Program Details 2016

Widely recognized as the ‘Nomad Queen of Pashtun folklore’ in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, Zarsanga belongs to the Kutanri nomadic tribe of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Zarsanga started her singing career while still in her teens, from a performance on Radio Pakistan Peshawar in 1965, after which enthralled listeners (including inmates from a nearby prison) started calling up the station to demand her back. Accompanied by the Rubab, Flute, Tabla and Dholak, Zarsanga proudly claims to sing songs, “written by the common people”, including Tapay and Gharhi folk songs from the mountainous areas of KP, as well as compositions written for her by her husband. In an illustrious career spanning over 50 years, Zarsanga has received worldwide recognition for her powerful euphonic voice, and is the recipient of several prestigious awards such as the Pride of Performance and Presidential Award.

The renowned Taj Buledi is a versatile multi-lingual folk music veteran from Dera Bugti, Balochistan, who soulfully renders the folk poetry and folk stories of Jam Duruk, Pahlwan Faqeer as well as Bulleh Shah and others, on the traditional Dambora instrument. Being the disciple of revered Balochi folk singer Ustad Mureed Buledi, Taj Buledi began his illustrious career at the age of 9, and has since then been performing in Pakistan and abroad as well as paying homage at the shrines of Sufi saints.  His talented ensemble comprises of Hafeezullah (Dambora), Muhammad Asghar (Sarod), Aharur Muhammad Baksh (Banjo), and Muhammad Ali (Dholak).

Wahdat Rameez is an exceptionally talented vocalist, who sings Sufi, Classical and Ghazal poetry in his melancholic and distinctively melodic voice. Though not from a performing ‘gharana’ or household, Wahdat initially learnt music theory from his father Dr. Niaz Ahmad and brother Toheed Ahmad, and was inspired by the great masters of Classical and Folk music of Pakistan. Hailing from the city of Pakpattan, the home of the great 13^th Century Sufi saint Baba Farid Ganj-e-Shakar, Wahdat’s voice reflects the beauty, subtlety and tranquility of the Sufi way. He has performed in all the eminent Sufi, Classical and Ghazal festivals across the country and is the recipient of several distinguished awards from both Pakistan and India.

Matra Percussion band is an innovative fusion band of percussion maestros comprising of tabla veterans Ustad Muhammad Ajmal Khan and Ustad Ejaz Hussain; plus Sherry Bakshi on tabla, Zeeshan on dholak and Faizan on drums. The band’s founder, Muhammad Ajmal Khan is son of the renowned Bakhsi Muhammad Qawwal, but decided to choose the tabla over his Qawwali background. He is the most distinguished disciple of the great Ustad Shaukat Hussain of the Punjab Gharana of music, which has produced several magnificent tabla players such as Ustad Allah Rakha, Ustad Tafoo Khan, Ustad Tari Khan, Ustad Zakir Hussain, and many others. Both Muhammad Ajmal Khan and Ejaz Hussain have extensive experience in touring and have accompanied all the top classical maestros of Pakistan as performed with several top Pop and Rock acts of the country. For their exceptional contribution in music, Ustad Ajmal Khan and Ustad Ejaz Hussain have received Pakistan’s highest civic awards of Pride of Performance and Tamgha-e-Imtiaz respectively.

Sufi Meeran is an upcoming folk artist from Sanghar district, Sindh. In her euphonious voice she generates a divine ambience in her renditions of the mystic poetry of Sachal Sarmast, Shah Abdul Lateef Bhitai, Meera Bai and Bhagat Kabeer. She regularly performs at Sufi shrines throughout Sindh and was awarded the Misri award at the Gajelo Sharif shrine of Tando Allahyar, Sindh.

Sufi Meeran’s folk ensemble consists of Mevo Saeen on Harmonium, Farida Bibi on back vocals, Mor Khan on Dholak and Karam on Majira.

