Coke Studio Nu.WAV’s fifth release pairs two of Pakistan’s most distinctive new voices — and an instrument few would expect over an electronic beat. ‘Qasam’, featuring Shae Gill and Afusic, arrived on October 30, with Afusic writing the track and Abdullah Kasumbi producing and directing it.
The song folds contemporary electronic production around the distinctly South Asian sound of the sarangi, a combination that gives the track its character. Its music video was filmed inside Karachi’s century-old Bristol Hotel, a setting that matches the song’s mix of old and new. For Gill, whose breakout on ‘Pasoori’ made her one of the region’s most recognisable voices, it is another showcase of her range; for Afusic, it is a second appearance on the Nu.WAV platform after ‘Dil’, the series’ opening release.
‘Qasam’ is the fifth of six planned Nu.WAV releases, following ‘Dil’, ‘Rangeen’, ‘Maheya’ and ‘Shabnam’, with the final instalment still to come. Executive-produced by Kamal Khan and distributed by Warner Music MENA, the series has steadily built a case that Pakistan’s new wave can honour its classical textures while sounding entirely of the moment.
