‘Rivayat’ series launched by Mekaal Hasan

A grassroots project, the series showcases lesser-known talented musicians from working-class backgrounds

Mekaal Hasan Band, an international sufi rock band, has recently announced the launching of the Rivayat series.

Rivayat, according to Mekaal Hasan, covers a blend of traditional music styles from folk to classical and semi-classical, such as ghazal, thumri, qawwali, and various instrumentals. “Together as a body of music, this collection truly highlights the stories and the music of the people who have created it and whose history is subsumed in this music,” he said.

“Rivayat has been cooking up for years now. For years I have been recording and putting together a catalogue of music and artistes that truly represent Pakistan’s mass taste. They are not musicians you are going to see on a big platform but those who can make an instant connection with the audience,” Mekaal Hasan added.

According to the press release, the new music album includes renowned performers like sons of the Tufail Niazi known as Niazi Brothers, along with emerging talent such as Manwa Sisters, Asad Abbass and Wahdat Rameez and many others. The presser reveals the Rivayat series includes a mix of solo performances and joint works with other international musicians and artistes.

“Rivayat is a grassroots project. Its emphasis is on showcasing artistes from working-class backgrounds whose music and contribution has been pushed into oblivion in the past 15 years or so. This is different from Coke Studio because you won’t find any familiar faces in it or artistes with an established project,” according to Mekaal Hasan.

Though the young musician went an extra mile to find a sponsor for the project, but all those efforts went in vain unfortunately. “Some of them did show interest, but nobody followed up so I got tired of waiting and decided to launch Rivayat on my own,” he added.

“Be it Javed or Sharmista, I have always worked with new talent, and you will find a number of youngsters being added to the classical catalogue via Rivayat, so the series offers you quality music and a new generation of musicians,” Mekaal Hasan said.

He feels enough pride in launching emerging, yet lesser-known musicians through the series. The press release further reveals that all songs in the series were recorded live in one take, featuring both standalone performances as well as collaborations with global musicians.