Mehdi Maloof managed to stun those of us interested in counter-culture music with his song ‘Gandi Si Building’. Similarly Talal Qureshi (one half of SNKM) was impressive when he got Naseebo Lal to rap on a collaborative song called ‘Aag’ and let the music be as fierce as the voice.
He also did some amazing stuff while collaborating with Faris Shafi on BBC Asian Network including a song called ‘Jawab De’.
Since the beginning of 2019, Talal Qureshi has been releasing both audio and visuals but what takes the prize is his collaboration with Mehdi Maloof on a song called ‘Peero’ and it is sensational - in the best possible terms.
It is Pakistan’s very own version of R&B music and lyrically has the kind of fire that one has come to expect from Mehdi Maloof.
Released in June 2019, the song’s vocals and instruments were recorded at Sand Dunes Studio in Bahawalpur and performed by Talal and Mehdi.
Part of the reason the song flies so high is that the complementary music goes with the ethos of the composition and lyrics that are both melancholic and hard-hitting every time if you really listen. A brave effort, it asks questions, from the ubiquitous culture of pirs and reiterates ‘Yeh Dunya Mujhse Duur’ to a personal narrative that is bold and honest such as being pretentious versus the truth among many other beautiful lines and admissions. A fantastic effort, this song is easily one of the finest releases of the year. Listen to it on SoundCloud – now.
