Habib Jalib’s most cited poem Mein Nahi Manta lends the song its title and lyrics It’s safe to say that the band has lived up to the stature of the lyrics that they have woven into the thumping rock anthem
‘The theme of the song, underscoring everything that’s wrong in the country, overlaps perfectly with the current political climate.’
The return of the Pepsi Battle of the Bands was to herald the rise of a new generation of rock stars over a decade since anything remotely noteworthy had been contributed to a once flourishing genre in our neck of the woods.
While that particular uprising is absolutely on the cards, and eagerly awaited, the first offshoot of the Battle of the Bands is its inaugural winners coming back with their heaviest track till date, nine years after the band had decided to split.
They’re aided in this comeback punch by Habib Jalib’s most cited poem Mein Nahi Manta, giving the song its title and lyrics.
The video released in collaboration with Patari, targets issues that the band deems to be eroding the country. These are depicted in texts that run throughout the video, like:
“Pakistan ranks 116 on Global Corruption Index out of 175 countries”
“Over 12.5 million children in Pakistan are involved in child labour”
“Sexual violence: (2004-2017) 6553 honor killing, 2004-2017: 16991 (sic)”
“Kashmir violence: Separatist violence has killed more than 50,000 in 27 years”
“Suicide attacks (2002-2017) 462, bomb blasts (2013-2017) 644, killed: 7000+, injured 15000+ (sic)”
After the demise of Haider Hashmi, Asad ul Hafeez has taken over the lead guitar – and makes instant impact in Mein Nahi Mata. Khalid Khan returns on bass and Jason Anthony on drums, with Farooq Ahmed’s vocals, arguably the forte of the band a decade ago, in full groove for a track that doesn’t demand his trademark classical notes.
‘There’s even a room with newspapers as the wallpapers where the band members are individually performing the revolutionary slogans of the track, incorporating the media into the overall message of the track.’
The theme of the song, underscoring everything that’s wrong in the country, overlaps perfectly with the current political climate. The video itself with the band members jamming in a safe space surrounded by containers also fits in with the revolutionary message that has been epitomized by Jalib’s words for decades.
There’s even a room with newspapers as the wallpapers where the band members are individually performing the revolutionary slogans of the track, incorporating the media into the overall message of the track.
But of course the message itself is not Aaroh’s but Jalib’s – and has been appropriated by anyone and everyone claiming to be a revolutionary in the country.
Even so, taking up such a well-known poem and transforming it into a song isn’t without its risks. For, absolute justice needs to be done, or else the forks and knives would be deservingly out.
It’s safe to say that Aaroh have lived up to the stature of the lyrics that they have woven into the thumping rock anthem.
Mein Nahi Manta, is no Na Kaho or Jalan. It is several notches heavier than Raag Neela, and any Aaroh performance that resembles its intensity was the band’s cover of Abida Parveen’s classic Gharoli.
There is no question that Mein Nahi Manta is emphatic and would whet the appetite of both the band’s fans and the rock aficionados in the country. But what everyone would be looking at in the follow-up track would be the band’s own words, especially if they want to continue to don the revolutionary garb in their upcoming ventures.
There was clear disparity in the first two Aaroh albums Sawaal (2003) and Raag Neela (2006) in terms of the overall thrust of the production and the collaboration of classical and rock elements that became the band’s signature.
With Mein Nahi Manta there is progression in the same direction, despite the decade-long gap.
With Farooq Ahmed judging the same show that his band had won 15 years ago, and then Aaroh coming up with a hard-hitting track of their own, it’s evident that one of the pioneers of post-2000 rock surge in Pakistan are planning on being the trail-blazers for the second wave.
Let’s see if they can live with their own blaze in the next offering.
