Comments on: Pakistani Ghazals, Aik Alif http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 23 May 2013 22:37:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-602633 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-602633 Ghazals bring up thoughts of Pasha Malla for me lately. Let me quote his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grandfathers-Ghosts-Snare-Poetry-Paperbacks/dp/0973943882/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254424291&sr=8-3">2008 book of poetry</a>, "All our grandfathers are dead." This is from the section, "Challenging popular ideas of mediocrity." "<b>Ghazal for Allah</b> Nah, just kidding." Ghazals bring up thoughts of Pasha Malla for me lately. Let me quote his 2008 book of poetry, “All our grandfathers are dead.”

This is from the section, “Challenging popular ideas of mediocrity.”

“Ghazal for Allah

Nah,
just kidding.”

]]> By: NidSquid http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-602640 NidSquid Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-602640 That was absolutely wonderful. Makes me wish I understood more Urdu than I do. I have read Ghalib's poetry and it is absolutely wonderful, even translated into English, but I'm sure it is even better in Urdu. That was absolutely wonderful.

Makes me wish I understood more Urdu than I do. I have read Ghalib’s poetry and it is absolutely wonderful, even translated into English, but I’m sure it is even better in Urdu.

]]> By: Irene Delse http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-602647 Irene Delse Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-602647 Beautiful. I don't know which rendition I prefer, but both are simply beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Beautiful. I don’t know which rendition I prefer, but both are simply beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

]]> By: kazminaut http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-603161 kazminaut Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-603161 Aaaahhh, the day Coke Studio meets BB is a great day indeed. Shukriya, Bassam Bhai...very well done. Aaaahhh, the day Coke Studio meets BB is a great day indeed.

Shukriya, Bassam Bhai…very well done.

]]> By: technogeek http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-602651 technogeek Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-602651 I discovered the style some years ago, thanks to WNYC's _New_Sounds_ program (which is webcast, has some listenable archives, and is just plain wonderful for finding out about music you wouldn't otherwise encounter). Always liked it... but it's very nice to have some subtitles so we can appreciate the thoughts as well as the pure musicality. I discovered the style some years ago, thanks to WNYC’s _New_Sounds_ program (which is webcast, has some listenable archives, and is just plain wonderful for finding out about music you wouldn’t otherwise encounter). Always liked it… but it’s very nice to have some subtitles so we can appreciate the thoughts as well as the pure musicality.

]]> By: MrsBug http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-602659 MrsBug Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-602659 Loved this. What is the name of the instrument that Mr. Zahoor is playing? Loved this.

What is the name of the instrument that Mr. Zahoor is playing?

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-604977 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-604977 Wow, what command on music, and her voice. Absolutely fascinating. Wow, what command on music, and her voice. Absolutely fascinating.

]]> By: Resident Media Pundit http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-602677 Resident Media Pundit Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-602677 Thank you so much for sharing this with us. What an expression of the divine! I was led to find more of the Coke Studio sessions after the second video, and was delighted to discover that the official site offers free high-quality mp3 downloads (320 kbs) of the songs -- here's the link directly to Aik Alif: http://www.cokestudio.com.pk/episodes/episode01/aik-alif/ Thank you so much for sharing this with us. What an expression of the divine!

I was led to find more of the Coke Studio sessions after the second video, and was delighted to discover that the official site offers free high-quality mp3 downloads (320 kbs) of the songs — here’s the link directly to Aik Alif:

http://www.cokestudio.com.pk/episodes/episode01/aik-alif/

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-603207 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-603207 People seem to seem to confuse ghazals with other things. Ghazal is a discipline of poetry, in which a a number of unrelated 'shair'(two-line stanzas) are connected only by rhymes and meter. The content can be about anything, not just God or mysticism, and can vary from shair to shair. Since the meter and rhyme is so important, these are popular among musicians. FYI, the poets mentioned all did poetry in different languages. People seem to seem to confuse ghazals with other things. Ghazal is a discipline of poetry, in which a a number of unrelated ‘shair’(two-line stanzas) are connected only by rhymes and meter. The content can be about anything, not just God or mysticism, and can vary from shair to shair. Since the meter and rhyme is so important, these are popular among musicians.

