Melayu TonTon
Mekaal Hassan’s most recent work is a novel musical series that introduces a variety of traditional skills from various parts of Pakistan. However, it is also fundamentally a labor to preserve the previous request and revive custom. Mekaal’s is a heritage decked with mixes that do not mock the sacredness of formal and gained music that has been passed down through the ages, even though there is no strict rule to restore or reestablish. Eastern traditional, jazz, and hard rock all come together in one place in his strict methodology.
With his Mekaal Hassan Band, Mekaal has allowed younger people to absorb the kafis, qawwalis, and thumris by reclassifying South Asian music with collections like Sampooran and Saptak and presenting fresher mixes with Andholan. He is doing it again right now with the series Rivayat.
Keeping the “rivayat” going The craftsman came to life after his Computerized Devotion Studio caught fire to have mehfils that have been kept in a single take in his lead studio. He is skilled at finding new talent and teaming up with entertainers of different generations. The endeavor, in contrast to the majority of marked excursions, is made with love, and it shows. It introduces completely new faces and does not employ any tricks.
Local music appears to be simple to save and recharge in its conventional format. Particularly in light of the recording studios and performing spaces that we have access to. In any case, business interests have frequently taken advantage of the need to protect, which is why it is refreshing to really focus on Mekaal’s newly discovered masters. While creating organization could have bound us from our melodic past, Mekaal has used the development accessible to him to set up a show that brands didn’t come prepared for, possibly considering the way that it has a large number of dark performers that could justify affirmation anyway don’t guarantee viewership.
However, these experts are customizing Mekaal’s Rivayat series. Ghazals and qawwalis that are being performed specifically for the series are bolting in place of the standard half breeds that are available on other streaming platforms.
From “Chamba” to “Ghunghat”: a win and a success From the melodies that have been posted up until this point, Mekaal Hassan Band components are, in a sense, uncommon to find. However, there is sufficient sentimentality and rich verse, as well as consistent hands and voices.
Something as fundamental as the Manwa Sisters’ traditional Himachali society song Chamba Kitni Dur is being investigated. The tune offers quality and surface with sensitive tablas and unpretentious dholaks, a woodwind, cajon, bass, and acoustic guitar — a recurring theme throughout the series. Even though there is so much variety, everything makes sense. Particularly, the Manwa Sisters sing as a wonderful, unified whole, preserving the sections of the melody and keeping everyone’s attention on them.
Ranjha Kardi, a prominent Bulleh Shah kafi, is also prominently featured. The live performance, led by Shujat Ali Khan and featuring guest specialists Anton Davidyants and Gwen Lafitte on bass and guitar, is moving and well-formed. It has a unique sound that many previous Ranjha versions struggled to convey. Shujat has a fantastic project, and you can still hear his voice long after the melody is over.
Tobah, a qawwali who is adored by everyone, is also on the list. This one, composed and performed by Shahzad Ali Khan, is forceful with substantial instrumentation, as it should be. Shez Raja plays bass, and Gwen plays guitars. Getting right to the point, it frees each feeling and transforms into a goal for breaking. It speeds up, which is not typical of qawwalis. Nevertheless, it is ideal for advanced audience members with short attention spans and, surprisingly, lower persistence.
Mekaal recently performed an interpretation of Bulleh Shah’s Ghunghat Olay with Javed Bashir and Sharmistha Chatterjee. The Rivayat offering is just as charming as that stunning variant. Even though it isn’t as bad as it could be, it still makes you feel bad and miserable. Its appeal lies in the amount of time it takes to express emotions, and it was performed by Fiza and Hasnain Haider to highlight Shez and Gwen. Although the patient display of affection won’t immediately pique the interest of the audience, it will eventually do so.
Although Mekaal’s work may appear to be unimportant to some, it is of exceptional executive and documentary value. Organization of society necessitates skill, and Mekaal’s effortless completion of his task necessitates the refined man. The barely discernible distinction between assignment and variation has not been crossed, and there are lessons to be learned from the way that percussive instrumentation and eastern old-style sound overpower western elements, with the last option only adding tone to the current piece.
Mekaal understands that there is no one-size-fits-all path to progress. As a result, no equation has been applied to any of the songs, but they all share a common ethos. It also helps to remember what Coke Studio used to be, rather than the energetic, electronic direction it has taken in recent years. Mekaal’s series basically helps us remember the effortlessness of past times that cannot be abandoned for excellent showcases, which is also excellent considering that it is charming a new crowd around the world.
