The Big Ten

Instep takes a look at the10 best songs of 2011…

By Maheen Sabeeh

1. ‘Bum Phatta’

- Ali Azmat

After the introspective Social Circus and the funk rock-inspired Klashinfolk, Ali Azmat returned to the spotlight this year with his playful and tongue-in-cheek tune, ‘Bum Phatta’.

With a gorgeous guitar riff and smooth bassline, it’s Ali Azmat at his finest. However, it’s not the musical edginess that makes the song so appealing. It’s the catchy wordplay, the witty one-liners about electricity, water, food – real issues that plague real, everyday people – that makes the song so special.

In the music video, directed by ace video man Jami, we see Ali Azmat emulate different people. Some of them include Hilary Clinton, Che Guevara, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman and Raymond Davis to a perfect comic degree.

“A journalist friend of mine, Yawar Mian wrote three songs. One of them was called ‘Manu Bijli Day’. Another was called ‘Sari Boti Kha’. It was all fun and we were sitting and laughing. Anyway I converted those three songs into this one number that is ‘Bum Phatta’,” Ali Azmat tells Instep. “The song is about everything. The sentiment comes from everything that’s happening around us. You know, rising food prices, rising petrol prices, bomb blasts and drone attacks and electricity issues, everything.”

2. ‘Aalo Anday’

- Beygairat Brigade

Earlier this year, a song came out of nowhere and became an overnight sensation. The tune, which garnered over 500,000 views on YouTube is but of course, ‘Aalo Anday’ from a musical unit, called Beygairat Brigade.
‘Aalo Anday’ is not your average song. It’s tongue-in-cheek, there’s a dark sense of humour and it’s sung with an air of confidence. The video features the three boys of Beygairat Brigade, dressed in school uniforms, singing away about everything that plagues Pakistan, but in a sly, cheeky manner. This is not a song that is preachy in any sense. It’s got spunk and grit.

From civilian leaders like Imran Khan to the Chief Justice to the all-powerful military – Beygairat Brigade spare absolutely no one, taking on all the powerful political cows of Pakistan. They sing, “My mother has cooked potatoes and eggs/I don’t want to eat them/I find them bad/the CJ is the last light/With such hullabaloo about the extension/The chief has gone into hibernation/Where Qadri is treated like a royal/Where Ajmal Qasab is a hero most loyal/Where the mullah escaped in a veil/Abdus Salam is forgotten tale” – it’s brave as hell and a sharp observation of the sad state of affairs.

The song is the brainchild of Beygairat Brigade, a musical outfit that came into being just seven months ago. Consisting of Ali Aftab Saeed,27, Daniyal Malik, 25 and Hamza Malik, 15, the tune marks their entry into the music scene.

“We watch TV, we also read newspapers, we read opinions so we’re well aware of what’s happening around us,” says lead vocalist, Ali Aftab. “People think we’re frustrated but we’re not. It’s not frustration. We are optimistic people with good observation,” he says about how ‘Aalo Anday’ came into being.
Satirical, radical, bold and cheeky, ‘Aalo Anday’ deserves a listen and a watch.

3. ‘Jee Dhoondta Hai’

- Ali Zafar

It’s an ambitious move to take on the poetry of Mirza Ghalib. But Ali Zafar has proven once again why he’s not just another pop singer. He’s much more than that. He’s got some serious game. And that reflects beautifully in the tune that is ‘Jee Dhoondta Hai’. With swirling guitars, crisp drums, addressing inner anxiety, it’s wonderful.

“I’ve been a fan of his (Mirza Ghalib) poetry since the time I could understand it. I always wanted to sing one his ghazals,” Ali Zafar tells Instep. “I wanted to create a timeless song and thought it can only be created with timeless poetry. I have tried my best to do justice to the great poet. I guess only time can tell how it will sustain or travel.”

4. ‘Mera Bichra Yaar’
- Zoe Viccaji

Zoe Viccaji arrived with a bang this summer when she teamed up with Strings and knocked out her version of Strings’ famous number, ‘Mera Bichra Yaar’. Simply put, Zoe’s ‘Mera Bichra Yaar’ is moving because she’s sung it so well and with such incredible range. It’s melodic, it’s light and it’s absolutely beautiful.

“When I first started developing a rendition of the song, I was really taken by the lyrics, and the ambiguity of them. For me they reminded me of a sense of loss I had felt very recently, and a longing for reconnection. At the end of the day, one is left with that bittersweet comfort of memories. I didn’t initially try to create any sentiment, but as I went along adding layers of vocals, it just fell into place,” says Zoe about her sentiments behind the song.

What set this tune apart was the also the fact that Zoe sung it in acapella.

“I only knew that I wanted to make a song that was made up vocals, but had no idea how to have such a thing produced. After a lot of trial and error, I finally arranged ‘Bichra Yaar’ and recorded layers of vocals in my mini home studio and showed it to a few people; it instantly (very fortunately) clicked! Funnily enough it was only then that we decided it would be really exciting to have Strings on board and they very graciously agreed to come in and lend their lovely voices. In the final recordings and production, Omran Shafique then put in his final magical touches, and voila!” Zoe tells Instep.

5. ‘Saeen’

- Usman Riaz

The 21-year-old Usman Riaz is really a bundle of talent. His instrumental cover of Junoon’s famous tune, ‘Saeen’ is jaw-dropping. Without any vocals, Usman has managed to make this song stand out. It’s majestic with a strong rhythm, it’s addictive with its Middle Eastern ethos and it’s textured with just a tinge of melancholia.

