Chan Kithan by Ali Sethi: Punjabi vibes meet goth tunes
An experiment, the song blends the ethos of Seraiki language with urban longing through a mix of music and fashion
PHOTO: PUBLICITY
At the end of the month of Ramazan, Ali Sethi decided to indulge his fans and give them the perfect Eidul Fitr gift in the form of a Punjabi Gothic song, Chan Kithan. He will unleash his new-fangled creation in collaboration with designer Seher Tareen of Studio S today. An experiment in “Punjabi gothic”, the song blends the ethos of Seraiki language with urban longing through a unique mix of music and fashion.
Speaking with The Express Tribune, Ali said “I've loved this song since I was a child. I guess we all know it. It's one of those folk tunes that have been around for as long as we can remember. But a few years ago I heard an old recording of the late Ustad Barkat Ali Khan performing it in a mehfil. This was from the 50s, so a long time ago. Khan sahib was a famous stylist, and I could hear him playing around with the tune, stretching the syllables in surprising and rather beautiful ways. That's what inspired me to sing it. I too wanted to explore the song's full melodic potential”.
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Ali has also used some advance techniques while composing the track. “We've done a number of things. One is that Saad Sultan [producer] and I decided to switch the scale from minor to major. That adds a special sweetness to the rendition,” he added. “Then we've fused a whole bunch of instruments such as guitars and synths with the traditional dholak, dandiya sticks and a snakcharmer's been. We've also thrown in some Casio riffs from the early 90s to give it that nostalgic electro feel.”
Different artists have sung the song previously but Ali’s version is totally unique. “There is no ‘original’ version of this song! There are only renditions by different artistes such as Dhinanath Mangeshkar, Surinder Kaur, Suraiya Multanikar, Ataullah Esakhelvi and the Nooran Sisters. I suppose our version is the most consciously experimental in how it tries to fuse disparate styles and techniques of arrangement.”
The video is directed by Taimoor Salahuddin, which features Ali’s sister Mira Sethi, Mikaal Zulfiqar and Mehreen Syed. The video shows a modern-day Cinderella story with a unique ending and the coming together of several stylistic elements.
“It was wonderful being part of the video, walking through its dreamy, gothic scape, emoting only through my eyes and body language. The song is stunning and haunting and I can't wait for everyone to hear it,” said Mira. “Having worked with both Mikaal and Mooroo before, it was a pleasure to collaborate with them again. Mehreen looks dazzling in the video, and it was great to see her perform. I predict Ali and Saad's rendition of Chan Kithan will be adored by all kinds of people – from love struck couples to truck drivers to university professors. It's a song for all hearts and all seasons.”
Mehreen has starred in a music video after many years. “Ali is my favourite singer and to work in his video is my life time dream project. Ali has an amazing voice and when he sings his voice touches everyone to the core. This song is so magical it will find a special place in everyone's heart. Mikaal too, was a huge support to me during this project. He is a supremely talented man and is already a big star with so much still ahead of him.”
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The wardrobe for the project has been styled Studio S from her Abstraction spring/summer ’17 collection. The ensembles fuse elements of Western modernist art with the workmanship of traditional South Punjab which is a perfect blend to compliment the feel of the song. “The collaboration with Ali is the perfect blend of fashion and music. Our clothes not only go with the theme of the song but also merge with the concept for the video,” mentioned Seher.
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Speaking with The Express Tribune, Ali said “I've loved this song since I was a child. I guess we all know it. It's one of those folk tunes that have been around for as long as we can remember. But a few years ago I heard an old recording of the late Ustad Barkat Ali Khan performing it in a mehfil. This was from the 50s, so a long time ago. Khan sahib was a famous stylist, and I could hear him playing around with the tune, stretching the syllables in surprising and rather beautiful ways. That's what inspired me to sing it. I too wanted to explore the song's full melodic potential”.
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Ali has also used some advance techniques while composing the track. “We've done a number of things. One is that Saad Sultan [producer] and I decided to switch the scale from minor to major. That adds a special sweetness to the rendition,” he added. “Then we've fused a whole bunch of instruments such as guitars and synths with the traditional dholak, dandiya sticks and a snakcharmer's been. We've also thrown in some Casio riffs from the early 90s to give it that nostalgic electro feel.”
Different artists have sung the song previously but Ali’s version is totally unique. “There is no ‘original’ version of this song! There are only renditions by different artistes such as Dhinanath Mangeshkar, Surinder Kaur, Suraiya Multanikar, Ataullah Esakhelvi and the Nooran Sisters. I suppose our version is the most consciously experimental in how it tries to fuse disparate styles and techniques of arrangement.”
The video is directed by Taimoor Salahuddin, which features Ali’s sister Mira Sethi, Mikaal Zulfiqar and Mehreen Syed. The video shows a modern-day Cinderella story with a unique ending and the coming together of several stylistic elements.
“It was wonderful being part of the video, walking through its dreamy, gothic scape, emoting only through my eyes and body language. The song is stunning and haunting and I can't wait for everyone to hear it,” said Mira. “Having worked with both Mikaal and Mooroo before, it was a pleasure to collaborate with them again. Mehreen looks dazzling in the video, and it was great to see her perform. I predict Ali and Saad's rendition of Chan Kithan will be adored by all kinds of people – from love struck couples to truck drivers to university professors. It's a song for all hearts and all seasons.”
Mehreen has starred in a music video after many years. “Ali is my favourite singer and to work in his video is my life time dream project. Ali has an amazing voice and when he sings his voice touches everyone to the core. This song is so magical it will find a special place in everyone's heart. Mikaal too, was a huge support to me during this project. He is a supremely talented man and is already a big star with so much still ahead of him.”
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The wardrobe for the project has been styled Studio S from her Abstraction spring/summer ’17 collection. The ensembles fuse elements of Western modernist art with the workmanship of traditional South Punjab which is a perfect blend to compliment the feel of the song. “The collaboration with Ali is the perfect blend of fashion and music. Our clothes not only go with the theme of the song but also merge with the concept for the video,” mentioned Seher.
Have something to add in the story? Share it in the comments below.