Tracklist
1 Ranjha
'Ranjha'is a ‘kafi’ written around the folk legends Heer and Ranjha, the doomed lovers who are betrayed and perish. Bulleh Shah uses the story of Heer and Ranjha as a means to allude to the devotee’s longing for God’s love and charity. Bulleh Shah is believed to have been born in 1680, in the small village of Uch, Bahawalpur, Punjab, now in Pakistan. A large amount of what is known about Bulleh Shah comes through legends, and is subjective; to the point that there isn’t even agreement among historians concerning his precise date and place of birth. Some “facts” about his life have been pieced together from his own writings. Other “facts” seem to have been passed down through oral traditions. Bulleh Shah practiced the Sufi tradition of Punjabi poetry established by poets like Shah Hussain (1538 – 1599), Sultan Bahu (1629 – 1691), and Shah Sharaf (1640 – 1724). Bulleh Shah lived in the same period as the famous Sindhi Sufi poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhatai (1689 – 1752). His lifespan also overlapped with the legendary Punjabi poet Waris Shah (1722 – 1798), of Heer Ranjha fame, and the famous Sindhi Sufi poet Abdul Wahad (1739 – 1829), better known by his pen-name, Sachal Sarmast (“truth seeking leader of the intoxicated ones”). Amongst Urdu poets, Bulleh Shah lived 400 miles away from Mir Taqi Mir (1723 – 1810) of Agra. He died in 1758, and his tomb is located in Kasur, Pakistan2 Bandeya
Bandeya is a jazz funk inflected tune set to a ‘kafi’ written by MHB with Pakistani poet Ahmed Anis. This track features a more funk-jazz groove based approach to the style of material the band is associated with. The song also features some departures in terms of sounds, with Papu's distortion laced flute solos creating a voice which is part sarangi and part human. The monster rhythm section of Gino Banks on drums and Sheldon D'Silva on bass take this tune and make it groove with an intensity and rhythmic dexterity that pushes the music further and further.4 Sanwal
'Sanwal' was our first 'hit' song which became a crowd favourite ever since we released it way back in 2004 on Mekaal Hasan Band's debut record,'Sampooran'. It is performed live here with Gino Banks on drums, Sheldon D'Silva on bass, Sharmistha Chatterjee on vocals, Muhammad Ahsan Papu on flute and Mekaal Hasan on guitar.5 Jhok Ranjhan
Jhok Ranjhan' was our first hit in the late 90's and is from our second record 'Saptak'. This song was the first time that we started doing guitar and flute unison solos together, something that would evolve into a sonic signature for the band in the years to come.6 Albaela
'Albela Sajan Aayo Re' is a classical Hindi song popularized by Ustad Sultan Khan of Indore gharana in the early 1970s. Ustad Sultan Khan sang it in the Bollywood movie, 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' along with Shankar Mahadevan and Kavitha Krishnamurthy. It was also sung by the Mekaal Hasan Band and featured in their 2009 Album, Saptak. It was again recreated for the Sanjay Leela Bhansali film Bajirao Mastani and was sung by various singers.7 Huns Dhun
'Huns Dhun is a tarana composed by Ustad Amir Ali Khan Sb Indore Waley and this version sees the taran put to a haunting musical interpretation by the Mekaal Hasan Band. Ustad Amir Khan (Hindi:अमीर ख़ान, Urdu: امیر اقبال خان; August 15, 1912 - February 13, 1974) was a well-known Indian classical vocalist. He is considered one of the most influential figures in Hindustani classical music, and was the founder of the Indore Gharana. Amir Khan was born in a family of musicians in Indore.8 Bhageshwaari
Bhageshwaari (Hindi: बागेश्री) is a Hindustani classical raga. It is a popular raga of the late night, which is meant to depict the emotion of a woman waiting for reunion with her lover. It is said to have been first sung by Mian Tansen, the celebrated court singer of the Emperor Akbar in the sixteenth century and consists of an asymmetric scale that does not contain the 5th or panchamam in the ascent. It is called a shadava-sampurna rāgam in Carnatic music classification (as it has 6 notes in ascending and 7 notes in descending scale). In the twentieth century, Bageshri raga found widespread popularity in Carnatic Music9 Andholan
One of the band’s most popular songs, Andholan is a largely instrumental song with a central vocal section. The song features solos from all members and has become a favourite with music fans over the years. Andholan is an Eastern Classical Term for a style of singing which involves expressive use of 'Meend' or slides from one note to the next in a raag or melody. The word Andholan also means revolution or mass movement in HindiSaptak
Eastern melody and mysticism seamlessly melds with the sophisticated textures of jazz, the grandeur of rock and and the rhythms of funk and r’n’b in ‘Saptak’, Mekaal Hasan Band’s second studio album, released originally in January 2010 and reissued in 2020 with cutting edge HD mastering.
credits
released June 27, 2020
Personnel
Mekaal Hasan- Guitars
Javed Bashir- Vocals
Mohammad Ahsan Papu- Flutes
Amir Azhar- Bass
John Louis Pinto- Drums
Pete Lockett-Drums and Multi-Percussion on Track 11
Mike Mondesir- Bass on Track 11
Javed Akhtar- Co-Composer Track 8, Hand Percussion & Keyboards on Tracks 7 & 9 ,
All songs written and arranged by Mekaal Hasan Band
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered ar Digital Fidelity Studios, Lahore, Pakistan
Album Mixed, Mastered & Produced by Mekaal Hasan
license
All rights reserved
Label
SaptakArtists
Amir Azhar Javed Akhtar Javed Bashir Louis Pinto Mekaal Hasan Mike Mondesir Mohammad Ahsan Pete LockettRelease Date
August 27, 2020Available Lyrics
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Ranjha
Day & night pining for Ranjha (my beloved)
I myself have become Ranjha
You should call me Dhido* Ranjha
No more should I be called Heer.
I am Ranjha and Ranjha's me
No difference remains
I have ceased to exist
He lives in me. He believes in me
O maiden, throw away the white apparel
And put on the Sufi garb
A blemish is so evident on white but
Never on black
O Bulleh! Take me to Takht Hazara**
For me here there is neither hope, comfort
Or support.
*Dhido was Ranja's real name. Ranjha was the caste, but that's the name that endured
** Takht Hazara was Ranjha's home
Bandeya
The world and all it contains is mortal
There is no salvation without compliance
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
Status and wealth will not help
Only good deeds will prevail here and
In the hereafter
Your sins will wear you down
And haunt you till the end
The worldly pleasures they are but temporary.
Sanwal
O my beloved!
Please come to me
Listen! Can’t you hear the wailing of my soul?
I am forlorn, I am torn
My beloved is nowhere to be found
I have no way of going to him
O my beloved,
Please come to me
Can’t you hear me wailing?
Desolate am I
Hanging aimlessly. Neither here nor there
I have lost everything. I have lost it all
O my beloved!
Please come to me
Jhok Ranjhan
I want to travel to my beloved's abode
Can someone please accompany me?
Am I to travel all alone
My beloved (Ranjha) is my only healer
Only he is aware of my pain
Yet it seems he doesn't think it necessary
To answer my prayers
Alas, no remedy is at hand.
I want to travel to my beloved's abode
Can someone please accompany me?
But I must travel all alone.