Hadiqa Kiani's new album 'Aasmaan' released

“This is a magical moment,” said Hadiqa Kiani at the press launch of her latest record, Aasmaan. It’s been six years since Hadiqa released her last record, Rung. She was not AWOL completely. There have been collaborations, a slew of them in fact in the last few years. Whether it is a full-fledged English language album like Rough Cut (with Aamir Zaki) or anti-terrorism tune like ‘Yeh Hum Nahin’ or the groovy ‘Mehr Ma’ with Khiza, Hadiqa has been around. But six years is a big break for fans, especially in an industry where female musicians are rare. And even as the numbers are slowly rising, it is still a predominantly male dominated environment.

“I know six years is a big break. But I never walked away from music. I never released an album because I wanted to do a different album, something I have never done before,” said Hadiqa. This maybe Hadiqa’s first album in six years but she has been busy doing other things including singing in languages as varied as Chinese, Turkish, Persian and Pushto. The reflections can be heard on the new album where Hadiqa sings not just in Urdu but also Pushto and Persian. It’s too soon to give a verdict to the album. But if the first single, ‘Sohnya’ is anything to go by, fans and music critics are in for a surprise.

The video, screened at the press conference, is directed by Sohail Javed. And it is a simple video which serves as a platform for Hadiqa. Seeing Hadiqa move with the beats is a sight to see. Even though ‘Sohnye’ is a groovy number, there is something inherently local about it. Hadiqa’s vocals soar very high and the usage of dhols has given the song a slight edge. It doesn’t sound like a Western imitation even though it remains true to the ethos of dance music. It hasn’t been ripped off Western beats like songs by bands such as Circle of Trust.

To view pictures of the album launch, click Here .