The Sonic Peacemakers: Maestros to unite

Atif Aslam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan will collaborate on a new track.

Two of the biggest names in the Pakistan music industry; Atif Aslam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan are set to work together. Joining the duo will be late singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s band members and recordings will start sometime in September at Meekal Hasan’s Digital Fidelity Studio in Lahore.

The partnership comes as part of The Sonic Peacemakers ‘Pakistan America: Peace Through Music’ — a project aimed to bring Americans and Pakistanis closer, support and develop Pakistan’s artistic talent and help Pakistan reach the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goal of 85 per cent literacy by 2015.

According to an update released on Atif Aslam’s official Facebook page: “Lanny Cordola has set up recording sessions at Gilby Clarke’s studio to continue work on the conceptual album The Dreamer Awakes. He will then go back to Pakistan with Todd Shea and Atif Aslam to record with members of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s band and singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan at Meekal Hassan’s studio in Lahore.”

Currently, Aslam is taking a Ramazan break to spend some time with his family after his US tour, during which he performed with Cordola and Shea in July. The artists performed in Washington DC, Los Angeles and Seattle.

The report also revealed that The Sonic Peacemakers is planning to release its first two or three songs by October or November this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2011.