A young visionary, from the city of Rawalpindi, Pakistan was exposed to as well as influenced by the art of music. Since then, his life was changed forever, and he proceeded to change the lives of many others as well. Rohail Hyatt, a famous Pakistani record producer, keyboarder, and composer was extremely influential to the Pakistani music industry, and would play a vital role in reintroducing Pakistani folk music in a unique and commercially successful way. He grew up listening to artists and influential musicians that revitalized the music industry within the 80's including the popular band, Pink Floyd. Through these influences, he went on to bring together the first major pop band to achieve commercial success in Pakistan, The Vital Signs. Their main creative process was to incorporate folk and classical aspects of Pakistani music while simultaneously fusing new elements of rock and guitar into their compositions. It was through this thought process that Rohail Hyatt went on to create one of the most influential live music shows in Pakistan, Coke Studio. The main premise of this show was to bring together some of the most influential and emerging artists in Pakistan and give them a platform to perform folk, classical, and Pakistani songs with a modern twist.
Mixing the musical instruments of tabla, sitar, harmonium, as well as the electric bass guitar and keyboards Hyatt's vision was to create a sound that no one had ever heard before. This sound would be seen as modern, yet also uniquely Pakistani. As Csikszentmihalyi stated, "To be creative, a person has to internalize the entire system that makes creativity possible". This quote is Hyatt's creative process encapsulated. He took some of the most important musical influences of 80's rock music as well as classic Pakistani musical tones and music and made the fusion of East and West in his various compositions come to life. With the various languages of Punjabi, Pashto, Urdu, and English, Hyatt wished to incorporate all elements of language and culture of Pakistan while also intertwining Western influences. Another major aspect that contributes to creativity cited in the Csikszentmihalyi article is complexity. This essentially shows the tendency of thought and action that separate one from everyone else in regards to their creative process, motivation, as well as success. Hyatt did what no other Pakistani musician had done by pushing the bar and revitalizing the musical industry and further creating a new sound that had never been created before. Although Hyatt may not be at the level of recognition or stature of Gardner's creatives, he has paved the way for many Pakistani musicians in terms of their own contributions to the Pakistani music industry which essentially gathers ample recognition for his creativity and his success.
The most striking aspect of Hyatt's creative process is the innovation that he incorporated in his musical process as well as composition. An example of a song in which one can see this is through the song of, "Aik Alif" sung by Saieen Zahoor and Noori. This song is the perfect example of East intertwining with West. Saieen Zahoor is a very famous folk singer from a rural province in Pakistan that was never given the platform to exhibit his talent in singing. It was when Rohail Hyatt discovered him, that he called him to sing this famous folk song with the band Noori, a modern group that wished to harness the same influence that Hyatt began which was taking classical tones and mixing them with modern twist. All of them came together and sang a beautiful classic that all the people of today came to love again. I still remember when I heard it for the first time, the main thing I was so stunned by was how beautifully Hyatt and the artists were able to preserve the classical folk sound to it while simultaneously integrating the electrical bass and drums that were not included in it before. It truly took the nation by storm and created such a wave of appreciation for the songs that many of the young generation had not liked before, yet were now blasting on replay on the radio of their cars. This transformation and revolution is one that is completely attributed to the creative mind and motivation of Rohail Hyatt who sparked a musical evolution that many other aspiring musicians want and further dream to be a part of.
Through all of this, one can see how the music scene within Pakistan will never be the same and has been transformed for the many generations to come. Thanks to Rohail Hyatt, aspiring Pakistani musicians can now revitalize their musical approach in different angles that they never thought they could ever do. With Coke Studio celebrating their 10th Season this year, this in itself is a true testament to its success as well as its thriving potential for future success in the coming years.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohail_Hyatt
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coke_Studio_(Pakistan)
This is pretty awesome because not only did Hyatt have the creative capacity to produce his own music, he also created a platform on which others can do the same. It's trailblazers like him that set the stage (literally) for other artists to be confident and bravely pursue their passions. Inspiring!
ReplyDeleteIt's true that he produced his own music and created a new platform for Pakistani musicians, but I think it's most remarkable how he was able to match singers like Saieen Zahoor to bands like Noori to created an original sound. Not only has he made the Coke Studio, but he has the ear to create the melodies other artists have yet to imagine for themselves.
ReplyDeleteLoved this post! I love music that fuses two genres together, especially those from different parts of the world. This fusion between Pakistani traditional music & Western music reminds me of the syncretism of music in Latin America. Latin American music is a mixture of indigenous, spanish and African sounds, as these people mixed their sounds and traditions after colonization.
ReplyDeleteA lot of the best creativity is syncretism - combining old ideas or traditions to create new ones.