Daily Times

KARACHI: Following the release of the first two of five episodes of ‘Coke Studio Explorer’, Pareek and Faqeera, the third episode named Naseebaya was finally released. Just like the previous releases, this too is expected to be highly praised and commended. Its individuality brought to life by the featuring of Nar Sur (throat Singers) Mangal, Darehan and Shayan from Balochistan.

The expansive landscapes, high mountains and raw beauty of Balochistan has been increasingly appealing when combined with the unique sounds of Nar Sur, low overtone vocals heavy in emotion, known to be projected through Mangal’s voice for over three decades. Naseebaya is a cultural ballad that has risen every time as the true sound of the outlying areas of the province of Balochistan.

This genre of folk storytelling, born in Dera Bugti was initially used by the nomads of Central Asia and Eastern Europe; now the reason behind Mangal’s fame and immense popularity as a never-before-seen vocalist.

As Naseebaya progresses, the subtle but bouncy beat of the dambora, played by Darehan and Shayan, perfectly compliments the soon to come vocals of Mangal. Later, Mangal’s invigorating voice takes the song, not by storm, but by harmony. The energy felt in his vocals is indescribable and simply mesmerizing. The Balochi riff harmonized with modern electronic sounds creates a path towards mutual understanding of both kinds of music.

The trio plays around with repeating melodies and subtle vocal changes, complimenting the bassline in an exceedingly pleasing way – causing Naseebaya to be an eye-opener towards the lesser known genre. This isn’t just plain music but a form of story telling – one with deeper meanings, indirect hints and subtle indications which require information of their birth place to be fully understood. This is what the main objective of Naseebaya is.