Ghag the Band ready with new track

The song encapsulates the notion of lasting beauty.

PESHAWAR:

Ghag the Band can be counted amongst those of Peshawar’s bands that have mastered the skill of blending western and eastern sounds; like other underground and mainstream bands, they have spun the wheel to this new magical genre for inspiration.

The band’s flair is defined by the fusion it brings between traditional and contemporary sounds along with the incorporation of classic Pashto poetry. It has now launched its third track titled Khaist.

“We are back with our second music video. The song Khaist, which means beauty, happens to be a soul searching journey that questions the existence [and maintenance] of beauty as it is bound to vanish one day,” says lead guitarist and backing vocalist Khalid Afridi about the thought behind the song. The band also features Zohaib Yousafzai as the lead vocalist.

The band made its debut in 2011 with Mehfil, which was followed by a second track titled Lewantob. They came together at the Institute of Management Sciences in Peshawar (IMSciences) and have been performing together ever since — at local events primarily in colleges and universities.

“We met during our academic interactions at IMS and started playing music in our spare time,” adds Afridi. “Our chemistry evolved over time and we then decided to make an impression on a wider scale with our shared passion for Pashto music, culture and traditions.”

Khaist — beauty and splendour

The song begins with a rabab solo which highlights the essence of Pashto culture and follows with more contemporary acoustic guitar riffs. The lyrics of Khaist are from a poem of the same name by legendary Pashto poet Ghani Khan and the band’s rendition is “a tribute to Khan’s passion and purpose for the land and people.”

“We derive inspiration from the poetic works of one of the greatest architects of Pashto language and literature — Ghani Khan baba,” says Zohaib, who is from Swabi; Khalid, on the other hand, belongs to the volatile tribal region of Khyber Agency.

The musicians are well aware of the fact that the profound lyrics would be difficult to comprehend and grasp for the young audience the band is essentially catering to. But they assert it is the fusion and perfect blend of modern music with traditional poetry which will turn out to be a treat for avid listeners.

“It has truly been an honour for us to have attempted such a task — the remaking of the prodigious man’s poetry with a modern twist,” adds Khalid with high spirit. He admits that they had to work relentlessly to do justice to the yesteryear’s masterpiece and it was undoubtedly, a challenging undertaking.

He also believes that the singular distinction of Khan’s poetry is that it is a thoughtful blend of psychological, sensual and religious aspects of life which are all very pertinent to present day life. “We thought we should experiment with something different — something that appeals to the youth but at the same time makes a connection between the older and the present generation,” explains Khalid.

Their next single will take a turn towards the electronic rock genre as they don’t want to be stereotyped with that specific genre nor do they want their music to grow mundane to their ever-growing audiences, reveals Khalid.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17^th, 2013.

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