We know a lot of you want to discover new music but just don’t want to make the effort of digging through the millions of singles and albums being released all over the world. We used to be rather lazy ourselves but thanks to Patari, all our local music is now in one place and we now don’t need to go scavenging for good, local numbers. We are also rather tired of hearing that Pakistan’s music industry is dying and that there is no original content being produced. Therefore, we want to introduce our readers to some fabulous music being released by your very own homegrown artists. Let’s give credit where it’s due and check out some eclectic tunes! In no particular order, here is our playlist for this week:
‘Gharoli‘ – SomeWhatSuper
SomeWhatSuper really are on a roll. The boys have been producing one hit after another, such as ‘Modi Teri‘ and ‘The Sibbi Song’. Now, Feroz Faisal and Talha Dar have remixed ‘Gharoli‘, which has famously been sung by Abida Parveen in the past, making it a tough act to follow. But Feroz and Talha have done what they do best; they’ve amped it up magnificently with an electronic sound. Since Pakistan has no clubs, this song won’t be hitting the local club circuit but it will definitely be a workout song for a lot of us (read: me)!
‘Yaar Mere‘ – Meesha Shafi
Meesha Shafi’s ‘Yaar Mere‘ has given Cornetto Pop Rock 2 the lease on life that it needed. Meesha is looking confident and stylish as she always does and she sounds like an angel sent to us from the musical heavens. The song, produced by Saad Sultan, is about two estranged lovers and the video captures the essence of the lyrics, penned by Shakeel Sohail, beautifully. It has been shot by Asad ul Haq after all so we weren’t expecting anything less from him. One of our most favourite songs this week!
‘Teri Ay‘ Â – Farasat Anees Ft. Umer Farooq
This is the kind of music you make people listen to when someone questions the running of Pakistan’s music industry. Yes, you have the Atif Aslams and Ali Azmats, the musical giants who will release a single or two here and there (usually it’s just branded music). But then you have lesser known musical outfits who don’t have big budgets and can’t make glossy videos. For these guys, one has to head over to Patari and check out all the new, upcoming artists who are producing really quality music. Currently, there are two versions of the song, ‘Teri Ay‘ on Patari. The original, by Umer Farooq is an easy listen and one can really pay attention to his vocals, which are like music to the ears on their own. Then there is an electronic version by Farasat Anees which has given the track an electronic spin. It falls under the deep house category, a genre that is now being explored a lot in Pakistan. Check it out, it’s fun to listen to when you’re out on a drive.
‘Bhit Ja Bhitai‘ – Hadiqa Kiani
Hadiqa Kiani is truly one of the most mesmerizing singers of our country and we are glad that she’s back with a new album, Wajd. This musical venture is well thought out and creatively crafted by the singer, along with her qawaal group who are doing full justice to the poetry that they’re singing. Shot by Abdullah Harris, Hadiqa’s ‘Sindhi Chapter’ from the album is powerful; it pays homage to Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, a well known Sufi scholar and mystic. This is the first time Hadiqa has sung a song in Sindhi and she has such superior command over the language that one would never be able to guess Hadiqa has never sung in Sindhi before. Must listen!
‘Bolo‘ – Sikandar Ka Mandar & Natasha Noorani
Whether you loved the movie or not, one thing is for certain that Chalay Thay Saath‘s sountrack was phenomenal. The film went down the indie route and featured indie artists who are producing a very new, fresh and raw sound, unlike anything that’s come out of Pakistan ever before. One of these indie names is the incredibly talented Sikandar Ka Mandar. The band produces thought provoking lyrics wrapped in soft and easy-going melodic compositions and their collaboration with Natasha Noorani on ‘Bolo’ is no different. The song is infectious and it fit perfectly in a very crucial scene of the film mentioned above. We will be listening to this one repeat this week!
