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Wednesday April 24, 2024

Re-recorded national anthem released

By APP
August 15, 2022
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif unveils newly re-recorded national anthem at the at Jinnah Convention center in Islamabad. —PID
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif unveils newly re-recorded national anthem at the at Jinnah Convention center in Islamabad. —PID

ISLAMABAD: The government Sunday released the re-recorded national anthem which reflected updated inclusivity in voices and expression while ensuring the sanctity of the original words and musical composition.

The updated version of national anthem was officially unveiled by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at a flag hoisting ceremony held at the Jinnah Convention Center in connection with the 75th Independence Day.

According to a press release, the first national anthem was launched by the country’s first prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan in 1954 and Shehbaz Sharif is the second prime minister who re-launched its updated version recorded with modern technology and instruments after 68 years.

The Shehbaz-led government has the credit of ensuring timely completion of re-recording the national anthem and launching instrumental versions and a new video featuring new vocal version on the diamond jubilee of Pakistan.

The National Anthem Steering Committee, formed in June 2021 and further mandated by the present government in April 2022, worked to create a re-recording of the original national anthem that reflects updated inclusivity in voices and expression while ensuring the sanctity of the original words and the musical composition.

In planning to produce new vocal and instrumental versions of the unchanged original words and composition, the Steering Committee applied an all-inclusive, gender-balanced approach and enlisted vocalists from diverse regional, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, from all religious faiths and musical genres.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) synchronized and harmonized the re-recording of anthem through the best-possible musicians serving in the armed forces brass bands.

The re-recording of the national anthem includes 48 musicians from the army, air force and navy bands who skilfully played the musical instruments; a choir of 30 vocalists from the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA), and over 125 vocalists representing all provinces, regions and faiths.

It was imperative that the re-recording of the national anthem was rendered correctly while maintaining its historic sanctity and rich legacy. To this end, state-of-the-art digital technology was used to record multiple tracks and to complete the mixing and fusion to create clear, distinct, powerful vocal and instrumental versions. A colorful, kaleidoscopic video featuring the new version has also been produced by NUM Films.

The choir and vocalists featured in this re-recording included Abdullah Qureshi, Abid Brohi, Abid Wilson, Adil Baloch, Ahmad Gul, Ahmed Jahanzeb, Ahsan Ali, Aizaz Sohail, Akbar Ali, Akbar Ali Khan, Akhtar Chanaal, Ali Hamdani, Ali Hamza, Alycia Dias, Amanullah Nasar, Anamta Saleem Sabri (Sabri Sisters), Aqdas Asif, Arif Khan, Arif Lohar, Arqam Khan, Asfar Hussain, Asim Baloch, Bakhtiar Khattak, Bilal Ali, Bilal Asvad, Bilal Saeed, Bisma Abdullah, Dr. Essa Kakar, Essa Khajjak, Fakhir Mehmood, Fariha Pervez, Fozia Yasmeen (Manwa Sisters), Goher Mumtaz, Haider Ali, Hamayoon Khan, Hamza Tanveer, Haroon Shahid, Humaira Javed, Hussain Baksh, Iman Shahid, Irfan Ali Taj, Irfan Khan, Islam Habib, Jabar Abbas, Jana Nazareth, Jasim Haider, Jia Nauman, Junaid Javed, Karan Khan, Kashif Din, Kashif Zafar, Kehkashan Khan, Khalid Jahangir, Khurram Iqbal, Laila Khan, Lucky Khan, Maham Waqar, Maria Unera, Mehak Ali, Moez Mohamand, Naseer Afridi, Nasir Butt, Natasha Humera Ejaz, Nauman Lasharie, Niaz Balti, Nida Irtiza, Nimra Gilani, Nimra Rafiq, Nirmal Roy, Nirmala Maghani, Noman Asmet, Quaid Ahmed, Rabia Nazar, Rachel Johnson, Rafia Ali, Rahim Khan, Raisa Raisani, Rameez Mukhtar, Razia Abrar, Rizwan Anwar, Saba Noreen (Manwa Sisters), Sadiq Hussain, Sahir Ali Bagga, Sajjad Gohar, Salman Paras, Saman Areej (Sabri Sisters), Sana Tajik, Sanwal Esakhelvi, Sardar Amar, Sehar Gul Khan, Shahab Hussain, Shahmir Quidwai, Shaina Johnson, Shamu Bai, Shaukat Faqeer, Sherry Raza, Shuja Haider, Sibtain Khalid, Sidra Kanwal, Sitara Younas, Sumraan Shafique, Sunny Sam, Tahir Feroz, Taj Mastani, Tehmina Tariq (Gospel Singer), Tina Sani, Umair Jaswal, Urooj Fatima, Usman Withd, Vishnu, Wajahat Aalmi, Wajiha Naqvi, Wali Ullah Farooqi, Yamsa Noor, Yashwa Ayub, Yasir Khan Milzai, Zara Madani, Zarish Kaleem, Zeb Bangash, Zeek Afridi, Zeeshan Ali, Zille Huma (Manwa Sisters), Zoha Zuberi, Zohaib Zaman, and Zubin Ernest (Gospel Singer).

The choir — comprising artists from NAPA — included Ahsan Sheikh, Aleeza Fatima, Angeli Sarfraz, Christina Nayamat, Cynthia Rose, Elisha William, Fahad Maqsood, Hassan Mirza, Hiba Asim, Julian Qaiser, Khadeeja Imtiaz, Komal Soomro, Mahnoor Sahar, Muhammad Khizar Rizvi, Muhammad Minaam, Myron Jasper, Nasfa Nizar, Natasha Sharif, Neha Fahim Khan, Nigel, Obaid Ahmed Siddique, Rimsha Masud Qureshi, Sajar Nafees, Sameer Hamza, Simal Nafees, Syed Rizwan Mehdi, Tabita J Nasim, Usama Anwer, Yashwa John, and Zeeshan Zafar.

Chairman Steering Committee of the Re-recording of the National Anthem of Pakistan is Senator Javed Jabbar.

The 16-member committee comprised 10 persons who served on a voluntary basis and five senior civil officials and one senior military official. Secretary of Information Ministry is also a member. The audio sub-committee includes Arshad Mahmud, Brigadier Imran Naqvi (ISPR), Rohail Hyatt, Talha Ali Khushwaha, Ustad Nafees Ahmed, Layaqzada Layaq and Dr. Zulfiqar Qureishi. The video sub-committee’s convener is Satish Anand.