written by Madeeha syed:
Charkha Nolakha by Atif Aslam and Qayaas: At Qayaas band
member Sarmad Ghafoor’s suggestion, who is also the guitarist for Atif
Aslam’s backing band, Atif and Qayaas decided to collaborate. Atif’s
intent was to help out some of the newer talent emerging in Pakistan’s
music industry.
According to Atif, "We initially wanted to perform Sun Charkha Di
Mithi Mithi by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (NFAK) so we shared our version of
the song with Rohail Hyatt.” The producer, however, felt that Charkha
Nolakha (also by NFAK) would be a better option.
According to the Qayaas’ lead singer, Umair Jaswal, "Working with
Atif Aslam was a fantastic experience. He is a master of improvisation
and has the ability to reproduce musical pieces that sound pleasing to
the ears.”
With the idea of paying tribute to some of the biggest names in Sufi
and rock music, the idea of fusing NFAK’s music with Led Zeppelin came
into existence. "Initially I was supposed to sing the verses of Kashmir
(Led Zeppelin) at the climax of the song but the idea was changed.”
Instead, Umair sang the opening lines of a kalam by Bulleh Shah on the
guitar riff of Kashmir.
East meets west in Charkha Nolakha in a symphony that is
both raw and haunting. It presents itself like an intimate ballad and
flows like a whispered conversation between two very powerful entities
coming together with a common purpose. Umair Jaswal holds his ground in
Charkha Nolakha as Atif Aslam’s contemporary—his equal—while as a
seasoned performer, Atif instinctively knows how to steer the mood of
the song in a way that suits it best. It was a befitting end to a
fantastic start to the fifth season of Coke Studio.
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