Each season of Coke Studio offers reaffirmation that the Pakistani music circuit is alive and brimming with talent, despite constant criticism that the country is not producing quality musicians. Similarly, the ongoing Coke Studio season seven has marked the arrival of yet another exciting music prodigy — Asrar.
It would be unfair to say that Asrar is a new kid on the block as his previous songs Waris Shah and Ni Saiyo had already won him the attention of music enthusiasts. But the musician, with his signature unkempt look and rustic voice, formally arrived in the mainstream with his performance of Sub Aakho Ali Ali. Born in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, home to some of the most scenic and beautiful valleys, his family relocated to Hyderabad when he was a baby.
“I come from a Syed family, so performing arts, such as music, was not something my parents encouraged,” Asrar tells The Express Tribune. Despite his parents’ disapproval, he continued on his path of music and received training in eastern classical music from Ustad Sultan Ahmed Khan.
Right after the release of his song in Coke Studio’s first episode, he was compared to Indian musician Rabbi Shergill, who, like Asrar, presents Sufi poetry in a pop-rock style. Asrar is quick to laugh the comparison off by saying, “Maybe, it’s because of my beard.”
“There are two types of audiences; the first comprises the general public and the second, music experts,” he says. “The general audience might have seen my performance and compared it to Rabbi’s, but the experts have always commended my pitch, throw and style and referred to it as ‘unique’.”
Asrar asserts that he never made a conscious effort to stand out among musicians and has always followed his inner voice. “Growing up, I was always fascinated by simple things, such as lubham ki khushboo, dhol ki awaaz and dhamaal and that reflects in my music,” comments the singer-songwriter. “My personal life has always been at play with the Raanjha inside me. If a person spends his whole life trying to please the Raanjha inside, he will eventually find inner peace,” Asrar says like a true Romeo.
The artiste, who is being referred to as a ‘Sufi’ musician, rectifies the common mistakes associated with the understanding of the term ‘Sufi music’ and ‘Sufi musicians’. “You see, there is no genre such as Sufi music. Sufism is actually a thought and an ideology. People confuse Sufi music with the tabla or flute, but they are also a part of folk music,” he explains. “When a person presents a Sufi kalam through musical renditions, it’s called Sufi music – whether it is presented as rap or rock, it is still Sufi music.”
Asrar has also started his own music production company by the name of Soul Speaks Production, so that he can continue to produce music that pleases him. “I was getting frustrated with the kind of music people like these days, as it is poles apart from my taste,” he shares. He adds, “I had to find my own way to go about it because music mere zakhamon pe marham lagata hai, and answers my queries about the universe.” That being said, he hopes to be able to use the platform provided by Coke Studio as a springboard to bigger things.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2014.
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