Asif Zaman Band – Chatorkhand Party

Asif Zaman Band – Chatorkhand Party

The Kho are numbered about 200.000 in Pakistan and 20.000 in neighbouring India. Khowar, their language (“war” means “language”), is an Indo-Aryan tongue belonging to the same sub-group as Kashmiri.

The party took place in Chatorkhand village, mountainous Ishkoman valley, Ghizer district, Gilgit-Baltistan territory, Northern Pakistan. It was at Asif Zaman’s house where his family was welcoming friends from Hunza valley together with Antonovka Records team. Those can occasionally be heard in the background.

The songs are in Khowar except track 3 (in both Urdu and Khowar) and track 5 (in Urdu). Main topic is love. Track 5 is about ups and downs of life and originates from 1948 movie “Mela” (“The Fair”).

Main musical instrument is a local sitar (a long necked lute related to Pamir setor and not to be confused with Indian sitar). Asif makes sitars himself. Drumming is performed on an empty gas canister (usual practice in the area) by his brother Shah Zaman. The brothers are joined by their friend Mehboob Alam on vocals.

  1. To Ma Nasha | Your company is enchanting. in Khowar. lyrics by Afzal Ullah Afzal
  2. Xano dushman ta ghech hardio eshtogh | Your eyes are piercing into my heart. in Khowar. lyrics by Saif Ullah Hamraz
  3. Ajab e queesa ma zindagio | I cannot describe how I live. in Urdu and Khowar
  4. Awo gaderi ta ghechan gaderi | Your eyes make me mad. in Khowar
  5. Ye zindagi ke malay (Ye zindagi ke mele) | Festivity of life. in Urdu. lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni, music by Naushad Ali. from movie “Mela” (1948)
  6. Haya dunya hamosar hoy ma sada xan kia habar | All in this world is for my beloved but I did not know. in Khowar. lyrics by Faizan Ali Faizan
  7. Kecha sheyli e waqar oshoy na | I spent very beautiful time with you. in Khowar

Recorded in Chatorkhand, 12 Dec 2018.

Performers:

Syed Asif Zaman – sitar(1-7), lead vocal (1,2,4,6,7)
Syed Shah Zaman – gas canister (2-7)
Mehboob Alam – lead vocal (3, 5)

Credits to: all performers, Asif’s family, Inna Mamchenko, Safdar Karim, Riazullah Baig.

NB: This album was recorded in the field as local traditional music, however some of the songs may have been subject to 3rd party copyright. If you are rightholder of those or have any other copyright related concerns,  please write to us at aa@antonovka.online and we will discuss.