Pakistan’s pop music scene is on to a fresh beginning. After the dull period faced by the music industry in the last few years, finally things have started changing for the better and one such glad tiding is the fifth season of Nescafé Basement which derives its strength from diversity.
The second song released by the musical platform has taken us on a trip down memory lane as Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan (Xulfi) breathes new life into Haroon Rashid’s 2002 hit track Mehbooba.
The Arabic infused song brought back a wave of nostalgia. While the Arabic lyrics were sung by a female vocalist in the original, the new version is sung by three male singers: Ali Tariq, Hamza Tanveer and Ali Asghar.
The trance inducing beat is played on a variety of instruments from riffs of drums, saxophone, violin, bass, guitars, percussion and rubab. If that’s not all, an interesting melody was created with concurrent claps.
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The best part about the cover is that it doesn’t lose the essence and spirit of the original track. The composition remains the same however it has a refreshing new take on it. The seven-minute song is so melodious that it will leave you wanting for more.
Other than the obvious musical harmony in the video, what caught our attention instantly is a 13-year-old young boy Sinaan who is the drummer. Kudos to Xulfi for introducing youth on such big platform; first it was Hadiya (in Bol Hu) who left us in awe of her vocal range and now a drummer who can match the performance of established singers.
Haroon also loved this rendition and took to social media platforms to praise the song.
https://twitter.com/TheRealHaroon/status/1091382078485250050
Watch the video:
