Inspired by eastern beats, western harmonies and Sufi kalaams, two acts that have garnered a substantial fan base in recent years with their fusion of various genres are Chand Tara Orchestra (CTO) and Sounds of Kolachi (SOK). Their performance in Coke Studio 11 also helped them fall under the much-deserved spotlight.
Followed by their teaming up for Paanch – The mixed tape, which was the brainchild of CTO’s guitarist Babar Sheikh, the venture was meant to engage two bands together and start an initiative which will involve five Pakistani acts to celebrate the diversity of Pakistan’s indie music.
In light of this, the two troupes have joined forces once again for a power-packed and mystical ensemble, which will take place on November 9, 2019, at the Pakistan American Cultural Center (PACC). The tickets will be available at the venue for Rs 2000.
Talking to The Express Tribune, the producer-cum-guitarist, as well as the co-founder of CTO, Omran Shafique, weighed in on the upcoming performance. “Both the bands tend to revolve around sufiyana concepts lyrically. With CTO amalgamating psychedelic-tinged post-rock music along with SOK that focuses more on progressive rock.” Hinting at a night laced with Sufi beats, mystical harmonies and fun, he added, “We always have a mix of cover songs and a few originals. So there will be a few songs from the album and then a few usual covers, and hopefully a few surprises as well!”
To add to the merriment, Ahsan Bari from SOK also revealed bits and pieces of what his band has in-store for the audience. “We will feature a few covers, one of AR Rehman’s songs, and a few originals. In terms of sound, the audience should also expect a jazzy atmosphere, along with a mystical fusion. However, there won’t be many electric guitars because we are trying to move away from the progressive rock feel,” he said.
In the verge of revelations, CTO’s leading voice further revealed their secret for next year. “We are working on a new album which will probably release next year, so we will play a song from that too,” mentioned Shafique. He stated that the band will not be performing anything that hasn’t been released yet. “So far there are no plans for performing anything new. That will have to wait until the material is released.”
Nevertheless, what the audience will be looking forward to more than anything, is the two acts on stage together. “We will try our best to play a set together in the end,” claimed Bari, while singer Nimra Rafique added, “We have come up with something really crazy together which can’t be disclosed right now, but to witness it you have to be there.”
Shafique disclosed the bands are bound to hit the stage together in the spirit of collaboration. “We will certainly try to hit the stage as a whole, although it’s not something we are going to force ourselves to do. This show is in the spirit of collaboration, so I am sure at some point we will be playing together. I just hope the stage can handle it!” he said.
While discussing the sole purpose behind their collaboration, Bari claimed, “This collaboration calls on all artists to take action against the idea that one needs a brand or a sponsor to produce their work. It aims to engage more musicians, so that a community, which is currently dependent on other mediums to project themselves, realises that they can do the same if they come together.”
The idea was initially coined by Sheikh, who revealed it to The Express Tribune last year. “The basic idea behind the project is that it will be a split album (including tracks by two or more artists). This is a popular concept in the West but here, not so much. So, Paanch – The Mixtape will be a collaboration between five Pakistani independent music acts, coming together to release music on a single album,” he said at the time.
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