Qurban Niazi is a great folk singer and younger brother of the legendary master Tufail Niazi, who is recognized as a pillar of folk music in Punjab. After partition, Qurban and Tufail migrated from their native town of Jalandhar and founded the famous Bhai Tufail folk theatre group in Multan, known for its musical renditions of folk epics such as Sohni Mahiwaal, Sassi Punnu, Heer Ranjha, Mirza Sahibaan, Saif ul Mulook and Laila Majnun. The newly founded medium of television launched the group to national acclaim as the Tufail Niazi group, named after their spiritual teacher Pir Niaz Ali Shah. Tufail and Qurban Niazi were also instrumental in launching the famous Lok Tamasha show of PTV, which promoted all the subsequent masters of Pakistani folk music. Since the passing of his brother, Qurban has been pursuing a solo career in Pakistan and abroad, and was recently awarded the prestigious Tamgha e Imtiaz medal of excellence.

Ali Sethi is a remarkable young musician and a playback singer from Lahore who debuted in Coke Studio’s season 8 and whose songs have been featured in Mira Nair’s Hollywood rendition of Mohsin Hamid’s novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist as well as Sarmad Khoosat’s biopic Manto. Initially recognized as a columnist and author, Ali started his classical music training fairly late, after completion of his Harvard degree, under the tutelage of the great master of Khyaal music Ustad Naseerudin Saami of Delhi Gharana. Despite this late start Ali gained swift recognition for his singing skills and has performed all over Pakistan and in India. Ali Sethi is also the well-known author of the celebrated novel, ‘The Wishmaker’.

Qawalistan is a unique blend of typical Qawwali and Rock music, a successful collaboration between renowned Qawwal Imran Aziz Mian, and veteran Rock musicians Zeejah Fazli on guitar and Allan Smith on drums. Qawalistan recently held their debut performance outside of Pakistan at the South by South West festival in Austin, Texas earlier this year, where they thrilled international audiences with their upbeat and festive music. Their repertoire which includes Qawwalis of the great Aziz Mian Qawwal sung by his son Imran Aziz Mian, blended with the raw sound of Rock-‘n-Roll, has made Qawwali music more accessible to younger audiences.

Sounds of Kolachi represents an innovative and fresh musical sound coming out of Karachi, that effortlessly blends Eastern Classical with Contemporary music laced with powerful vocal harmonies and masterful instrumental solos. A brainchild of Ahsan Bari, Sounds of Kolachi is truly a World Music fusion orchestra with string, percussive and vocal sections. Though Sounds of Kolachi has collaborated with well-reputed mainstream musicians, the core-band consists of Ahsan Bari on vocals and guitar; Natasha Beyg, Quaid Ahmed, Mohammad Ghazanfar and Nimra Rafiq in the choir; Saif Abbas on bass, Gul Mohammad on sarangi; Waqas Hussain on sitar; Ibrahim Akram on drums; and veteran guitarist Faraz Anwar. Sounds of Kolachi is about to release its first album, and is all set to make their debut in the international music scene.

Noori from Lahore is one of the most renowned rock acts of Pakistan, who retained their ‘subversive rock flavor’ even after going mainstream. It was created in 1996 by talented siblings Ali Noor and Ali Hamza, who are counted amongst the pioneers of Pakistan’s rock music industry. Noori was featured in Coke Studio’s seasons 2 and 3, and have released three critically acclaimed albums as well as several hit singles and produced music for comedy movie ‘Karachi se Lahore’. Recently, they released ‘Yaarian’ an Indo-Pak collaborative song with Indian folk-electronica duo Hari and Sukhmani. With their extensive touring experience Noori has huge fan followings both in Pakistan and India, and have received a number of awards including Picked artist of the Month (2006) at The Musik, Best Rock Song at Indus Music Awards (2006), and Best Rock Song and Ultimate Rock Song at MTV Music Awards (2006 and 2009).

