Sajjad Ali: A plate full of ‘Qeemay Aalay Poore’

Pop singer Sajjad Ali goes acoustic with his latest offering.

KARACHI:

Pop icon Sajjad Ali, who surprised everyone with his catchy number “Kir Kir” at “Coke Studio Season 4”, is now all set to make everyone hungry with his latest song “Qeemay Aalay Poore”. To some, Ali’s latest melody might sound like a not-so-witty version of “Aalu Anday” by Beyghairat Brigade, but the acoustic sound and the food metaphors are the only things the two have in common.

The song was aired on January 1 and is now being widely circulated on the social media.

“It’s one of the most unplanned songs I have ever made,” laughs Ali, who changed the dynamics of music in Pakistan with his album Babia 93 in 1993. “My daughter, who was playing the guitar on three chords, asked me if I could make something out of it and the first phrase that came to my mind was ‘Qeemay Aalay Poore’ because that’s her favourite dish.”

Ironically, the light and funny feel of the song has a very deep-rooted message which Ali says, comes in the last stanza when he sings about people who are deprived of basic necessities. “It’s necessary for any artist to have a message behind whatever he is doing,” says Ali. “We lose our sanity if we feel hungry at an odd time and don’t find anything in the fridge. What about all those thousands of people who are dying of hunger every day?”

Mixed reactions

While some find his latest venture amusing, other fans are disappointed and are of the opinion that the pop icon should have come up with something better following the success of “Kir Kir”.

“It is their right to criticise and I respect their opinions,” states Ali. “Some people even disliked ‘Kir Kir’ and thought that there was not much into that song. At the end of the day, I do what I feel like doing.”

This is the first ever acoustic number released by Ali and for the pop sensation, the message in the song and his daughter’s wish were above anything else. “I felt that the best way to convey the message is to keep the song as devoid of instruments as possible, hence I went for an acoustic number,” says Ali. “It was about telling my daughter that you can make a song on three chords as well,” states the proud father.

The maestro is with his family in Dubai these days, but living away from his homeland hasn’t stopped him from occasionally appearing in morning shows and contributing to “Coke Studio”. The next big thing coming Ali’s way is working for Bollywood, details of which the singer is not ready to share yet. “Yes, there are a number of projects lined up in Bollywood but fingers crossed for now,” says Ali excitedly.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2012.