Pakistan has an incredibly diverse musical tradition, which includes classical music, folk, pop and even rock. It also has a unique fusion of musical influences from other parts of South Asia and Central Asia as well as modern American music.
Pop music has always been a popular form of entertainment in the country. Several bands have emerged in the genre and some of these groups have achieved worldwide exposure through satellite television.
Classical
Music in Pakistan combines a wide range of styles, from classical and folk to rock and pop. It has a variety of forms including qawwali, khayal, and ghazal.
The most important concepts in Pakistani classical music are’sur’ (musical note) and ‘lai’ (rhythm). A raag is an organization of notes and a taal is a rhythmic arrangement.
Classical music is popular in Pakistan and is frequently played at religious and social events. Its melodic lines are often played concurrently and in different keys, resulting in a rich and diverse sound.
After the partition of India, Hindustani classical music practitioners were forced to decide where they would live and practice. The result was disquiet and conflict for musicians of both countries.
In response, a new style of singing emerged in Pakistan called ghazal. Artists like Mehdi Hassan, Amanat Ali Khan, Farida Khanum and Iqbal Bano incorporated many features of the classical repertoire into their ghazal renditions, establishing a unique style in Pakistan.
Folk
In Pakistan, there is a large amount of local folk music. It includes hamd and naat singers, as well as qawwalis.
Throughout the country, there are numerous musicians and bands that perform these types of songs, often at weddings. These groups are usually made up of flutes, drums and strings.
There are also a number of professional wandering musicians that travel from village to village performing at different events. Some of these musicians are extremely talented and have even made it to the international stage!
The music in the provinces of Baluchistan and Sindh is especially rich. It features mystical songs, wedding laments and joyful instrumental renditions.
There is also a lot of music that deals with the everyday life of the people. These songs and dances are a representation of the real culture of the people.
Pop
Pop music in Pakistan has a distinctive sound and feel. It is an amalgam of Western and South Asian influences, ranging from Bollywood-influenced Indian playback counterparts to the country’s own plethora of musical styles and genres.
The country’s musical scene is largely rooted in the film industry. The peak of the industry was in the 1970s, before its decline began and the country’s pop culture petered out.
During the Zia era of military rule, young musicians started breaking away from the film industry and pursuing their own careers. Men like Mohammed Ali Sheikhi and Hassan Alamgir made it big in these years.
The music of the period was also heavily influenced by basic Western pop music genres. Junoon, for example, drew much of its melodic inspiration from this genre, as did a new wave of Pakistani film songs which started to develop in the mid-1970s.
Instruments
Pakistan is home to more than 600 unique instruments that are part of its musical tradition. Many of these instruments sound very different than those of the West, but they all have a few things in common: humans have tapped into a few ways to produce sound by striking objects together, using air pressure to create vibrations, and vibrating stretched strings or chords.
The music in Pakistan is diverse and includes songs for births, marriages, funerals, festivals, and death. It also has a range of styles, from traditional to modern.
There are various types of musical instruments in Pakistan, including percussion, stringed, wind, and vocal instruments. The most common instruments in Pakistan are tabla, dhol, and dholak.
There are several types of stringed instruments, including the sarod (a plucked lute with gut strings) and rabaab. The sarod is often played in traditional and religious music of Pakistan, while the rabaab is the most distinctive instrument of northern Pakistan and Kashmir.