Wind & Percussion Roots is an instrumental fusion project featuring Zulfiqar Faqir on Dambooro and Boreendo, which is probably the oldest instrument in the world, hailing from the Indus Valley Civilization from 4000 years ago. Zulfiqar Faqir will be accompanied by Anb Jogi, a seasoned percussion master, who can effortlessly translate table beats onto the dholak; and Varqa Faraid providing the soundscape on the keyboards.

Gulshan Jahan, granddaughter of the legendary Reshma, is a highly versatile folk and semi-classical singer and belongs to the Rasjasthani ‘gharana’ or household of music. Born in Faisalabad, the city of Qawwali, Gulshan first learnt music from her brother and later continued her tutelage with the renowned Ustad Fateh Ali Khan of Gwaliar gharana. Gulshan Jahan has honed her voice by paying homage with her music at various Sufi shrines around Pakistan, and has developed an extensive repertoire of folk, ghazal, nohay and dhamal.

Richie and the Leo twins (Haroon & Sharoon) came into existence when three like-minded musicians got together some years ago. Their energy and musical chemistry resulted in various shows and gigs across the country, the most prominent out of them being the acclaimed television show Nescafé Basement which gave them the identity that they enjoy today. Their versatile musical skills and diversity of music gave them the opportunity to perform at the 10th International Music Festival Sharq Taronalari held in Samarqand, Uzbekistan in 2015, where they performed with numerous musicians from across the world.

Blackhour was formed in 2007 by Hashim Mehmood (guitarist) with members Salman Afzal (bassist), Mubbashir Sheikh (guitarist), Diam Mehmood (drummer) and Tayyab Rehman (vocalist). They released their debut album, ‘Age of War’ in 2011 through Your Label Records, USA, selling over 10,000 copies worldwide, and their second album  ‘Sins Remain’, in the beginning of this year through Transcending Obscurity Distribution, an Indian record label. The band’s engaging and energy-filled performances have helped them amass a niche cult following, and their talents have also been recognized by Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, guitarist of the legendary rock band Guns N’ Roses/Lita Ford/Art of Anarchy, with whom they performed during his visit of Pakistan in 2015. Blackhour is the only Pakistani band to be featured on WikiMetal – Brazil’s biggest heavy metal radio network.

Abdullah Qureshi is a highly versatile self-taught musician from Islamabad who started his musical odyssey in 2010 as an underground cover artist but swiftly gained recognition as a songwriter after scoring his original song ‘Awaaz Do’, with producer mentor Xulfi on the trend-setting TV music show Nescafe Basement. He has also released hit singles like Intezaar with seasoned musician turned music producer Sarmad Ghafoor and Tere Liye in collaboration with Walnut Studios. Despite the temporary ban on Youtube, Abdullah gained repute quite rapidly on social media, and is one of the most sought after young artists from Islamabad. Accompanied by his band members Ussayd Khan, Tabbish Mahmodd, Syed Hasan Haider, and Mussa Junaid he has been introducing young audiences from all across Pakistan to his innovative style of music.

True to its name Fakhr e Punjab Band (the Pride of Punjab) originating from Faisalabad is an ensemble of brass band instruments, founded and led by veteran maestro Ustad Sadiq Ali Khan, who has over 65 years experience of playing the clarinet. Ustad Sadiq Ali, also known as Master Sadiq Ali of Faisalabad, learnt the clarinet from the legendary master Ustad Alamgir Khan and later played alongside his son Ustad Rangi Khan. Ustad Sadiq Ali’s clarinet solo used to be an indispensible part of the great annual gatherings of master musicians that used to be held in Punjab, such as at the home of the late Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, father of Nusrat Fateh Ali.

