“This is simply the beginning of a whole new journey,” says Haniya Aslam about her comeback video.
For anyone who has been following the Pakistani music scene since the mid-2000s, this new song by Haniya Aslam is a treat. Back in 2008, the band Zeb and Haniya released a pop-rock album with jazzy influences called “Chup” (Quiet). During those times, this album was the first to be released by a female band in a very long time. It was an iconic album for many music lovers and young girls who wanted to pursue music as a career in male-dominated society like Pakistan.
So, recently, when Haniya Aslam released her solo song and music video “Ayi Re”, one couldn’t help but be engulfed by nostalgia. Not only because of being reminded of the Zeb and Haniya days but because the song talks about places and experiences of the past. In the song the protagonist is leaving a place to be somewhere else, bringing stories, but also not having a clue where life will take her. Just taking everything in her stride as it comes.
But you don’t need to understand the language in the lyrics to have this song put you in an uplifting trance. The groovy bass, guitar melody and vocals all come together to bring you out of the Covid19-induced bummer and take you somewhere else.
On the day of the release, Haniya took to Instagram and shared: “This is my minstrel song. Its a result of two decades of following the call of music and letting it take me wherever. Countless journeys, drives, flights, friendships later I’ve returned home, but the adventure is far from over. This is simply the beginning of a whole new journey. And I can’t wait to see where we go from here.”
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