Back with a bang

Musician Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan kicks off fourth season of ‘Nescafé Basement’

LAHORE:

Fresh talent, diverse backgrounds and palpable energy of young artists are features that make Nescafé  Basement unique. And, Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, the brain behind the music platform has so far maintained these qualities through the first three seasons. Xulfi — as he is commonly referred to — is now gearing up for the launch of the show’s fourth edition.  The new season was launched at a press conference on Friday, wherein a bevy of musicians took the stage and sang praises for the man of the hour himself.

The audience got a taste of things to come this season with the screening of two videos from the first episode. One of the songs was a cover of Jadu Ka Chiragh by Awaz; it featured a powerful combination of vocals, flute and tabla. Next up was a cover of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Mukhre Toh Nazran Hatawan, which is a rather difficult song to tackle. But the house band put together a groovy mix, replete with claps and other organic sound effects.





Following the screening, musicians Ali Noor, Ali Hamza, Noman Javed as well as designer Munib Nawaz and director Bilal Lashari took to the stage. “I’ve known Xulfi for a long time and I think he’s finally found his calling in helping promote fresh talent. He has proven himself right, and even if this is a commercial exercise, Xulfi is pure,” said Noor. Javed echoed his sentiments. “The big names are there but real talent comes from unknown faces and that’s what Nescafé  Basement supports,” he said. Javed’s statement was met with loud cheers from this season’s artists who were standing in front of the podium. “The only way my darzi brand became what it is today, is from the music that Xulfi and Noori made, which inspired me to do what I do,” added Nawaz. “Keep inspiring me with your music so I can share your stories through my fashion. Now that Xulfi has touched Jaadu ka Chiraag, I feel like I’m in love with it again.”



The event soon became a stage for exciting collaborations between different musicians. Mukhre Toh Nazran Hatawan and Tere Ishq Mein were played live and musical twins, Sharoon and Haroon Leo also performed an instrumental. According to them, Nescafé  Basement has earned a reputation for discovering young underground musicians from all over Pakistan and giving them a launch pad. The fourth season will continue in the same vein, growing bigger with each song.

This time around, the show has roped in 47 musicians, of which, some are returning acts but others are performing for the very first time. With most of them aged between 18 and 23, there is a certain enthusiasm in their performances no number of rehearsals can take away. Nescafé Basement Season 4 will air its first episode this month.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th,  2016.

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