Researched By Sarah Peracha.
Article By: Sonya RehmanWhat do you get when you take two Pakistani Marxists, a guitar and satirical poetry? The answer: a toe-tapping number sautéed in irony that hits close to home.
Penned by the eminent, Leftist Urdu poet, Habib Jalib, ‘Main Nay Kaha’ was written “in response to a conversation he [Jalib] had with Hafiz Jalandari during the time of Ayub Khan’s dictatorship”, puts forth Taimur Rahman.
Composed in four hours flat by Taimur (a young Political Science lecturer at LUMS) and sung by Shahram Azhar (an Economics grad student at Warwick University), under the banner of ‘Laal’ – Taimur and Shahram’s band – the video of ‘Main Nay Kaha’ has been raking up quite an excited little tizzy over Youtube and Facebook.
Produced two months ago, on a shoe-string budget, and shot in barely a few hours, ‘Main Nay Kaha’ depicts Pakistan through the black cloud of riots, despair, a brutal assassination, a crippled judiciary, and the much-awaited elections through the edgy months of December till mid-February.
We’re talking real footage, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, light vocals and a teasingly upbeat composition. ‘Main Nay Kaha’ couldn’t have been released at a better time.
While the dust may have ‘settled’ since the country sighed 2007 away to make room for a slightly more ‘hopeful’ 2008, the song comes as a gentle reminder of what had transpired.
Self-proclaimed Marxists, Taimur and Shahram “have been engaged with working class politics and the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party for a long time”, states Taimur, “ten years for me and six for Shahram. We have been very active in organizing protests in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and London for the restoration of democracy. Music is another way for us to reach people in order to bring about a positive social change in society.”
So when was ‘Laal’ the band initiated? How did it all transpire? “I have been playing guitar for quite a while. When I teamed up with Shahram (a student of mine at LUMS), it took our music to another level. Shahram has by far the best most trained voice I have ever heard in my life”, states Taimur, “we began to play at various locations. Sometimes in workers rallies. For instance, once we put loud speakers on a dala and went to the workers rally on May Day giving them a mobile concert (the workers loved our Punjabi songs). We played at LUMS for my students, and we played in London. Recently, however, some media people (Aliya Salaudin and Taimur Khan) took an interest in our activism. We invited them over and as is usual played a few songs as the evening wore on. They were so excited that they immediately asked us to record the songs and produce a video. Although we had been playing for years, this encouragement gave us just the push we needed to raise our game that extra notch. So ‘Laal’ is very much a product of our work as grassroots political activists of the Left. But it got its name in connection with the recent movement for democracy in Pakistan. What distinguishes ‘Laal’ is the fact that we are interested in playing music of resistance, struggle, and emancipation.”
While the concept of Pakistani songs with social messages isn’t new, they still are pretty few and far between.
For instance, in the beginning of 2007, EMI released ‘Yeh hum naheen’, an anti-terrorist song which was produced by Shuja Haider and sung with the likes of Strings, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Hadiqa Kiyani, Ali Haider, Ali Zafar and Haroon.
A simple video depicting Pakistani’s from every walk of life – ‘Yeh hum naheen’ was produced with the primary motive of making a statement against terrorism in light of the ongoing ‘war on terror’.
And then there have been other socially-conscious songs such as ‘No More’ by Junoon, ‘People are people’ by Amir Zaki, ‘Beirut’ by Strings, and others churned out by Pakistani musicians that have incited the Pakistani public at large to think, become aware, and set free the heavy shackles of rigid reflection.
But coming back to ‘Main Nay Kaha’, Taimur anticipates a positive response to the song. One question springs forth though, given the socialist nature of the song, was ‘Main Nay Kaha’ produced with any aim in mind? Was it primarily for personal catharsis or perhaps for mass awareness (at home and abroad)? “It was produced with one aim in mind”, Taimur affirms, “to raise awareness about political issues - about democracy, about the class divisions in our society, and the need for the struggle against them. It is simultaneously an expression of our feelings about our country as young people and a call to the people to struggle for their rights. All our work is for the people, where ever they may live. It is for those people whose voices are ground down under economic oppression and political despotism.”
To kick-start the wheels of change back into gear, one has to have a vision – always. A vision so internally inspiring and stimulating, that it can be manifested into the external world – set free, to take shape, and a life of its own.
And music, one of the most stirring and powerful tools of art, can propagate and grease the wheels of change.
‘Main Nay Kaha’ is a creditable endeavour; now let’s just hope it hits the local airwaves soon, so that its essence can contribute to the ignition of a holistic awareness.
link: http://sonyarehman.wordpress.com
link: http://www.pakstop.com/pmforums/f10/interview-band-laal-debut-music-video-mainay-uss-say-yeh-kaha-72990
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link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPsr1RnEfWo
Habib Jalib - Mainay Uss Say Yeh Kaha
Shahram Azhar - Vocals
Taimur Rahman - Music
Mahvash Waqar - Backing Vocals
Taimur Khan - Director Producer
Dita Peskova - Assistant Director
Jamie Mill - Recording Director
Laal & Taimur Khan - Music Producer
WIDEi Films - Production Company
"Main Nay Kaha" is a satirical poem by the famous leftist poet Habib Jalib called "Musheer" (Advisor). Jalib wrote it in response to a conversation he had with Hafiz Jalandari during the time of Ayub Khan's dictatorship. It remains just as fresh and valid today.
The music video contains real images of events in Karachi, London, and Lahore during the tumultuous period between December 27th and February 18th. The song and video were recorded on a shoe-string budget of one session each.
This video and song are connected to a documentary on a journey through a life-changing period in the history of Pakistan. The journey begins in Pakistan on the eve of the assassination of Benazir and the ensuing grief, violence, and carnage. The film maker travels to London to discover a group of young activists organizing protests against Emergency rule. Following these activists full circle to Pakistan, the documentary captures the events around the 2008 elections. The film thus captures a moment in the life of Pakistan, from Benazir's assassination to the elections, through the lens of young activists. The documentary by Widei Films will also be released shortly.
Translation:
I said this to him
These hundred million
Are the epitome of ignorance
Their conscience has gone to sleep
Every ray of hope
Is lost in the darkness
This news is true
They are the living dead
Completely mindless
A disease of life
And you hold in your hands
The cure for their ills
You are the light of God
Wisdom and knowledge personified
The nation is with you
It is only through your grace
That the nation can be saved
You are the light of a new morning
After you there is only night
The few who speak out
Are all mischief makers
You should tear out their tongues
You should throttle their throats
Those proud of their eloquence
Their tongues are completely silent
There is calm in the land
There is an unexampled difference
Between yesterday and today
Only at their own expense
Are people in prison, under your rule
China
China is our friend
We'd give our lives for her
But the system that they have
Steer well clear of that
From far away say "salaam"
These hundred million asses
That are named the masses
Could surely never become rulers
You are the truth; they're an illusion
My prayer is that
You remain President forever
link: http://www.getalyric.com/listen/XPsr1RnEfWo/habib_jalib_mainay_uss_say_yeh_kaha_laal
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