Pakistan is blessed with cultural diversity evident in language, norms, customs, art, and crafts. It does not end there. As Pakistan holds a rich cultural history music. mixing up different styles to create something more novel and appealing. Momina Mustehsan, a renowned social activist, musician, and Pakistani singer was born on September 5, 1992. Read more about her in this article.
History of Pakistani Music
The music that you find on Youtube today was not the same as a few years back. It has undergone a series of changes and is influenced by the prevailing circumstances of each decade. The origin of Pakistani music can be connected with the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia. The primary influence in Pakistani music came from the western popular style. This continues to be consistent in most music productions by Pakistani singers and bands.
Classical Style
If we talk about the initial phases and the dominant style of Pakistani music, most of it was inspired by Hindu traditional music. Moreover, this classical music was quite common in the Hindustani empires and played in the royal court before the emperor. The classical style gave birth to many genres including the famous Klasik.
In a nutshell, the classic music style revolves around musical notes. Hence The terms won’t be too surprising as you came across these technical concepts various times but were not aware of their actual meaning. The formal arrangement of lai is called taal and raag is the systematic organization of surr.
The Famous Gharana
Of course, it does not mean that only singers from gharanas have dominated the Pakistani music industry. We have great sitar players who have mesmerized the audience with their outstanding performance. Besides, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan followed by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan are the legends of the famous Qwaal Bachay Gharana. Then we have Shafqat Amanat Ali from the renowned Patiala Gharana. If we move ahead and talk about the Senia Gharana, Ustad Ghulam Farid Nizami. All them have won the hearts of his followers through his breathtaking performance as a sufi singer and playing sitar. Poonch gharana is famous for bringing into the forefront great sitar players of Pakistan. Mohammad Sharif Khan Poonchwaley is the famous sitar player of this gharana. Some prominent names outside these gharanas are Ustad Badar uz Zaman acclaimed for his classical music. On the other side, Ustad Rais Khan is known for his skills in playing the sitar. For some, the names of a few instruments would be unprecedented but that is the talent that is found in Pakistan. Tafo Khan, Tari Khan and Shaukat Hussain are acclaimed for their skills to play the classical tabla. We had Talib Hussain among the last few players of pakhawaj in Pakistan. He brought into the limelight drum-type instruments to display the music style of Punjab Gharana.
Ghazal
The lovers of Urdu literature would have identified the term. Similarly Classical singers tend to enunciate the couplets of a ghazal keeping in view the refrain and rhyme as the essential components of poetry. The term itself is affiliated with the emotional cries of a gazelle. It can be taken as the portrayal of the pain of the separation from the lover.
Qawwali
The Sultan of Deli, Alauddin Khilji was once given 28 thousand stanzas of Sanskrit by an intellectual named Gopal. As Sultan and his subjects got confused at being uninformed about the Sanskrit language. They took the guide of the eminent Sufi holy person of that time Hazrat Nizamudin Auliya. He named Amir Khusrai to think of a complete reaction to the refrains introduced by pandit Gopal. , The cadenced answer of Amir Khusrau was powerful to the point that Pandit Gopal conceded his loss before Amir Khusrau. Pakistani folk music is quite rich diversity, taste, and subjects which are generally related to daily life and presented with pristine simplicity in contrast with classical music. Each province offers a unique side of music. Alam Lohar has mesmerized the audience for almost forty years of his grand performances. Arif added a modern touch to the melodies of his late father.
Contemporary Music
Modern music can be categorized into pop, rock, hip hop and film music. Among these, pop music could be noticed in South Asia with a perfect example Ko Ko Korina by Ahmed Rushdi. The superhit song was an amalgam of roll twist music, rock and bubblegum pop. Alamgir and Runa Laila have also contributed in the dissemination and acknowledgment of this new form of music in Pakistan. As the cassettes culture started to flourish in Pakistan, It brought an influx of western music which was based on the tested genre, rock music. Some of the renowned bands quite famous those days were AC/DC, Van Halen, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. , Pakistani singers came forward to raise their voice in the underground concerts. Hence This was all under the prevailing restraints and tested the new rock style. Vital Signs and Strings got popular and started selling their albums in the national as well as an international market . Noori, Aaroh and Junoon followed the path carved out by their predecessors and continued their journey of success and glory. Pakistani hip hop and filmi music styles has emerged .
Coke Studio Opening Gateway for Pakistani Singers
This allowed them to mix their conventional songs with new instruments to come up with new art forms. Many singers joined hands to remix their songs and got appreciation. All strata of society including the international market loves them. Furthermore, the forum paved the way for budding singers to outshine and show their talent before the audience. One such name is Momina Mustehsan, the iconic singer.
Related: Pakistani Classical Singers of Music Industry
Momina Mustehsan, The Iconic Singer of Pakistan
Momina Mustehsan, a renowned social activist, musician, and Pakistani singer was born on September 5, 1992. She remained in the limelight from a very early age. BBC services named her as one of the 100 most influential women. In case, some of you are not familiar with Momina by face.
Momina’s Performance in Indian Films
Then you heard her voice in the famous song Awari which she sang for the Indian film Ek Villain in 2014. To make it even more interesting, she took Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Afreen to a new level. She performed a rendition with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
Acclaimed Performances by Momina Mustehsan
Her individual performances are super exciting and received massive acclaim. Dewara, Baari and Aaya Na Tu have reached the top of the country as well as Asian charts. Furthermore, She is certainly an inspiration for youngsters as an influencer of different products and brands. Furthermore, she has also participated in different stage shows. She is a strong advocate of feminism and the role of women in the welfare and prosperity of Pakistan. She has raised her voice for promoting the academic sector and nurturing the mental health of young ones. Her life offers motivation to work hard to achieve our destiny and contribute to the welfare of our state. In case some of you are thinking that she has lived abroad throughout her life, think again.
Early Life and Education
She has lived in different cities of Pakistan including Islamabad. After completing her A levels from Lahore Grammar School, she moved to the States for completing her graduation. That was in Applied Mathematics and Biomedical Engineering. Similarly Despite completing her studies in sciences, she started to realize her inner potential of being a musician. She learned to play the violin at a very young age. Momina Mustehsan got huge acclaim for singing some famous tracks by renowned singers. Moreover The Blower’s Daughter was the first song cover she recorded and got huge appreciation from her listeners.
Famous Songs by Momina Mustehsan
Momina Mustehsan started to pursue her career in singing and started to come into the limelight after giving her voice to Sajna. Similarly Ali Azmat wrote this on the 20th anniversary of the Junoon band. She has written the lyrics of Pee Jaun, a song she sang alongside Farhan Saeed. Moreover, If you follow Nescafe Basement, the same song got featured here where Momina sang it with Hamza Tanveer. Furthermore, listen to Awari, the song which she recorded for the Pakistani band Soch that became part of a Bollywood film. Her fame for glory kept growing as she kept recording songs for dramas including the famous Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hai. Moving onwards, she has also recorded the national anthem. Similarly Her voice alongside recording a song for Pakistan Super League Islamabad United is also in her bag.
Afreen Afreen by Coke Studio
Still, Afreen Afreen got widespread acclaim via Coke Studio. Moreover Her video keeps getting views on Youtube to date. Mustehsan wishes to move ahead in life instead of pursuing her career in music. Moreover, She wishes to concentrate more on social welfare. Momina Mustehsan wants to help the people of Pakistan by uplifting the education sector.