"Bol Hu" by Pakistani band Soch, featuring Hadiya Hashmi

February 19, 2019 12:28 PM

"Bol Hu" by Pakistani band Soch, featuring Hadiya Hashmi. (She comes at the 3:30 mark.) BBC's brief coverage of eight year old Hadiya.
posted by of strange foe (16 comments total)

My mom watches a fair bit of Indian satellite tv and while I'm not big on all the soap operas that seem to dominate the channels, on most weekends in the evenings around primetime you'll be able to catch some kind of singing and dancing contest/competition. There's so much wonderful talent on display from Pakistan & India.

This is beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
posted by Fizz at 12:36 PM on February 19, 2019

Wow wow wow.
posted by drlith at 1:14 PM on February 19, 2019

Yeah, way beautiful!
posted by Oyéah at 2:02 PM on February 19, 2019

Absolutely gorgeous.
posted by yiftach at 3:23 PM on February 19, 2019

This is the best thing I have seen and heard for so long. It has stayed with me all day.
posted by Oyéah at 5:01 PM on February 19, 2019

Although South Asian classical traditions aren't my research focus, I have enough indirect experience through colleagues and former classmates (in ethnomusicology) to be blown away by her intonation, ornamentation, expressive gesture, and exploration of mode (raga, I think, in this instance). Really, really impressive.

That said, I would *love* for a specialist in this tradition to jump in this thread and provide a more nuanced/informed take!
posted by LMGM at 5:08 PM on February 19, 2019

Thank you this is so wonderful.
posted by anadem at 9:38 PM on February 19, 2019

Seconded, LMGM. Is this Quawwali? It sounds like Quawwali with some modern instruments in a slightly more informal tradition. I'd love to know more about this child, her family and how she is trained. Presuming the guy on hand organ sitting next to her is her dad.

Link to Nusrat Ali Fateh Khan, who some say is the best Qawwali singer of all time, on Youtube and Wikipedia. I've linked to one track rather than a playlist because I think following the links gets you more variety. It's ecstatic music (well, Sufi) and I believe it's meant to go on for hours, and the virtuosity of singing is something else. It takes its time to work you up to the heights.

Not that I do know much about it (but WOMAD has done wonders bringing different musical traditions to a general UK audience.) So my guess is the child is singing in the Qawwali tradition but the band might not call itself that, and I stand to be corrected by someone who knows more about it.
posted by glasseyes at 2:25 AM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]

If the music speaks to you it's well worth seeking out studio recordings above live recordings. Shahenshah-e-Qawwali he was called, King of Kings of Qawwali.
posted by glasseyes at 2:46 AM on February 20, 2019

It speaks to me. Been dancing in my chair and I don't know why.
posted by aleph at 10:19 AM on February 20, 2019

Sorry, I meant following your link to Nusrat Ali Khan
posted by aleph at 10:21 AM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]

I never saw him live; I've been told there'd be whole audiences of westerners in ecstatic tears though they never understood a word of Urdu.

I hope Hadiya Hashmi is nurtured and protected and educated into the full flowering of her talent and adulthood. What a gifted child.
posted by glasseyes at 11:25 AM on February 20, 2019

I can see it. I wondered about the mostly still audience. I'd have a *very* hard time not moving to that no matter if I just kept it down to small motions. Just put it down to the huge cultural diff(s) I'm not understanding.
posted by aleph at 1:28 PM on February 20, 2019

Listening for hours to the Nooran Sisters, linked on the above-mentioned youtube page. Don't understand a word, but they sure are into it. And the audience as well. They have a whole 3 hours concert up as well. Thank you for bringing my attention to Sufi singing.
posted by nostrada at 2:13 PM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]

If like me, you are interested in the English translation of the lyrics (inadequate as it may be), this Medium piece has got you covered.
posted by msali at 9:53 PM on February 21, 2019 [2 favorites]

Thanks for posting such an amazing clip, of strange foe. It's been fascinating to go into the links and find out more, and fascinating to see the Sufi spirit expressed across the different modes the music takes, classical, folk and fusion. The shadow of Partition lies over the family history of many of these singers, and scanning comments and fora sometimes there are hints of other intractable forces and prejudices - against Sufism, against women preforming, against one or another nationality. Rare but discernible but then again one should never read youtube comments and mostly, people are awed by this music.

The Nescafe Basement sessions seem similar to Tiny Desk; beautifully recorded intimate concerts with emerging artists, while Coke Studio sessions feature more established artists. Anyway here's a couple more links:
Hadiya performing and being interviewed on Lahore morning television, Jaago Lahore
Balaghal Ula Be Kamalihi, Abida Parveen, Coke Studio Season 11, Episode 7, wonderful female singer
Abida Parveen & Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Chaap Tilak, Coke Studio Season 7, Episode 6. Here Abida Parveen sings with Ali Fateh Khan's nephew.
posted by glasseyes at 2:14 AM on February 22, 2019 [3 favorites]