Alamgir’s Albela Rahi is no surprise

The king of Pakistani pop makes a comeback.

KARACHI:

Alamgir is undeniably the king of Pakistani pop music, ailing but still ruling. Recently, the artist suffered from kidney failures and financial short comings which may have held him back, but his spirits remain high. His latest offering is a short but soulful rendition of his old song Albela Rahi.

The song, which was originally released in the ‘80s, was not an original composition but a more upbeat arrangement of the song popular Guantanamera by the American folk rock quartet Sandpipers. The originality of the song is debatable, but it turned out to be one of Alamgir’s first hits, opening doors for musicians with a contemporary approach to music in an era which was primarily governed by classical and semi-classical music. The new version of the song is a jingle for The Coca Cola Company but a re-recorded version of the classic with Alamgir giving fresh vocals to his old song. The quality of his vocals is impressive for a person in their late 50s. Alamgir proves that he is an undisputed champion of Pakistani music and continues to create magic with his voice.

Former Vital Signs member and producer of Alamgir’s new song, Shahi Hasan deserves credit for being a new age musician when rediscovering Pakistani classics. We saw him do wonders with the soundtrack for Tanhaiyaan Naye Silsilay, where he completely revamped the original Tanhaiyaan which was composed by none other than Arshad Mehmood. A contemporary and upbeat sound set not only the right pace for the drama’s popularity but also introduced a very different side to singer Zoe Viccaji. Shahi definitely knows precisely where to place an artist and that is why Amir Zaki’s deadly guitar playing skills take the song to the next level. The new Albela Rahi is short and relatively lighter in its arrangement of instruments. The hollowness in the composition actually provides a lot of space for the soothing and ever evolving vocals of Alamgir. Combined with simple, catchy acoustic guitar-playing by Asad Ahmed, Albela Rahi provides a soothing melody.

Blast from the past

Fans of the new Albela Rahi should go online and watch the original video. You will see a younger version of Alamgir performing the complete Albela Rahi at a PTV studio recording; he is fresh and unrefined, trying his best to lip sync. Beside him, you will see a teenaged Amir Zaki, who is now a guitar guru. In a white sweater and yellow shirt, Zaki is mimicking the groove to perfection with the conviction of a true rock star showing on his face. The revamped version of Albela Rahi tells you how relevant Alamgir is today and if the rumours are true, then we might as well see a bit of him in the upcoming season of Coke Studio 7. If they are baseless, we hope Coke gives him a chance to jam with the best musicians in the country — it’s safe to say that he won’t disappoint!

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2013.

Like Life & Style on Facebook for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.