After Coke Studio, Nescafe Basement, and Pepsi Battle of the bands, another corporate music platform by the name of Strepsils Stereo has entered the Pakistani music scene. Capitalizing on the national music narratives, these platforms have endorsed patriotism through music in the past.
A few days earlier, Coke Studio released its version of the National Anthem for Pakistan’s 70th Independence Day which failed to impress the public. Now, Strepsils Stereo has released a ‘different’ version of Alamgir’s hit song Khayal Rakhna.
The song features Ali Noor, lead vocalist of the band Noori, Ahsan Pervaiz, and Rachel Viccaji, sister of Zoe Viccaji, Sara Haider and Zoe Viccaji. The singers appear on screen donning bright, festive attire, keeping in line with the Independence Day celebrations.
This is surprisingly the first time that a cappella music has been formally introduced in Pakistan. Originally used in Church ceremonies, this form of music makes use of no musical instruments. In fact, all sounds are made using the vocal chords.
The singers appear on the screen, making awkward facial movements that are funny, if not unnatural. The backgrounds are a burst of colorful frames, as the singers sway unnaturally to the music as if in a retro themed movie.
Over all, the song is a letdown. The familiar lyrics do invoke a sense of belonging, but that is where the relatability ends. The whole performance seems artificial and appears to be a synthetic rendition of one of our favorite national songs.
The public reaction to the song has been mixed and people have made use of Twitter to make their opinions known.
Lol I thought "Strepsils Stereo" was a joke. Turns out it's a real thing.
— Talal Munzar (@tmunzar) August 10, 2017
man do i got a line for when strepsils stereo produces something really bad.
— Faizan. (@merabichrayaar) August 10, 2017
Not Bad Strepsils Stereo
— Opinionless Spirit ✡ (@OL_Spirit) August 11, 2017
Khayal Rakhna Tribute To National Anthem Of Pakistan Acapella Version https://t.co/HcbrYSCJSh via @YouTube
dear team #CokeStudio10, #StrepsilsStereo's "Khayal Rakhna" and #Khaadi's #MainBhiPakistanHoon are how it is done. #NationalAnthem insult.
— Unberryin Heather (@ambreenhaider01) August 11, 2017
