Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Chords & Notes
Huqa Pani - Ali Zafar
Universal Cassette, Rs. 65
Take a Kishore Kumar-like voice , club it with yuppie Ibiza-ish electronic beats, add a bit of nostalgic lyrics, and the 1970s Bollywood style. That's Pakistan's Ali Zafar for you.
What's disappointing is every song in Huqa Pani reminds you of some old Bollywood number. And what's frustrating is you can't hold pointers to any one number exactly! Call that a talented rip-off or what?
The album, though, comes at a crucial time when talks of softening Indo-Pakistan relations through JV films and music concerts are in the air. Films and music have always percolated across the borders (despite being banned in our friendly neighbouring country) and the Bollywood influence is obvious, probably inevitable, through the album.
What one must admit is that somehow his voice and the looped tunes grow on you and you hum along anyway, after repeated listening. The lyrics, though, hardly demand attention.
Already a hit in Pakistan in 2003, Ali Zafar, a painter-model-musician won over a young audience with his husky voice and good looks. "Channo ki aankh mein ik nasha hai" takes you back to R. D. Burman and his "Dhanno" number. (This song was again re-worked for a similar Amitabh-starring number "Dhano ki aankh sarabi re"). Get what I mean? Re-re-cycle and re-re-mix all the way.
Indian channels are now airing the video of his track "Rangeen", a number you'll at least rock your head to, driving back from work. And it's straight out of crossover 60s-70s Hindi film songs down to the beats and the lyrics. The title track "Huqa pani band ho gaya" is oh-so disco bhangra, but foot-tapping. "Ishq", a trance-ish Punjabi number will do well confined to numbed minds swaying in smoky clubs.
"Chal dil mere, chod ye phere, ye duniya jhooti, log lutere" really rubs in the old Bollywood influence further - it still smoulders of an age when cynicism had crept in, and the only thing one turned to was drugs. The lyrics and jhatka gaadi-like tunes are reminiscent of O.P. Nayyar's trademark.
"Jugnuon se bhar le aanchal" is a very maajhi-like song from the S.D. Burman genre. The brooding song of separation "Dekha sang tere" stands apart from the teeny boppy clubbish numbers, with elaborate violin flourishes, much like the 1970s Bollywood. "Ek Pal" is slow, soothing and brimming with guitar strains.
BHUMIKA. K
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
