Rocking it, the sufi style…

Mona

Here’s one singer-writer-composer who transverse between the popular and classic music traditions with much ease. He is the voice behind Mitwa (Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna), Yeh Hausla (Dor), Allah Wariyan (Yaariyan), Teri Jhuki Nazar (Murder 3), Tu Hi Mera,(Jannat 2) and also represents ninth generation of Patiala Gharana.

Bollywood numbers have certainly increased Shafqat Amanat Ali’s fan base. This ‘Rockstar Ustad’ as Bollywood music director Salim Merchant fondly calls him  is also proud bearer of a rich legacy. 

Five years after his album Kyun Dooriyan, Shafqat is out with another album Muh Dikhai.  An eclectic one, this album picks up songs from different genres and writers. 

 “Compositions, which occur to me in the most unsuspecting moments as always and drive me to explore and create songs have always formed the content of all my albums. It was no different this time.” The nine songs in this album have been composed by him among many other songs during this period, but these nine were collected and picked for the album for various reasons. “I had experienced that in my previous work, people liked listening to Sufiana, and so, I specially picked up Rang and Muh Dikhai. The other two important songs for the album were Dil Dharaknay Ka Sabab and Ratiyaan. “These four songs are my favourite in the album; I would recommend the same to a discerning listener. The rest of the songs flowed easily once I realised that the major ones were in place,” he adds.

There is a track by Hazrat Amir Khusrau in the album, another by Professor Mohan Singh. A semi-classical track, a ghazal originally composed by his father late Ustad Amanat Ali Khan is recreated by Shafqat in a unique style for the first time. And there are also melodious love songs, which traverse all genres from pop to rock and ballads. 

In the time of singles, an album is something that few artistes think of doing, Shafqat explains, “Piracy has eroded the album culture totally but I am not the one to kneel down in front of challenges. It’s my answer to those causing the downfall of music. Yes, I would do singles too, but bringing something for my listeners after this long, I thought an album would be a better idea.” We will hear more of Shafqat from his forthcoming films under the music direction of Pritam, Vishal-Shekhar and Shankar-Ehsaan Loy. Muh Dikhai is released by Times Music.

mona@tribunemail.com