Amongst all the content that YouTube feeds our voracious appetites is unique channels like Aesthetics Urdu, which recreate Pakistani music videos featuring their Urdu lyrics prominently along with providing stunning visuals.

One of our favourite recreations is Ali Azmat’s ‘Na Re Na’, which was originally backed by a prolific music video directed by Saqib Malik. It featured a colossal dream of angels and demons.

Radically different from the original, this one features mirrored imagery mixed with beautiful photos of trees and is super heavy on graphics, almost like a kaleidoscope that keeps you hooked. Throughout, the Urdu lyrics are featured prominently and remind you of the flavor of the language.

Apart from recreating ‘Na Re Na’, Aesthetics Urdu has also experimented with songs such as ‘Yeh Mera Deewanpan’ by Ali Sethi, ‘Ijazat’ by Falak (that fetched more than a million views, ‘Bin Tere Kya Hai Jeena’ (one of Jawad Ahmad’s biggest hits to date), ‘Yeh Jism Hai Tou Kya’ by Ali Azmat, ‘Roya Re’ by Shiraz Uppal, ‘Ik Arzu’ by Farhan Saeed’, ‘Un Ka Khayal’ by Vital Signs and an infinitely superior music video of ‘Yakeen’ by Atif Aslam.

The channel is “all about Pakistani music and Urdu” and it really is a smorgasbord of the idea. It must be added that the selection of songs is excellent.

The visuals are different for each video and have stayed away from the ideas behind the original videos. In short, this is one YouTube channel anyone and everyone who is interested in Pakistani music and/or the Urdu language should check out.

Ahsan Bari teams up with Laal Series for ‘Guzarish’

Having released the first song from his debut EP, Guzarish, titled ‘Bandagi’ by tying up with longtime collaborators - Salt Arts - Ahsan Bari has teamed up with Laal Series for the second music video from his solo EP. The title song is very special since it features the legendary Omran Shafique on electric guitars and additional music instruments.

For this sonorous elegy of a song, the music video has been directed and edited by Hassan Ali Effendi of Laal Series, while the focus of the video clearly stays on Ahsan Bari as it should. His vocals will carry you away as a listener while the video paints a narrative of the genius of this collaboration.

In the case of this spiritual song, Bari has sung it as well as composed it and penned the words. This collaborative effort between two incredibly talented musicians also includes the dynamic Aziz Kazi on percussion, Bari on acoustic guitars along with Shahid Rehman.

Guzarish has been produced by Ahsan Bari Music and Salt Arts. While a great number of EPs have dropped this year, the solo EP of Ahsan Bari is one of the most memorable efforts. The experience of spearheading Sounds of Kolachi has helped in building the narrative of Ahsan Bari – alone. And it has been a great journey. The music video is also worth noticing for it captures the spirit of the collaboration without gimmickry and tastelessness. In short, this is a victory for all parties involved, especially Ahsan Bari and Omran Shafique.

Dastaangoi Volume 2 to feature Meesha Shafi,  Sarmad Khoosat among others

Dastaangoi - the oral storytelling tradition that goes back to hundreds of years - is coming back with its second volume, later today. And the program is super exciting.

Meesha Shafi, who won Music Icon of the Decade at the recently concluded SEPMA 2020, is a participant. Her connection to South Asian heritage, poetry and music, it seems, is intact, irrespective of where she resides.

Similarly, the Pakistan-based, multi-talented Sarmad Khoosat, who has starred in and directed several dramas, acted in stage plays to critical acclaim and directed and starred in the terrific film, Manto, is also a participant. Apart from Meesha Shafi and Sarmad Khoosat, others will also feature in the online event for which registration is a must.

It doesn’t come as a complete surprise that both Khoosat and Shafi (who collaborated on Manto and Mor Mahal) will feature in the second volume given their penchant for exploring South Asian heritage.

According to Meesha Shafi, the event is about “online storytelling with a focus on South Asian heritage”.

While Sarmad Khoosat’s upcoming Saba Qamar feature, Kamli, is in post-production stage (with Zindagi Tamasha in limbo), he will make for the closing act.

“A collective exploration of Pakistani history and culture,” noted the PDF invite about the upcoming event.

The program will begin at 8:00pm with an introduction by Amad Mian. Meesha Shafi will join at 8:10pm followed by a special performance at 8:30. Ten minutes lates, Rabbania Shirjeel is featured to be followed by another special performance. Director-actor Sarmad Khoosat will make his appearance at 9:10pm with the event closing at 9:30.

To register, find Dastaangoi on Instagram and register if you haven’t already and keep in mind the instructions that will come attached with the invite. While civil discourse is encouraged, bad behavior is not.