FYI, the poets mentioned all did poetry in different languages.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-604273 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-604273 Thank you! Beautiful, sublime, soaring Thank you! Beautiful, sublime, soaring

]]> By: Little John http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-603254 Little John Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-603254 Excellent! Thanks for posting these videos. I liked them both, although I couldn't stand to watch the second video all the way through. I don't know anything about <i>Coke Studio</i>, but I presume it's a way of getting the brand name seen and mentioned by the target demographic, presumably young people raised on MTV and fast edits. That's why the director, editor, and camera operators all collaborate to intentionally keep everything moving at all times. Bassam: "The second performance is a more dynamic one," indeed! Once I noticed the continuous left-right-repeat panning at 00:43-00:48 and especially at 00:51-01:00, I just couldn't notice anything but the obvious deliberate priority of camera motion over actually showing the performers. The sole static shot is of the drummer at 01:09-01:11, which I assume to have been a mistake. It's as if the whole thing was shot for use in television commercials. I am sure any clips would be great for such commercials, but watching that constant you-can't-catch-us videography for seven minutes is too much. <b>It's like watching the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0440963/">The Bourne Ghazal</a> with Matt Damon on the run in Pakistan.</b> Now I'm off to buy myself a lawn, so that I can yell at kids to get off it. Excellent! Thanks for posting these videos. I liked them both, although I couldn’t stand to watch the second video all the way through.

I don’t know anything about Coke Studio, but I presume it’s a way of getting the brand name seen and mentioned by the target demographic, presumably young people raised on MTV and fast edits. That’s why the director, editor, and camera operators all collaborate to intentionally keep everything moving at all times. Bassam: “The second performance is a more dynamic one,” indeed!

Once I noticed the continuous left-right-repeat panning at 00:43-00:48 and especially at 00:51-01:00, I just couldn’t notice anything but the obvious deliberate priority of camera motion over actually showing the performers. The sole static shot is of the drummer at 01:09-01:11, which I assume to have been a mistake.

It’s as if the whole thing was shot for use in television commercials. I am sure any clips would be great for such commercials, but watching that constant you-can’t-catch-us videography for seven minutes is too much. It’s like watching the The Bourne Ghazal with Matt Damon on the run in Pakistan.

Now I’m off to buy myself a lawn, so that I can yell at kids to get off it.

]]> By: jewelley http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-602751 jewelley Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-602751 thank you, thank you! how I love qawali, the only music that could possibly trump tuareg teshumara in my heart... I was lucky enough to see Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan live a couple of times. I'm really loving the posts from Bassam & Aman, thanks! thank you, thank you!

how I love qawali, the only music that could possibly trump tuareg teshumara in my heart…

I was lucky enough to see Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan live a couple of times.

I’m really loving the posts from Bassam & Aman, thanks!

]]> By: mlennox http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-602784 mlennox Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-602784 I was lucky enough to see 'The Manganiyar Seduction' in Dublin recently http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvKsrqCwyGQ Fantastic performance - 42 wonderful musicians/singers. I was lucky enough to see ‘The Manganiyar Seduction’ in Dublin recently

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvKsrqCwyGQ

Fantastic performance – 42 wonderful musicians/singers.

]]> By: mlennox http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-602787 mlennox Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-602787 oops - I meant to add that if you do get the chance to see the Manganiyar Ensemble, don't pass it up. I was spellbound for the entire performance. Each singer was fantastic and I felt like I was getting a guided tour of the entire ouevre. oops – I meant to add that if you do get the chance to see the Manganiyar Ensemble, don’t pass it up. I was spellbound for the entire performance. Each singer was fantastic and I felt like I was getting a guided tour of the entire ouevre.

]]> By: Xeni Jardin http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-602569 Xeni Jardin Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-602569 Bassam, thank you so much for posting this. Bassam, thank you so much for posting this.

]]> By: kalsoom82 http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-602573 kalsoom82 Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-602573 This was my favorite song during this Coke Studio season. Thanks for sharing, Bassam. This was my favorite song during this Coke Studio season. Thanks for sharing, Bassam.

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/10/01/pakistani-ghazals-aik-alif.html#comment-602604 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-602604 That first video is a revelation! Her voice calls up the strength, emotion, and punctuation of Janis Joplin. She embodies the same soulfulness and urgency. I love it! Thanks for sharing, and I will certainly seek out more of her recordings. Any suggestions on where to start? That first video is a revelation! Her voice calls up the strength, emotion, and punctuation of Janis Joplin. She embodies the same soulfulness and urgency. I love it! Thanks for sharing, and I will certainly seek out more of her recordings. Any suggestions on where to start?

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