(Re) Discovering awesome Pakistani Music

[Note: Feel free to click on the links in this post. They open in new tabs, and hide melodious treats :)]
I have been lucky to have been exposed to Pakistani singers and their music since my childhood. When I was a kid, dad used to play the songs of Reshma (who sung the song from which "yaara seeli seeli" was inspired). I loved her rustic voice, which I think is why I like Rekha Bharadwaj's songs today. In those days, it was just "folk song", and not "songs by a Pakistani singer" ... ah the innocent days :).

During my college days, the band Junoon, with its anthem "Sayyoni" rules the airwaves for a bit. Even now, I have the "Kabir by Abida (Parveen)" album, rendered wonderfully.

And yesterday, I was pointed by Yasser to the wonderful video below, at the CokeStudio channel on YouTube. A wonderful sufi kalaam, rendered as a melange of old and new styles. Be sure to read the captions. If they are not visible, hover on the triangle at the bottom-right corner, and click the "cc" button. If you still cannot see them (or want to see the interactive transcript), click this link to open the video in a new tab/window.



Feel free to browse the Coke Studio channel for other gems like the one above.

The melody in these songs, and the (mostly positive) comments on YouTube, both from Indian and Pakistani listeners, give one hope that someday, through cultural exchanges, there will be lasting peace between the neighbors.

Amen to that.