Eloquence, humanist thought, and mystic poetry are given a global voice by Arieb Azhar and his band from Islamabad and Lahore. Defying easy categorization, Arieb’s mesmerizing baritone is a voice for social change and justice. Having lived and performed in Croatia for many years, Arieb’s music is an eclectic mix of urban and folk, with influences ranging from Irish Celtic, Balkan Gypsy and Punjabi Folk. Nurturing a love for poets of the Sufi humanist tradition, Arieb’s repertoire consists of poetry by Bulleh Shah, Khwaja Ghulam Farid, Shah Hussain, Mian Muhammad Baksh, Sultan Bahu… as well as more contemporary poetry written by his friends and himself. Arieb’s music came into the limelight of the Pakistan music after he was featured in seasons 2 and 3 of Coke Studio. He has toured extensively and performed in festivals all over Pakistan as well as abroad, both with his band and solo in collaborative projects with various international artists. Arieb’s powerful vocals are complimented by Ustad Akmal Qadri’s masterful flute, Kashif Ali Dani’s exceptional tabla and Zeeshan Mansoor’s and Zain Ali’s creative guitar soundscapes.

Multi-instrumental duet Karolina Cicha/Bart Palyga draws from traditional, musical Polish and East-European traditions to produce experimental and innovative music. Polish musicians Karolina (singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist) and Bart (cellist, multi-instrumentalist and improviser) have hooked up with friends, Anb Jogi (dholak player extraordinaire) from Sindh, Jaan Ali Khan (master dhol player ) from Punjab and Haroon Leo (multi-intrumentalist composer) from Islamabad to establish musical connections and lasting friendships.

Virtuoso Javed Bashir, one of the most highly acclaimed vocalists of Pakistan is a master of Sufi Kaafi and Qawwali, who at the same time is able to effortlessly interpret Ghazal and Geet songs in his highly skilled and unique voice. Javaid Bashir is the foremost successor of the Nalan Gharana originally from Jalandhar Punjab. Being the disciple of his father Ustad Bashir Ahmed Khan, he was trained in the intricacies of Qawwali from his home and later perfected his classical skills under the tutelage of his esteemed uncle Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan. Initially gaining nationwide attention as the lead vocalist of the popular classical-jazz fusion ensemble the Mekaal Hasan Band, Javaid went on to receiv major acclaim as a soloist after he appeared in several Coke Studio seasons with his sonorous and uniquely rich renditions. Javed Bashir is hugely popular across the border also and worked with gurus of Indian music like A. R. Rehman, and recorded several songs for Bollywood films. He has toured extensively and is the recipient of several distinguished awards from both Pakistan and India.

Grupo Fantasma has been praised as one of the most important independent acts in the Latin genre and has continually defied expectations to create one of the most unique musical voices to come out of the United States in the last decade. In 2011, they garnered further acclaim by winning a Grammy (their second such nomination) for their self–produced release El Existential on Nat Geo Music which the Wall Street Journal called “Latin music both new and traditional…vibrant fusions that transcend easy classification.”

Grupo Fantasma is a nine piece musical collective formed in 2000 in Austin, Texas consisting of Jose Galeano (timbales, vocals), Kino Esparza (vocals, hand percussion), Beto Martinez (guitar), Greg Gonzalez (bass), John Speice (drums), Matthew “Sweet Lou” Holmes (congas), Gilbert Elorreaga (trumpet), Josh Levy (baritone saxophone) and Mark “Speedy” Gonzales (trombone).

Grupo Fantasma has also seen a wide array of film and TV placements including AMC’s Breaking Bad, Showtime’s hit series Weeds, ABC’s Ugly Betty, NBC’s Law & Order and many others. They have served as the backing band on several occasions for the legendary Prince (ALMA Awards on ABC, Golden Globes, CBS Super Bowl Bash), and many other renowned performers.

Wahis Allan Faqir is an extremely energetic and colorful folk singer hailing from the town of Rahim Yar Khan in the province of Sindh in Pakistan. Wahid comes from a family of folk bards who used to recount the love poetry of the Sufi Saints on the one stringed instrument known as ‘Kingh’. Using his poetic knowledge Wahid found inspiration from his mentor, the late legendary Allan Faqir of Sindh, and fashioned his style after him to the extent of even using his name. Wahid is also renowned in his community for battling against the feudal traditions of honor killings in his home province and adhering to the simple lifestyle of a Sufi Dervish. His unique singing and dancing style, with his peacock tailed turban and his eyes sparkling with mischief always promises to entertain and connect with the audiences.

