ARCHANA LAKRA
RENDITION OF OLD GHAZALS WHICH TAKE YOU BACK TO THOSE DAYS
Once the pride of Mughal Darbaars , now lost in the loudness of electronic music , ghazals are those beautiful pieces of music in which people today too , irrespective of whichever generation they belong , find solace . The calmness it helds in itself makes one stop from all the hustle of this ever running Usain Bolt life and maybe for once makes them actually .. live it or atleast have a feel of it . In this era when we have lost most of those big , respectable names in ghazal gayaki such as Mehdi Hassan , Jagjit Singh , Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan , Mohammad Rafi and many more , we still have some gems among us who care enough to make covers and renditions of those beautiful Ghazals which always touch our hearts .
Some of the renditions of old ghazals by artists of our times who make us live time through their music picked especially for those evenings when you want travel to those times when things were simpler -
RANJISH HI SAHI - ALI SETHI
One of the finest deliveries till date by Coke Studio Pakistan , this rendition has mesmerised tens of millions of people from both sides of the border . Originally composed by Nisar Bazmi and written by Ahmed Faraz , Mehdi Hassan popularised this ghazal . With all due respect to the late singer Mehdi , this rendition is one of the best versions sung and available in the industry right now . Ali Sethi has done a tremendous job in delivering each and every line of this complex Urdu piece which calls upon one ’ s lover to come back even if , to again shatter the heart into thousand pieces one more time . The famous band “ Strings ” produced and directed this rendition .
AAJ JAANE KI ZID NA KARO - SEVEN EYES
This Pakistani Nazm has been sung by many artists including Farida Khanum , Papon , etc there ’ s even an electronic version of it in the film “ Ae Dil Hai Mushkil ”, but what differentiates this version by Seven Eyes is the people performing it . Seven Eyes comprises guitarist Paulo Vinicius from Brazil and UK vocalist Tanya Wells who came together to make music which comes from diverse cultures . They have performed this ghazal at many occasions including Jashn-e-rekhta , and the way it was performed touched everyone present at the venue .
AFREEN AFREEN- RAHAT FATEH ALI KHAN , MOMINA MUSTEHSAN / NAUMAN SAFI
It is very unlikely for one to have not heard this song , there are various versions of it but Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan originally composed and sang it . Most likely the most heard version of it would be the one by Coke Studio Pakistan , performed by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Momina Mustehsan which also had some additional lyrics . Among contemporary singers , Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is much respected and known for his amazing work with classical music which he definitely showcased in this song , but it was Momina ’ s big break which she absolutely deserved after such an amazing performance for a short cameo .
But if you want something fresh , something new , one should definitely listen to the Nauman Safi version by Bluewind Studio . It has additional lyrics , acoustic music and it feels a bit more intimate which definitely enhances your overall experience .
KOI FARIYAAD - MUSTAHSAN KHAN
When it comes to Indian Ghazal singers , one of the very first names that comes into mind is Jagjit Singh . His works are considered one of the best and are basically magic in the form of music . Koi Fariyaad is one of those . It was one of the most popular songs of its time . This rendition by Mustahsan Khan is a perfect blend of that era with a bit of modern instruments which makes it perfect for ears used to electronic music . Mustahsan ’ s voice also compliments this song to perfection .
It ’ s astonishingly amazing that we are still listening to music that Mughals and Kings and those Darbaaris used to listen to , yes maybe we have changed them a little bit according to our own times but still those centuries old Ghazals carry the same magic they used to have in those times . Here hoping our coming generations may listen and carry the legacy forward with pride and grace .
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