Atif Aslam is a Pakistani singer, former lead singer of Jal, who quit following a nasty falling out with lead instrumentalist Gohar, resulting in court cases and what not, and finally leading to his foray as a solo artist. His debut album was a hit in Pakistan, but I find hardly anything worth mentioning in that album. the curse that follows him, in my eyes, is his tendency for repetition. Several of his songs sound almost identical, with relentless alaaps serving no purpose.
Though he has yet to do his talent justice in my eyes, he's produced a few rare gems that keep you hooked. "Aadat","Woh Lamhe","Tere Bin" and "Pehli Nazar Mein" are memorable, but are swamped by the ever-growing list of mediocre songs he's doled out! But there is one which caught my eye(or rather, my ears) . The song is titled "Mai Nee", and I came to know of it only after reading a review of Aatif's last album, "Meri Kahani". Besides the brilliant vocals, what endears me to the song are the lyrics. At first notice, this song failed to catch my attention, and it's no wonder that this song hasn't been played often on MTV or other channels. It's the sort of song which tends to grow on you every time you listen to it! The opening lyrics of the song go as :
"Mai nee main kinuu aakhaan?
Mai nee main kinuu aakhaan?
Dard wichhoray da haal neee
Mai nee main kinuu aakhaan?"
This piece of Sufiyana poetry roughly translates as : " O my mother, you've gone, now tell me to whom should i tell the tale of my sorrows, my troubles ! "
This song dominates my music playlists at home, and here's hoping that Aatif gives us more such delights in the future.