Dr. Amie Maciszewski is a sitar player who has devoted her adult life to studying, performing, teaching, and promoting Sub-continental classical music. Amie’s training includes both formal academic training in India (Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees with distinction in sitar performance from Santiniketan) and the U.S. (Ph.D. in ethnomusicology) and ongoing traditional study with two leading gurus: Grammy-nominated sarode Maestro Aashish Khan and Hindustani vocal diva Padmabhushan Girija Devi. She has performed in several countries across the globe, to critical acclaim and is the founder and director of the Sangeet Millennium Ensemble, whose fusion of music from the Indian subcontinent with jazz and other world music has earned its acclaim as one of Austin’s Top Ten world music bands. She is a City of Austin Cultural Contractor and a selected artist on the Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster, Mid-America Arts Alliance, and an Empanelled Artist of the India World Cultural Forum. Besides having taught over 100 students individually or in small groupes, she has taught world music and South Asian music on the faculties of the Universities of Texas, Colorado, Pittsburgh, and Alberta, and was awarded special recognition by the University of Alberta’s Canadian Centre for Ethnomusicology for her work with their Indian Music Ensemble. In addition to having released four CDs, she has co-produced and directed four documentary films on socially marginalized female musicians in India, two of them award-winning.

XarB originates from Lahore and comprises of 5 members including Qamar Parvi (Vocals/Keyboard) Mobeen Zahid (Vocals/Guitar) Saud Anver (Guitar) Sunny Mughal (Bass) and Lala Ahsan (Drums). Defining their genre as eastern rock XarB debuted with an album ‘Harmonic Tremors’ which includes 8 audio songs and a critically acclaimed and award winning video song ‘Baysabro’. Since their inception, Xarb has performed in major cities of Pakistan and their multilingual songs are reflect a new sensibility arising out of a deep rooted society.

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DissBelief is one of Pakistan’s few English Language Rock bands, comprised of Shahmir Quidwai who recently appeared in Nescafe Basement with his full-toned vocals; Fahad Humayun Chohan (Guitarist); Najeeb Aftab (Drummer); Hammad Khalid (Guitarist); and Saad Qureshi (Bassist). They released their debut album ‘Table for Five’ in 2015, encapsulating their satirical and somber outlook on societal hypocrisies in an EP of five electrifying tracks. They started attracting international attention of radio networks from UK, Australia, USA and Germany after being nominated as the best emerging talent in Lux Style awards in 2014, and as semi-finalists at the International Songwriting Competition in Tennessee, with their single, ‘Fairy Tale of Broken Hearts’. The band has also produced an OST for the movie Siyaah, and is signed on with Holier Than Thou records, UK.

Jasim Haider and The Pindi Boys is an eclectic mix of funk folk, blues and rock. The band is comprised of talented singer-songwriter and guitarist Jasim Haider, Mohsin Zaidi (bassist) and Adeel Haroon (drummer/percussionist). Their experiential style of music together with Jasim’s thought provoking lyrics form a unique sound in the contemporary music scene of urban Pakistan. The band has projected itself as the new voice of Rawalpindi that aims to debunk the common ‘Pindi Boys’ stereotype through their soulful and refreshing blues-rock sound.

Jasim’s passion for music first lead him to become one of youngest producer/directors to have worked with MTV Pakistan, where he helped create a showcase platform for many young upcoming musicians.  Besides writing and composing music, Jasim also directs and produces his own music videos, through his own professional production house, The DP Shop.

