Call, the band released a scintillating power house track for Pakistan Super League (PSL) titled ‘Hum Zalmi’ featuring Leo Twins. Composed by the band itself, the music was produced by singer-songwriter Xulfi and directed by Murtaza Niaz. The song features Junaid Khan as the leading vocalist alongside guitarists Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan and Muhammad Sultana Raja while Farhan Ali, Bilawal Lahooti and Haroon Leo facilitated the bass guitar, drums and rabab.
Muneeb Nawaz and Amna Niazi provided aesthetic visuals and took charge of wardrobe and styling. The official ‘Hum Zalmi’ music video was released nationwide last week and featured actors Mahira Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi who also serve as the brand ambassadors for team Zalmi this year.
I got in touch with the lead vocalist of Call, Junaid Khan who shared his insights about the song. He said, “It is an interesting and unique infusion of Pashto and rock. It is the first time we have done something like this. Zalmi’s official chant in this power packed song is Hum Zalmi. The team sends a uniting message to its viewers through this track. It tends to motivate and fire up the team players when they are ready to play on field.”
I watched the music video in anticipation and it was directed brilliantly. Call gave its best performance after years and were all fired up in the video. Khan stated that ‘Hum Zalmi’ is a warrior’s chant and that the anthem is a reflection of the song’s title itself. “The kind of Pashtun music we used in the song was played in war battles. If you observe our steps in the video, they are stomps of our cultural attan dance and it signifies the quest to win prior to the battle.”
The sound track and video combined amplify the spirit of Pakistan Super League and boost confidence. Perhaps this was the surprise venture Junaid Khan had been raving about. It is about time that Call released an impactful song that will keep us busy this month amid PSL. But we want more from the band; maybe a third studio album that confirms an epic comeback? It is something to think about! Let’s hope that it translates into reality.
Published in Daily Times, March 4th 2018.