Leading Pakistani musicians come together to revive our 'Qaumi Tarana'

Revival of the National Anthem

Leading musicians come together to breathe life and colour into our 'Qaumi Tarana'

Saba Sartaj K, Karachi

Pakistan's national anthem - our 'Qaumi Tarana' has been a part of our lives since it was first aired on the radio in 1954. We've sung it in school as children, been inspired by it through our youth and sought strength from it during times of turmoil. It is an awe-inspiring and respect evoking anthem, but has also become a tad bit impersonal and intimidating for the youth of the country, especially in the turbulent times we live in.

Geo Television has now taken the initiative to redefine the spirit behind the National Anthem with a fresher and more personal melody. An anthem that will appeal to the youth and the whole nation. Something that is catchy and light yet retaining the essence of the original anthem whose verses were composed by the renowned poet of Pakistan, Abul Asar Hafeez Jullundhri, while the tune was composed by Ahmed G. Chagla, the well known musician and composer.

Notable composer Mujahid Hussain has arranged the new and vibrant version of the anthem. He has tried to keep the melody light and more musical, as composed to the previous melody, which was more daunting. The reason behind this revival is to give our national anthem a sound which is more musical and has a more 'sing along' quality to it, so it moves out of just National and school assemblies and into our daily lives.

The musical instruments, melody, and composition in this new version of the anthem, while staying true to the original version, take new meaning and evoke new emotions - that of love, belonging and togetherness. Getting together 40 of the most eminent musicians and singers in Pakistan, from all the provinces and schools of music has given a new meaning to the anthem and the nationalist feelings it evokes.

The feelings of unity and tantalizing energy were very tangible when one went to see the recording of this magnum opus project. With representatives from every province in the country to representatives of almost every gharana of music in Pakistan, the exciting mix of artists and the fact that the house of pop, rock, classical music and ghazals were coming together to make a new version of the national anthem was just electrifying.

"Its great. I'm honored and this is our contribution to Pakistani people," said Immu of Fuzon. "We can only give a little and this is it. The anthem is very relevant. We listen to the anthem very less nowadays so if you do listen to it you remember the feelings of patriotism. The anthem is in Farsi so it sounds even more beautiful - especially if you understand the words," he added.

While at the shooting of the anthem, one realized how much hard work, dedication and planning has gone into composing, singing, recording and shooting the anthem and putting this novel and brilliant idea, which was the brain child of Imran Aslam, the President of Geo Television, Badar Ikram, Head of Geo Entertainment and Ayub Khawar the producer of the show. While there were 40 singers in all who came together to record this anthem in Lahore and Karachi, not all, unfortunately, could make it to the shooting of the video, which included important names like Tina Sani, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shafqat Salamat Ali Khan, who lent their distinguished vocals to the anthem but could not be a part of the video.

It was interesting to see how all these artists, from different backgrounds, walks of life and sensibilities came together on one platform to perform. Everyone was in high spirits and it felt like one big joyous occasion. All the ladies, looking pretty in white were seen sitting together around a number of fans to keep their make-up and hair looking fresh, exchanging make-up tips and discussing clothes. The young artists were seen respectfully embracing their seniors and made it a point to rush to them first and pay their respects. Shafqat Amanat Ali rushed in and before he could have a word with anyone, went dashing in to touch the feet of his uncle Ustad Hamid Ali Khan. It was wonderful seeing all the great artists of the country come together for such a good cause and seeing them all so enthusiastic and cheerful just made one feel privileged and proud at being a Pakistani.

"It feels really good to be a part of this," Shafqat said, "its such a prestigious project and when I was told of the concept of reviving the anthem, I wanted to be a part of it. If it is successful and if people like it, all our names will go down in history. This is history being made right here!" he said. To which his uncle Ustaad Hamid Ali Khan added, "Yeh aik bari achi baat hai, qaum ko jazba dilanay kay liay hay. We should thank God for our house. Our country is our home. We are born here and we will die here so we need to give something back to it," he concluded.

We have such immense talent in the country, many larger then life personalities and such a beautiful and diverse culture. Putting all of that and the old and the young under one roof and weaving magic is what this project has achieved. It is a fusion of folk, pop, rock and eastern classical for a noble and national cause.

"It is the revival of the National Anthem," said Ayub Khawar, the producer of the new anthem. "Even today when the anthem is played on television or cinemas you can't understand the vocals or the video. We wanted to give it a fresh new look and sound which is understandable as well as make it a little mellow and soothing so people can enjoy it, hum it and sing it and not just associate it with official events and occasions," he added.

This new anthem is like a face-lift for the previous one, which due to poor sound and picture quality is hardly distinguishable. It is a harmonious rendering of the three-stanza composition with a tune based on eastern classical and pop music, where the beat of the tabla fuses with the subtle and soothing strumming of the sitar and the various other western and classical instruments.

"I loved the idea when I heard it. The situation in the country is so tense right now and it will work perfectly to boost the morale of the nation. Iss say hum sub may jazba jagay ga" said Shahida Mini, one of the most popular singers in the country. "I am proud to have been born in Pakistan. A lot of sacrifices had to be made for us to get this homeland and we all need to come together and work hard for it. Katray katray say darya banta hai. We all need to contribute. This is just a small little contribution my fellow musicians and I are making and it's a wonderful idea."

The studio where the anthem was being recorded was buzzing as all the artists came together - but as is custom, very fashionably late. But then, its better to show up late then to not show up at all, which was feared of Fakhir when he hadn't showed up even past 8pm, whereas the artists were requested to come in by 12 pm! This is definitely one of the major drawbacks in our entertainment industry today, where anything starting at the stated time is but a distant and almost unobtainable dream. Ali Azmat and Jawad Ahmed came in a close second to Fakhir when they came waltzing in at 7 pm. Khawar Jawed, one must add, was one of the first to arrive, that too with his newly wedded bride in tow, and sat very patiently and sweetly throughout the wait that his other respected colleagues put him through. Ustad Hamid Ali Khan was also another singer who takes punctuality very seriously and was there waiting for his juniors to make an appearance for many an hour. Not once did one hear him complain or throw a diva like tantrum which would have been the case had it been any of the reletively newer bunch such as Ali Azmat or Fakhir, who are tremendously talented but equally challenged when it comes to matters of punctuality.

Despite all the waiting in the unpleasant heat of Karachi, the whole experience was definitely worth the while. The grandeur of the project and various leading musicians coming together in a single collaborative effort to revive the national anthem is heart warming, and the timing couldn't be more perfect. The national anthem is tremendously significant for every nation and one wonders why this step wasn't taken earlier. A childrens' version of the anthem as well as an instrumental version of the anthem, with a majestic orchestra are also in the works which will be released subsequently after the release of this video.

With the present tense situation in the country and waning morale of the nation, the release of this beautifully orchestrated national anthem is a wise and timely move and is sure to strike a chord and evoke to feelings of Jazba and Junoon in everyone.

Watch this new, revived version of the National Anthem on August 10 on all Geo Network channels, and kick start your Independence Day celebrations by singing along to 'Pak Sar Zameen Shaad Baad…!'