“What if the one thing that I missed/Was everything I need to pass the test/And if I fail, what happens then? Can I still count on you as a friend?” - ‘Live to Rise’ by Soundgarden

The story of Hijrat, multidisciplinary artist Wajiha Naqvi’s debut EP, first began as an opening performance for the first digital edition of Women of the World 2021. Dubbed ‘Hijrat - A Musical Journey Across South Asia,’ during the performance Wajiha Naqvi was accompanied by Umair Dar and Jasir Abro.

Before performing each song that connects this region beyond geographical boundaries, Wajiha addressed its history. While the full-length performance is available for viewing on YouTube, the songs Wajiha performed were later converted into an EP making it technically sounder than other performances. Furthermore, the songs performed during WoW 2021 make up the album but the length, soundscape and production value is both different and higher.

The singer, composer and songwriter from Karachi, with a background in anthropology of sacred music, proved to be the perfect vehicle for these songs. It’s a courageous effort to take these iconic songs and perform them in the first place. Props to Wajiha - who also curated Paanch – The Mixtape (but was not one of the featured artists).

According to a press kit, “Hijrat (meaning migration) is a musical project that aims to build bridges and transcend borders by celebrating the songs and languages of the diverse and vibrant cultural landscape of SouthAsia.” True to that spirit, the songs Wajiha has sung are in six different languages (Persian, Pashto, Bengali, Sindhi, Urdu and Old Hindi).

What makes Hijrat edgier is that though vocals, concept and curation has been done by Wajiha herself, it is a collaborative project. The credit for musical arrangement and lead guitars belongs to Jasir Abro; percussions have been played by Aziz Kazi with Irfan Khan on bass guitar and Umair Dar on rhythm guitar. Mixed, mastered and produced by Umair Dar at A for Aleph, the coming together of these musicians has given Hijrat a stronger, crisper sound without taking anything away from the songs. No one is trying to show off by ripping the guitars. The music just adds a surprisingly comforting texture to the songs.

“Love, let’s talk about love/Is it anything and everything you hoped for?/Or do the feeling haunt you?/I know the feeling haunt you.” - ‘All The Stars’ by Kendrick Lamar, SZA

There is a chance that you may have heard some of these songs by many other outfits before because of “our rich cultural heritage that we’ve inherited,” as Wajiha explained during her WoW performance. However, what does stand out in Hijrat is the meticulous treatment with which each song has been sung and produced.

Our introduction to Hijrat begins with the song ‘Man Amadeam’ (Persian), which is originally by an Afghani composer. Listening to the EP, what’s obvious is that Wajiha can carry the song with her silky smooth tenor. You may or may not grasp the intricacy of the language – if you haven’t been exposed to it at all – but listening to ‘Man Amadeam’ (Persian) is a delight. There is a sweet guitar solo that is consistently present; the guitars and percussion never try to overpower the vocals. It’s a thunderous opening.

‘Larsha Pekhawar’ was once performed on Coke Studio (Season 5) by Hamayoon Khan but the Hijrat version makes no effort to imitate it. A very popular song in Pashto, Wajiha Naqvi’s version almost makes you want to get up and groove a little. Her accent flips from Persian to Pashto in such scale that it makes you wonder why she never took to singing full-scale earlier. Pashto music has its own beats and while the treatment is contemporary, the thumping Pashto vibe has been kept intact. Wajiha’s performance is so vibrant that you’d think she has been singing Pashto songs her whole life. As she noted in her WoW performance, this one is for our Pashto and Afghan friends. What a beautiful gift it is and one can only hope it is heard by such friends.

The third song on the album is ‘Amaro Porano’, composed and written by Rabindranath Tagore. The Bengali song, as Wajiha explained, is about sending love to the beloved even if they are separated, which is more relevant in these times than ever before. The Hijrat version of the song almost has a visceral effect. Maybe because of the fall of Dhaka that still haunts us or just the way it sounds. Running over 6 minutes, the song is slow-burning and completely unlike its predecessors in terms of tempo. You can feel the percussions and the guitars building a crisp and palpable texture that is both modern yet respectful of the song’s history. There is also a sense of tension and the production is very smart; this maybe Hijrat’s best track, which is saying a lot. The yearning that comes through the vocals is surprising and engaging.

‘Naale Alakhe’, originally composed and penned by Bhagat Kunwar Ram, is a track in Sindhi. It’s not as strong as others within the album, but the effort still reflects in the track that’s nearly over 5 minutes long.

The final track of the album first emerged last year when Wajiha Naqvi was featured on Coke Studio 2020. But ‘Yakeen’ – the Hijrat version – is once again not imitating the TV show performance. On Hijrat, ‘Yakeen’ differs from Coke Studio in almost every way; it is (for one thing) sung in Urdu and Old Hindi. Featuring crunchy guitars, quite possibly the one mix of rock and solid percussions, the empowering song provides a perfect end to the EP.

In the end, this collaborative effort is one of strongest EPs of 2021. Available on multiple streaming platforms, hear it now. Highly recommended.