The Underrated and the Lesser Heard…

It happens with ever singer and with each music album…a few songs associated with them often become so popular that they end up being synonymous with them and their success. But in the process there are some genuinely good ones that often get ignored or sidelined.

This is an attempt to bring to the fore some of Shafqat Amanat Ali’s songs, which in my opinion, deserve more of the limelight.

Sublime Devotion

"Ram Rai Hohe Baid Banwari"- A beautiful shabad by Bhagat Bhikanji reiterates my belief that the Bhakti  the Devotional genre is what Shafqat was born to sing. This was for an album in 2008 for which Jagjit Singh composed the music.

Riveting, Ramchand Pakistani

This award winning film, released in 2008, is a poignant tale of the inadvertent crossing over of a Pakistani man and his son into the Indian side of the border. The film was an Indo- Pak collaboration in more ways than one. The music of the film was given by the known Indian composer Debjyoti Mishra who got Shafqat to sing 2 songs for the film.The songs are penned by the famous Pakistani writer and poet Anwar Maqsood..

The songs also feature another favorite of mine Shubha Mudgal.

The first- “Phir wohi Raastey” conveys so beautifully the pain a child who is away from his home

“Kya Meri Muntzar Hai Ki Aaun Kabhi,

 Wo Mere Saath Udhti Patangein Meri,

Mere Haathon Ko Choomein Gi Aakar Kabhi”

Do they await, do they expect me to return…

Those kites that flew as high as my dreams…

Will I be able to feel them in my hands, ever again

And then you have “Allah Megh de” – yet another take on the very memorable folk song that has enthralled us in different forms

If there were any two voices that matched perfectly in terms of their power, their ability to be in sync with the emotions of the words that they sing, and their grip over the technicalities of the art of singing it has to be these two. Sheer bliss and joy… Can, but just pray that they come together to collaborate once again, very soon

Punjabi Pleasure

Punjabi music is often equated with loud, boisterous, crazy… And if I tell you that there are songs in Punjabi that are sweet and sentimental and slow…you would probably dismiss me disbelievingly.  Well then, you must listen to some of the songs Shafqat Amanat Ali has sung in Punjabi.

An album called Studio Amritsar composed by Gaurav Issar was released apparently in the 2004 and featured artists like Richa Sharma, Labh Janjua, Shahid Malliya and of course Shafqat.

Tere bagair Sajna… talks of the pain of separation, the life without the beloved

“Akhiyan ch ne udeekan, lab te sawaal hai.. In the eyes lies the wait on my lips the question…”

“Assa ho gayen ne leeraN.. Jeena Muhaal hai”- Without you I am in tatters, It is so hard to live on

Aa do Kadiyan…is the invitation to sit down and share a few heart to heart moments….

“Main Honwa, tu Hove,Te saada rab”- Let there just be you, me and Our God!

Listen to it here

Lang Aaja - Is a very popular traditional Punjabi folk song and Shafqat’s version features in an album on Indian Wedding songs by Music today..This is the only male version of the song that I have heard- slow paced that allows you to linger over and enjoy the words and the melody and he leaves his stamp of classical singing in this one, too. My other favorite version is by Surinder Kaur.

The Coke Studio Cheer!

Shafqat has featured in both the Pakistani and Indian editions of the highly acclaimed music show, Coke Studio. In the season 1 of the Indian Coke Studio besides some of his hits he sang a brand new number composed by Leslie Lewis called Tere Bin Dil Laage na is a happy kind of  song… in quite a different zone than the sad, Sufi, soulful territory that Shafqat commonly treads

Scaling New heights

"Paakida"  is from the album Arrk by Music Today which was labeled as a "Sufi Rock" collection and  featured artists like Zubeen Garg, Javed Ali and Chitra among others. This very high pitched, high energy number showcases Shafqat's powerful vocals and is guaranteed to get the spirits soaring to new highs of musical ecstasy

Twice over?

Tu Hi Tu is a song that was first heard in Zubeen Garg’s debut album, Zindagi that was released in 2007.  This song by Shafqat was later added onto the song list of Tabeer, his first solo album after his breakup with the Fuzon band. An interesting video was also produced for the song. But what I like most about the song is the very contemperory, modern feel of the song reflected both in the compostion and the lyrics…

Blissful Bollywood

Kaarvan comes, surprisingly, from the house of Sajid-Wajid. It is a track from a film called Hello and apparently was never used on screen. The film also didn't too well and the song, too sadly, never saw the success it deserved.

“Par To Lage Hain, Udte Nahi Hain

Jab Kuch Nahi Hai, Kyun Saji Hain Roshni

Shola Jaga Diya, Dekar Hawaa...

Aisa Jahaan Tera, Ab Bata De Tu Bata De Khuda...”

Beautiful words, written by Jalees Sherwani and at the cost of repeating myself- when a voice like Shafqat’s complains to God, He would have no choice but to listen!

Poore se zara se kam is a beautiful track from Mausam. This one is called the Band Mix did not appear in the released soundtrack. Even though I love the version by Rashid Khan used on screen but this version is excellent, too

And more

Each of the 3 albums by Shafqat has some songs which have connected and stayed with the listeners in a big way- Khamaj, Aankon ke Saagar, Khedeyan de naal, Darbari, Akhiyan have been massive hits. But each of the 3 albums also has some gems which deserved to be talked about and listened to more often…

Naina from Tabeer has to be one of the sweetest romantic numbers I have ever heard. Madhbanti from Saagar is The song for a lonely night, the composition of Naukar Tere, from Kyun Dooriyan is based on a folk, wedding song and the words are so simple, yet so profound, and Kaaga ja in Pahaari from the same album is soulful.

But it is an unplugged version of the last one that makes me fall in love again and again with the powerful voice that doesn't really need any musical instruments as props!