“I tried to keep the essence of the piece similar but I knew that I would have to approach it very differently for it to stand out against the original. The actual song is universally loved and is not something I could go up against no matter what I did with the track. I decided to turn it into a Middle Eastern Orchestral piece with a very driving rhythm. I wanted to stay far away from any sort of Eastern percussion, no tablas or dhols. Only in the video are there dhols because I felt it would suit the look we were going for. I even changed the spelling of my version to distance it from the original. ‘Saeein’ was changed to ‘Saeen’,” says Usman Riaz in a conversation with Instep.

The tune is layered with many different instruments and the talented Mr Riaz has roughly played all of them.
“On the piece I played the mandolin, the guitar, the harmonium, tanpura, ceramic drum and some of the darkbuka parts. I arranged the other percussion parts that were wonderfully played by the very talented Alfred D’mello. I also arranged and wrote the new violin melody employed in the piece. We got the wonderful Saeed Sahab to play those parts as I had written. Both musicians did a wonderful job in bringing those parts to life.”

6. ‘Hona Tha Pyar’

- Atif Aslam and Hadiqa Kiyani

When it comes to local films and their music, we usually don’t give it second thought: We don’t have too many expectations from a Lollywood film. But when the film is the brainchild of Shoaib Mansoor, one needs to sit up and take notice. Because Shoaib Mansoor is not your average filmmaker. Earlier this year he returned with his second feature film, the bold and moving flick that was Bol.

With the film came an outstanding soundtrack, one that is miles ahead of any other soundtrack that has released locally in recent times. And if there was one song that dominated our airwaves this summer, it was Bol’s catchy number, ‘Hona Tha Pyar’.

The song which marks yet another collaboration between Hadiqa Kiyani and Atif Aslam is a pop-y love song and it works. Atif Aslam’s commanding vocals mix with Hadiqa’s really well while the melody stays with you long after the song stops playing. With a groovy bassline and lyrics that capture emotions that will never go out of fashion, ‘Hona Tha Pyar’ is more than run of the mill stuff. It’s exactly the kind of pop magic that Atif and Hadiqa should attempt more often. Sometimes simplicity is the key to a great song. And that’s the case here.

7. ‘Neray Aah’

- Overload

‘Neray Aah’, the new tune from Overload, is easily one of their better songs. The tune, which sees Overload head honcho/drummer Farhad Humayon taking on vocal duties, is in short, aggressive, grungy and very catchy. With crazy guitars, a funky bassline, it’s absolutely addictive.

“I love it! It’s got humour. It’s got the funk, it’s got attitude and follows no visual or audio norms that Pakistani music and videos zabardasti stick to in order to make a hit. It’s carved the way for more radical songs and ideas to follow,” says Farhad Humayun about ‘Neray Aah’.

Speaking about the elusive wordplay, Farhad tells Instep, “The original connotations of the lyrics pertain to sex and desire. There’s no other way to describe it. That’s why we used the shaadi band in the music because it’s representing a celebration of feelings. However, we used the video to convey the same lyrics of desire in a different way. We made a demon sing the song to invite a potential candidate towards corruption and eternal damnation.”

8. ‘Main Tou Dekhoonga’

- Strings

Time and again, Strings have taken on issues vis-à-vis their music. Be it in the shape of an anti-terrorism song (‘Yeh Hum Nahin’) or anti-war anthem (‘Beirut’) or a celebratory affair like the World Cup (‘Hai Koi Hum Jaisa’) – the duo of Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood know when to speak out.

And this year, the band returned with one of their finest tunes to date, the infectious ‘Main Tou Dekhoonga’. Penned by Bilal Maqsood, the hauntingly beautiful song is filled with optimism as Faisal Kapadia croons, “Jab Roti Hogi Sasti Aur Mehengi Hogi Jaan/Who Din Phir Aayega Jab Aisa Hoga Pakistan” – it fills you up from inside with the hope of a better tomorrow.

9. ‘Walk on Air’

- Sajid and Zeeshan

The promising lads of Peshawar returned to the spotlight this year with their single, ‘Walk on Air’, a tune that is layered with cheerful gloom and sweetness.

“‘Walk on Air’ is pretty much about believing in yourself and learning through different elements around you. To make things better, you probably have to skip the ground, lift yourself up and walk on air,” Zeeshan Parwez tells Instep.

The song works not just because of its lyrical quality but also the wonderfully weird sound of electronica mixed with acoustic pop rhythm that is the signature of Sajid and Zeeshan.

“Sajid and I have this “acoustica/electronica” sound which usually kicks in by us trying to fuse acoustic guitars with electronic elements. Like ‘King of Self’, this song was purely developed keeping a certain house beat and a specific groove in mind and that’s how Sajid wrote the lyrics (again, in 45 minutes just like ‘King of Self’) and we structured the song within an hour,” concludes Zeeshan. – (Photo by Kohi Marri)

10. ‘Karachi’

- Karachi – The Musical

To sing a song about the sprawling, violent, brutal yet still beautiful city of Karachi is no small feat. But the team behind Karachi – The Musical have done it with aplomb.

With Hamza Jaffri spearheading the original soundtrack department, one expected good things but ‘Karachi’ surpasses all expectations. The song is gritty, magnificent, with an operatic feel. Faraz Lodhi does an incredible job as the vocalist, bringing to front the tongue-in-cheek wordplay that paints a stark picture of Karachi, including the good, bad and the ugly. Take a bow!

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