Oqaab band is a refreshingly innovative upcoming ensemble from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that tastefully blends Pashto folk music with both eastern and western instruments. The band started out in 2012 and consists of Rashid Ahmed Khan (vocals/harmonium), Mehmood Masood (bass, backing vocals) Rahim Saranjam Khan (guitar, backing vocals) Mohammad Din (rubab), Daniyal (keyboards) and Javed Khan (tabla, percussions). Oqaab has released 13 video songs so far and their interpretations of Ghazals and folk songs have received acknowledgement and patronage by renowned masters and veterans of Pushto folk music. Oqaab have performed widely throughout KP and are regularly featured on all regional TV channels. Because of the versatility and essence of their music, it is one of the only bands of the region to have gained wide repute amongst both younger and more mature audiences.

MKSS is the first-ever all-girl Pakistani band created in December 2015 for Nescafe Basement by music producer and mentor Xulfi, comprising of Maria Fatima (vocals/electronic), Kristin Kaneria (vocals/acoustic), Sanya Shehzad (bass/vocals), and Sumera Waris (tabla) Each musician brings in her own uniqueness to produce a new sound that is both soulful and groovy to Pakistan pop-rock scene. The band’s nascent song video received 1.2 million views and gained them widespread recognition throughout Pakistan. Though only a few months old the band is already breaking old stereotypes through their appearances on many local TV channels. After receiving a standing ovation for their debut live performance at TEDx Islamabad, MKSS takes on the main stage at Music Mela.

Leva Percussion and Dance Group from Lyari, Karachi, was founded in 1972 by Hussain Makrani who inherited the art from his acclaimed father and mentor Ibrahim Dadin. The band is composed of 6 traditional dancers and 4 instrumentalists playing shehnai, dhol and taal percussions. Leva is a traditional dance that can be found all along the Makran coast in Pakistan, Iran, Oman and UAE; that was originally brought to this part of the world by African immigrants, many of them slaves, whose dances local people termed as Leva, which means ‘play’. Today Leva has become widespread in the coastal regions of Balochistan, especially amongst the Shidi community, descendants of African immigrants, who continue to practice this energetic dance accompanied with an irresistible groove on the percussions.

Zoe Viccaji is among the few artists who excel at a variety of genres, from Jazz to rock, funk and pop; and her music shows a constant experimentation and combination of these styles.  In multiple collaborations with veteran producers and musicians Zoe has appeared in several Coke Studio seasons. Born with a knack for singing, she started writing songs when she was 15 and made her debut performance in the cult underground band Ganda Banda at the age of 17.

After returning from college in the USA where she studied Art and theatre, Zoe got involved in the musical theatre of Karachi, spearheaded by Nida Butt and Hamza Jafri, where she played lead roles in the musicals Chicago and Mama Mia. She simultaneously kicked-off her professional musical career first as a back vocalist and then a lead soloist at Coke Studio. Zoe finally released her own album, ‘Dareeche’, through Universal Music India, in 2014, for which she won the Lux Style Award for best album and Indian Recording Arts Awards for best mixed-album. In the last four years Zoe has released several hit singles including an OST for an offshoot of PTV classic Tanhaiyan.

The highly skilled and innovative Rizwan Muazzam Qawwali group hails from Faisalabad, the city of Qawwals. The majestic duo is headed by brothers Rizwan and Muazzam, nephews of Shahenshah-e-Qawwali, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan who led Qawwali music to worldwide acclaim. Honing their art under the tutelage of their father Mujahid Mubarik Ali Khan, they were then mentored by Nusrat himself. They are thus the meritorious successors of a 6-centuries-old family’s lineage of Qawwali. Rizwan Muazzam have released four albums with Peter Gabriel’s Real World Record Label: 1999’s “Sacrifice To Love”, 2001’s collaboration with Temple of Sound “People’s Colony No 1”, 2001’s “A Better Destiny” and 2004’s “Day of Colors”. They have collaborated with international musicians including MIDIval Punditz and Nitin Sawhney, debuted in Bollywood and have been featured in multiple Coke Studio seasons. Their first major international concert was held at the Womad River Mead festival in England in 1990, and since then they have been widely touring across Pakistan and abroad. Following Nusrat’s demise, they are at the forefront in the efforts to continuously revitalize and interpret the divine soul of Qawwali for this age.