Written by: Nayha Jehangir Khan
Posted on: January 21, 2021 | 
| 中文
Mughal-e-Funk
Mughal-e-Funk make quite a striking first impression on their listeners with their captivating name and music that seems to surpass genres. What is special about Mughal-e-Funk is their ability to effortlessly blend genres, rhythms and beats like soul, jazz, disco, electronic music with heritage classical and traditional instrumentation. Members of the band include Rakae Jamil on Sitar, Kami Paul on the drums, Rufus Shahzad on synths and keyboard, and Farhan Ali on bass. Each of these members are established musicians, who have performed nationally and internationally with the biggest names in the music industry for over a decade. We got a chance to have an in-depth chat with Rakae Jamil about their journey so far, and what’s in store for the future of the band:
Rakae Jamil
RJ: When we came together for the first time, our first compositions were instrumentals. We got this band together to make music and create a completely original sound, rather than simply performing as session players. Playing felt more natural and improvised than the rehearsed, practised or learnt performances of other bands. This was something we enjoyed doing, and that's how it was different. And as for our live performances, we performed for the Heritage Festival in Karachi in 2017 that was sponsored by British Council. Azeem Hamid was the driving force behind developing our concert performance and turning our music into a live act.
While recording the album we hadn't planned for live shows, as we were simply enjoying the process of creating music. But when it translated into a live performance, we were pleasantly surprised. We included vocal numbers for the concert, as we thought instrumentals might not be appealing to a wider audience. At the beginning we auditioned singers, and were lucky to come across Rassab Amir and Neha Chaudry, who were phenomenal young singers with powerful voices. There were renditions of Sufi songs like, ‘Ni Sayyo Asaan Naina De Akhay Lagay’ by various notable Qawals. Our interpretations were more modern and contemporary, and that resonated with the vocalists and audiences.
Farhan Ali
RJ: ‘Sultanat’ album comprised of six purely instrumental songs that were named after Mughal emperors. The direction of the album was to musically branch out, allowing listeners to connect with the groove of the music. Since we have incorporated electronic elements to explore complex rhythms, we would go for a simpler rhythm to evolve our sound. We’re also using different instruments, from electronic to acoustic, and we’re including the Sarangi and Surbahar, which is the bass sitar.
Sultanat
RJ: It is not too challenging to mix Eastern and Western instruments, as long as you have a clear idea of what you want to do. Every instrument and musical line has a purpose, not seen as something separate or in conflict with what you're trying to convey through the overall composition. It has to play a supportive role in the execution of the concept and theme of what you are trying to say through the music. We do not pre-plan the musical notes, it’s a spontaneous process and then we verbalise the notes to create meaningful lyrics.
Kami Paul
RJ: 2020 was a year of collaborations, but also a year in which we could not perform live in front of an audience on stage, which is very challenging. It pushed us to make music with other artists and come up with something magical, which resulted in the recent release of ‘Sakal Ban' (‘The Mustard Flower is Blooming’, a Sufi poem written by Amir Khusrau). We are lucky and fortunate to have collaborated with Meesha Shafi for this song.
Farhan Ali, who manages Meesha and plays bass for her during live concerts, informed us of her interest during her visit to Pakistan, and we shared compositions to see which one she would be interested in singing. When I was visiting Canada two years ago, I had my equipment with me and we recorded her vocals. I recorded a vocal demo, and we came up with this song three years ago. Rufus created the chordal arrangement and Kami designed the rhythmic groove for the composition. She motivated us to release the song as a collaboration, which made us happy.
Abdullah Siddiqui helped with mixing he produced Meesha's vocals and added his synths and electronic elements. We were very lucky to have him on board, and couldn't have done it without his input. We then proceeded to make the video that was beautifully shot, directed and edited by Umar Riaz. I am of the opinion that collaborations do work, and it doesn't matter how far you are from each other. Because of the digital age the world has become smaller, and you can easily access and share things through digital media. It has its challenges, but at the same time, it's also empowering.
Promotional Image for the Song 'Sakal Ban'
In January 2021, we are set to release our song with Mahnoor Altaf and Aizaz Sohail on Episode 4 of Bisconni Music. Mahnoor is only 13 years old with a phenomenal voice, and quite a vast vocal range. We have plans to release a second album this year, that is more vocally driven and has a series of collaborations with upcoming and established singers, who are ready to keep the momentum going for Mughal-e-Funk.
For now, listeners are anticipating the release of more entrancing songs and collaborations that the band has in store for them. Those interested can follow Mughal-e-Funk on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more songs and updates.
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