It was recently that I stumbled across some old national songs from 1965 War. As I was listening through Ae Watan Ke Sajeele Jawanon to Har Lehza e Momin and from Yeh Hawaon Ke Musafir to Jaag Utha Hai Sara Watan, I was wondering about the emotions behind these songs. Since it was for a project at work, a colleague just entered my room while Umeed e Fatah Rakho was playing and Noor Jehan crooned melodiously those motivational words. My colleague just stopped in his tracks and said what a mesmerizing song, please play that again. Days before I came across these songs, I was in conversation with a retired colonel of Pakistan Army and he told me during war times, it was songs like these that kept us going. These melodies used to give us the push and instill faith in us that victory will be ours. Even if not, they motivated us enough to fight with full force, and to never look back. prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
Yes, these were the old times but I will not dispute the fact that national songs have always played an important part in our lives. I may not be able to grasp the emotion behind Ae Watan Ke Sajeele Jawanon, but I still get a rush when I listen to Dil Dil Pakistan or for that matter, Jazba Junoon. And for many of you who think that Jazba Junoon is pretty old too, I am sure Jawad Ahmed’s Dosti, Faakhir’s Tere Bina Dil Na Lage or Strings Main to Dekhoonga are still new.
The irony is that’s the farthest I could go back to. There is nothing latest circulating now. No one is focusing on patriotic songs. Milli naghme are becoming a thing of the past. Yes, I agree a lot has to do with the dying music industry but we cannot just shy away from the importance of national songs.
We may not be cricket fans. We must be extremely disappointed by the performance of our national team in a current tournament but, admit it, you hear Strings say, “Everybody now, stand up on your feet”, and your eyes shine, your spirits go high and you automatically start chanting, “Ae O Ae O Ae O Aa, Aale Aale Aale O”. Suddenly, you start feeling that the performance will get better in the next inning. You become positive. You get... hope. And that’s one thing we all need right now.
I will admit Main to Dekhoonga was not the ‘bestest’ song you might have heard in years. Nor was Ab Khud Kuch Karna Parega a musical masterpiece, but it was pleasing to the ears and it made you positive in an otherwise gloomy day. I actually miss these songs. I actually miss the real Pakistani music.
Songs like Hum Hain Pakistani Hum to Jeetenge, Ae Jawan, Tu Hai Kahan, Uth Baandh Kamar Kia Darta Hai, Watan, Dil Ki Qasam, Humari Pehchaan made life fun for us. Be it national level sports or our local university college tournaments, these songs were there for us, with us. While songs like Main Bhi Pakistan Hoon, In Hawaon Se Agay, Maula, Azaadi, Tera Pakistan Hai Yeh mera Pakistan Hai, Jeevay Jeevay, Hum Zinda Qaum Hai, Humari Intiha e Shok, Aao Bachon Sair Karayen, Watan ki Mitti, A Watan Pyare Watan etc are the soothing tunes that strike the patriotic nerve and stir our emotions.
There was a time when one patriotic song was necessary in every album. There was no rule to have one, but the singers and bands made it a point to include one. That song would not be just filler but a well thought out song that would click with the masses. I am not a huge fan of Haroon Rasheed but there is just one song of his that I absolutely love and often sing, Dil Se Maine Dekha Pakistan. Similarly, pick up albums by Fakhir, Noori, Strings, Junoon, Jawad Ahmed, Abrar ul Haq, Shiraz Uppal, Najam Sheraz, Sajjad Ali, Hadiqa Kiyani etc, and you will find at least one soul stirring national song in their albums.
Every year, we used to have a long list of patriotic songs being released on
Coming back to the point of fading Pakistani music, what we have right now in the name of music is Coke Studio, and I would appreciate their efforts for reviving Sohni Dharti. Full marks to Strings and Coke Studio for bringing together a long list of singers together on one platform. We heard Surriya Khanum, Anwar Maqsood, Ali Azmat, Farida Khanum, Atif Aslam, Rizwan & Muazzam, Ali Haider, Arif Lohar, Meekal Hasan Band, Ustad Hamid Ali Khan, Ali Zafar, Qurutul Ain Baloch, Shazia Manzoor, Umair Jaswal, Gul Panra, Siege, etc sing Sohni Dharti Allah Rakhe in a soothing tune. Too bad, even that was just a teaser for the show and we got deprived of the whole five-minute song that could have easily qualified for our anthem for this year.
When I was discussing it with the editor of Us, I asked her why is it that we don’t have patriotic songs anymore and she replied the jazba junoon is lost somewhere. Well, I think I would like to differ. The jazba junoon is still there, but is just too drugged (is just sleeping). If we get some good quality hummable patriotic songs even now, I am sure we will be able to jolt it back to life. At least, that’s what Sohni Dharti proved to us.
I am not a ‘very’ patriotic person but I know it for a fact that national songs during the time I was growing up made me grounded to my roots. I am not too sure about the generation growing up after mine. These poor souls don’t even have the slightest inspiration towards their homeland. I fear that I may take out ‘very’ from the first sentence of this paragraph if we keep staying unattached to our soil. Point to ponder!