Musicmix: Introducing Saad Sultan

Karachi:Saad Sultan tends to fly under the radar. Now back in the news for producing the original soundtrack of the upcoming, all-star Sarmad Khoosat film called Kamli, there is much more to the man. But before we delve into the intricacies of film music versus other forms of music, Saad notes how much he is grateful to the director for giving him this opportunity.

Among his accomplishments is a music series called In the Box featuring a slew of artists that has gone on to generate solid numbers. Numbers can never validate talent. Often beautiful independent songs get lost due to corporate shows in the limelight. But one shouldn’t take away from the other. Given how music consumption has changed with streaming being the number one choice for a great many, where does Saad stand on the philosophy of success defined by numbers?

An intelligent musician, Saad doesn’t put too much faith in the numbers game.

“I personally don’t believe in numbers,” Saad begins, “I’ve been lucky in the sense that there were things I did and I got to hear about it from people I didn’t expect at all. For example, I once got a message from a soldier who told me one of his fellow soldiers had died. It was traumatic for him and he said my music helped him out a lot to heal and come out of it because it was very comforting. This kind of feedback means more than any number of millions of views, especially for someone like me who is not interested.” Saad Sultan may be flying under the radar, but according to him, it isn’t something he is too happy about, but that it’s his job and he wouldn’t want to do anything else. This brings us to In the Box, a series that Saad wants to continue beyond a season or two. “I didn’t become a musician to do commissioned work or got into production thinking one day I’d be making songs for a film. Yes, it (Kamli) is a dream for me but when I was growing up, I didn’t think it was possible. “There are certain things that I want to do. All I can do is make music and the thing with In the Box is that it is something I wanted to do for a very long time. But I was always very lazy. I am among the very few people who got to learn a lot from others within the music industry. I feel responsible and I think I should do the same for other people so that they can do what they want to do in their lives.”

Saad notes that he meets new artists every day and is always on the lookout for more and it is also about building a connection. Saad tells the story of how a friend called to ask him if he had a marketing strategy for In the Box because numbers matter. Saad, in the meantime, sees In the Box as a platform for music and showcasing musicians that are not only prominent but also ones who wouldn’t have been able to record had it not been for the show. So, the fact that In the Box is hitting millions is almost serendipitous. Another season is coming up in 2022, he confirms.

“Every person is different, so you have to be distinct with everyone,” he says describing working with different artists over the years, including prominent names such as Ali Sethi. “I get to learn about voices and I really feel I have learned a lot working with various artists. Anyone, including Ali Sethi. When I started working with Ali Sethi, I didn’t have anything in mind. He came to me to record another song and we ended up working on the song ‘Mohabbat Karne Wale’ instead. You have to be open to new ideas. I’m very interested in knowing how they’re feeling and what they want to do.” Saad Sultan’s musical career goes beyond the studio, though. He has played live shows with Noori, Ali Zafar, Jal, Shiraz Uppal, and Zeb Bangash. His favourite session playing was with Noori and [he enjoyed] being on stage with them. However, it can distract from studio work. Saad also has his own band that he jams with. However, Saad doesn’t play on stage because his aspiration is not to be on the stage. Some people like being center of attention, and there are people who are more interested in art and storytelling. For Saad, the latter is more enjoyable and appealing. “All my songs are stories and perhaps this is why I connect to film music as well, because there is a narrative.”

– Read Instep on Sunday for an extensive profile