Sketches – Raat (Song / Video Review)

September 26, 2010

By Hani Arif

The vast desert, nomads, acquaintances made that never go further because they vanish in the sands, the colorful souls, people whose physical features and inner selves are sculpted with the winds that blow and the air that is breathed by them. This is Sindh.

All of the above is showcased in Sketches latest video release Raat (Moomal/Rano). From the beginning chords of the guitar and the flute to the individual solos that end with similar notes being played on them simultaneously, the song quite simply talks about longing and the ever present waiting period. Almost all Pakistani music usually has a lot of emphasis given to the vocalist where the voice has very strong presence in a song. Saif’s vocals are a bit different, as in this track they are more ambient and at a pitch more reserved for backing vocalists.

This subdued vocal aspect also adds to the song as there lies longing which merely is something not up in front of you and rather that exists somewhere in the mind.

The video has some particular great shots. One is where the female sits under the shade of a tree in otherwise in an open ground, does take one back to where the essence and true life is which doesn’t at all get fulfilled by living in the concrete jungles.

The other shot is where the band have sun light on them passing in through stone work arches. The shade-light contrast makes good emphasis over how the sun affects the lives of people there. The video is super simple and goes well with the song.

Punjab’s size has facilitated in the cultural and the linguistic export through out Pakistan and around the globe, due to which the cultural, musical existence in other parts of Pakistan has never really come out. It’s nice to see Sindhi folk making its way into mainstream Pakistani music scene and further diversifying it.

Hani Arif writes full time on HaniArif.com