One of Pakistan’s leading female vocalist Zeb Bangash, who has also lent her voice to a few of Bollywood’s popular tracks, has another feather in her cap. Known for combining Eastern musical traditions with contemporary sounds, the singer has now collaborated with Brooklyn-based clarinet virtuoso Michael Winograd to form a band Sandaraa (a Pashto word meaning song), that features a bunch of musicians from across the world.
One of Pakistan’s leading female vocalist Zeb Bangash, who has also lent her voice to a few of Bollywood’s popular tracks, has another feather in her cap. Known for combining Eastern musical traditions with contemporary sounds, the singer has now collaborated with Brooklyn-based clarinet virtuoso Michael Winograd to form a band Sandaraa (a Pashto word meaning song), that features a bunch of musicians from across the world.
The band that comprises Istanbul-born Eylem Basaldi (on violin) Yoshi Fruchter (on guitars and oud) David Lizmi (on bass) and Richie Barshay (on drums and percussion) ,apart from Zeb and Michael, aims to create music that blends traditional sounds of Eastern Europe, the Indus Valley Civilization and Central Asia. Sandaraa will release its first self-titled CD in the US – a 5-track EP that is inspired from legendary artists (Sabzal Saami, Beltoon and Haji Saifudin) and will go on a CD-release tour across the country from May 8 onwards.
“I have learnt so much just by engaging with these traditions. It was insightful to observe closely how these great musicians listen to new sound. Listening is crucial to creating,” Bangash spoke of her experience in a presser. “The Balochi repertoire was especially challenging and the most rewarding for me,” she added.
