Published 05 Jul, 2018 03:09pm

Coke Studio Explorer's latest song Faqeera captures the true essence of Sindh

Wrapped in an ajrak, shooting excited children, livestock roaming free - Ali Hamza and Zohaib Kazi capture the essence of Sindh in the young and raw voices of Shamu Bai and Vishnu.

They've titled the latest episode in the Coke Studio Explorer's mini-series 'Faqeera.'

Shamu’s voice is paired with Vishnu’s warm and humid vocal tones as they drift into the soul-stirring chords of the Benjo, accompanied by a further layer of light electronic beats. The groove of the modern electronic beat follows the ethnic rhythm of the dholak – making ‘Faqeera’ a brand-new take on Sindhi folk.

'Faqeera' has been shot and sung in Dewaan Lal Chand, Sindh and pays homage to the province which imbibes the core musical soul of South Asia.

Growing up in Dewan Lal Chand in rural Sindh, Shamu Bai was classically trained from an early age and by the time she was barely seven, she started singing traditional devotional songs (called bhajans).

Despite growing up as one of the nine siblings, Shamu and her younger brother Vishnu were the only two who had incomparable vocal prowess as well as a passion to pursue it more seriously. Arjun, their father who dreamt of singing himself didn’t have the voice, and so he decided to pass on every ounce of knowledge that he had to his two children.

At 21, Shamu’s voice conveys an acute sense of intimacy which is forceful and emotive. Whereas Vishnu, 14, the youngest artist to make his Coke Studio debut this year, started training two years ago has a strong earthy tone of delivery, which is both raw and moving when heard by the listener.

The brother-sister duo often performs live sets at weddings and local festivals in featuring Vishnu on dholak and Shamu Bai taking center stage with vocals and harmonium.

Coke Studio Explorer is a spin-off segment by Hamza and Kazi for which they travelled all over Pakistan to find the country's many hidden singing talents.

We can't wait for what the duo has planned for listeners next!

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