Raining praises for Jimmy Khan

Singer-songwriter on making music for ‘Ho Mann Jahaan’ and story behind hit track ‘Baarish’

ISLAMABAD:

We heard him for the first time on Coke Studio’s seventh edition — this young man with an old school voice. His renditions of Gari Ko Chalana Babu and Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Ye drew enough attention to catch the eye of director Asim Raza, who was on the lookout for musicians whose line of thinking would match his own.

Lo and behold! Jimmy Khan landed his film music debut with the upcoming Ho Mann Jahaan. He has not only contributed for the film’s background score but also worked on a couple of singles in the soundtrack. Talking to The Express Tribune about his journey, Jimmy said, “It was my friend and musician Zeb Bangash who introduced my music to Asim Raza. He then contacted me, expressing his likeness for my work. It’s been a year now since I started working on the film with the team.”





Having released only recently, the soundtrack managed to rivet attention and it has been raining praises for Jimmy ever since Baarish came out. The track’s feel-good melody and soothing acoustic guitar strumming make it a standout. “I had already composed and written Baarish for myself. Asim had asked me for ideas and I shared this track with him. It clicked with him and before I knew it, he had chosen it for the album,” Jimmy said.

However, unlike the romantic undertones that the song carries in the film, it stems out of an existential quest for Jimmy. “There’s a certain coming-of-age anxiety that we have at this point in life. The song is a prayer for help and relief for that particular time. What I’m saying with the song is that one should have faith and chill out … it’s all going to be okay,” the singer who himself is in his late 20s, added.

Interestingly, some of the lyrics are also inspired by his cousin’s cat that he says acts like it’s possessed. “The last verse of the song, Tum jo deewaaron se takra ke jeena bhool gaye, was taken from the cat’s antics of running into walls,” he laughingly stated. The lyrics can also be interpreted metaphorical for certain ‘head-crashing’ moments in life.

Other than Baarish and the background score, Jimmy co-produced the film’s title song, Mann Ke Jahaan. “I co-composed Mann Ke Jahaan, which is sung by Zeb. I travelled to Abbottabad where Zeb was getting riyaz lessons from her ustaad and we recorded the song together,” he said. “It’s been crazy.”

Despite Jimmy’s coming-of-age anxieties, 2016 has a lot more in store for him. Multiple projects, including an international tour, are all in the pipeline. “I’m getting done with promos for Ho Mann Jahaan, which will be out soon. After that, I am going to start working on Mehreen Jabbar’s Dobara Phir Se. I’m also set to go on a tour to the US, which will include cultural concerts and independent ones too.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2015.

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