitran Di’, ‘Ya Gaus Ya Meeran’ and ‘Khabram Raseed’). The record was initially known as the lost tapes because these recording were found when the label was relocating its archive.

Featuring Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s eight-party ensemble of singers and musicians, the record was released in September and considered by many to be one of the best records of 2024. In a special review for this paper, Babar Sheikh (an artist, filmmaker, per-formance artist, and educationist) wrote about Chain of Light: “I once heard that praise of the Divine reaches its audience only when it is ordained by the Divine Will. With Chain of Light, this sentiment feels true. Imagine an unmatched collection of performances by one of the greatest artists of all time, finally finding its audience in perfect condition some thirty-four years after it was recorded.

This album, featuring four unforgettable tracks in different languages, spanning roughly forty-three minutes, is a gift. It represents Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the man who brought the tradition of Qawwali to international audiences in the modern world as we know it, and it was made possible by Peter Gabriel, the man who believed in him. To both and to everyone involved, I say—thank you.”

An extensive documentary on Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is reportedly in the works and is expected to be released in 2025. Another documentary, produced by Mekaal Hasan, was unveiled in 2024. Mekaal Hasan has also announced plans to create a Pakistani archive encompassing music, art, philosophy, and poetry in collaboration with the Aga Khan Museum. To that end, he performed at the Aga Khan Museum, adapting songs from the monumental record, Night Song, also in 2024.

When asked about this undertaking, Mekaal Hasan, in an exclusive inter-view to Instep, noted, “I think the beauty lies in the adaptive nature of Nusrat Sb’s compositions. There’s nothing stopping anyone from hearing the original, which is a classic record. However, there’s also no small feat involved in reimagining and writing fresh music for an entire record of one of Nusrat Sb’s iconic world music records. People can enjoy and appre-ciate both!”

An echo chamber of loss

The music industry (and fans) suffered major losses this year with the untimely death of groundbreaking artists such as Haniya Aslam, Shakir Abedeen, Ustad Tafu Khan, as well as music industry insider Umber Hyatt.

The grief of their deaths, collective and individual, was felt far and wide. The industry mourned their loss, knowing fully well that though each of them inspired many musicians in different capacities, none of them could ever be replaced. Gone but never forgotten, their passing left many of us in tears. And as J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote, “Not all tears are evil.”

Critic’s Choice, according to Instep

Best Music Video of the Year:

‘Bindiya’ by Ali Pirzada featuring Rakae Jamil,
directed by Zayan Agha

Best Independent Record Label of the Year:

Cape Monze Records

Best LP of the Year:

Night Reign by Arooj Aftab

Best Rap Artist of the Year:

Faris Shafi

Best Female Artist of the Year:

Natasha Noorani

Best Male Artist of the Year:

Faisal Kapadia

Rising Star of the Year:

Annural Khalid

Music’s Unsung Hero:

Ahsan Pervaiz Mehdi

Best Children’s Act:

Bilal Maqsood from Pakkay Dost

Best Newcomer:

Star Shah (from Coke Studio 15)