Music: Dhaani

Artists: StringsAnwar Maqsood, Zehra Nigah

When Strings released their second album back in 1992, the one song that struck mainstream fans was ‘sar kiyay yeh pahaar’. The rest of the tracks were forgotten. However, it was in those tracks that Strings had established themselves as the powerful, lyrical, and most importantly urban-poetic musicians. With songs like ‘koshish karo’, ‘aaj din bhar’, and ‘aaj main khud he’, the album was way ahead of it’s time.

So when after a decade, ‘Duur’ was released – perhaps the most fresh album to hit the Pakistani music scene since Junoon’s ‘Inquilaab’- we had before us a band who’s time had come!

What’s deeply satisfying about their songs in Vol. 2 and ‘Duur’ is the ‘urban’ spirit that permeates them. The traditional lyrics of other musicians tend to use the ‘agrarian’ symbolisms to convey the thirst of the soul or the condition of life. Urban chaos for a society in transition offers us a different challenge. To search for alternative symbolisms – symbolisms that we overlook in the nerve-wrecking commotion of bustling cities.

And now Strings are back, offering ‘Dhaani’.

Though this album is a tremendous somersault from the prior ‘urban-ness’ it’s still difficult to compare Strings with anyone else. Powerful lyrics by Anwar Maqsood and Zehra Nigah played to beautiful compositions of Bilal Maqsood and sung with the longing filled voice of Faisal Kapadia.

‘Dhaani’, the color of a greenish hue, is softer then previous works of Strings and far more relaxed.

Some notable songs are ‘chaaye chaaye’, ‘dekho kaisay’, ‘dhaani’ and ‘pal’. As with other albums, Bilal leads the vocals in ‘mera bichrra yaar’, and ‘sohniyae’.

The listener is offered a heavy dose of fusion with flutes, and rather classical tinges of notes sung by Faisal. This has become an established trend in Pakistani pop and rock music. Fusion with classical instruments and vocals has not only become more sophisticated, it has finally become acceptable to listeners.

Strings’ ‘Dhaani’ takes the Pakistani music scene a step forward with enjoyable improvisations. And this time, their work is unlikely to be overlooked.