Pepsi Battle of the Bands episode 7 kicked off with the season finale featuring the top 2 bands Bayaan and Zarb. Badnaam performed to ‘Dastan-e-Faqeer,’ which appeared to be a gritty take on a Sufi song. Badnaam were last year’s runners up and their performance set the momentum for the evening and made for an electrifying start to the show.
The last episode witnessed some unexpected twists with Tamasha and 21-the band bidding farewell to the show.
Read more: Pepsi Battle of the Bands: An unxpected ‘Tamasha’ gives us the top two finalists
This time around, the competition was made more gripping. While both Bayaan and Xarb showed great potential, it seemed a bit mind-boggling as to who would eventually win the title of Pepsi Battle of the Bands.
First to perform was Bayaan with their soulful mashup of poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s kalaam ‘Aaj Bazar Mein,’ originally sung by Nayyara Noor and the song ‘Na Re Na’ by Ali Azmat. The vocals were strong and so was their rendition, invoking emotions among the judges. Both the choices were extremely different and the way Bayaan managed to merge the two was nothing short of brilliant. The judges were left awestruck and couldn’t help but sing praises of their performance, which deserved every bit of appreciation.
Next in line was Xarb with their track ‘Raqs-e-Wujood‘ which was a mashup of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan titled ‘Manam Mehve’ and Abida Parveen’s ‘Main Naraye.’ Their performance, as expected, left the judges amazed and not only were they raving about the melody they heard but the way the track was presented in farsi – a dialect which one would need immense practice for where words flow like petals and that’s how Xarb did justice to the song.
This round was about two performances each by the bands, with the second one being an originally composed track. Bayaan penned down a heartfelt track called ‘Paani aur mitti’ which originally was composed by their drummer and eventually tweaked by the lead singer himself. The melody was soft and had a calming effect on the judges, who felt that at one point it seemed to remind them of Vital Signs. All the judges seemed nothing but proud with their decision of having chosen the band in the final round.
Similarly, Xarb performed to an original track called ‘Umeed’ which the band referred to as the song of hope. The powerful vocals of Qamar stirred the judges so much that Faisal Kapadia of Strings insisted on having at least one light and happy track in their album given his soulful voice, which was bound to make everyone tear up.
The next segment comprised a heartfelt message given out by the two bands to the judges, whom they proudly considered as their mentors. They expressed their gratitude for all their learning and the direction each band acquired. They felt that the judges’ unwavering support is what helped them reach the finals.
The episode came to an end with a performance by Pepsi Battle of the Bands’ first winner Aaroh, who performed to a romantic ballad called ‘Ik Chah’ from their last album Raagneela. The performance was soothing and only made us wonder who’d pick up the title this year. The winner will be announced in the next episode, which will be the grand finale of the show.
The voting begins today and ends on Thursday the 30th of August when the last episode will be aired. Vote for your favouirte band by messaging ‘B’ for Bayaan and ‘X’ for Xarb on 8042 or log on to the official website www.pepsibattleofthebands.com to cast your vote.
Who do you think will shine as a winner in the next episode? Let us know in comments section…
Watch the full episode here:
