First things first:
My band Alif released debut album titled "Sufayed"
~~~~~ iTunes | OKListen | Saavn | Musicoin ~~~~~
Sufayed is an Urdu word for the colour 'White'. The album art and concept is based on the Newton's Colour Wheel Experiment we used to do in school. When the wheel coloured with rainbow colours is spun really fast, it appears white.
Similarly, all the songs in the album 'Sufayed' have a different colour, a different mood. And together, they are 'Sufayed'.
The story below is how I relate Sufayed to my journey from 2003 to 2017. How every song in the album is related to a part of my life.
A work of art is good if it has arisen out of necessity. That is the only way one can judge it. - Rainer Maria Rilke (Letters to a Young Poet)
So here it goes:
------------------- Har Rang Sufayed --------------------
The magic lamp
Back in 2003 I have to agree, I was free and did what I loved
Formed a band while I did my BE & music became beloved
I got a job in 2007 and believe me it was heaven
For I was playing music there as well, wrote songs and got fans even
Harmonic Recession and H61 (the bands I played in) and those basement jam sessions
The genie granted three wishes - music, freedom and expression
“alladin ka chiraag tha jo mere paas tha woh mere khaas tha” - alladin
The Dream
In those damp basement jams a dream was brewing fresh
Running through my arteries and pumping in my flesh
Though I got paid well in a suit and tie
To myself I said, “beta, job tumse na ho pai”
Time to go out of the comfort zone
Make this dream real and call it my own
“kasie toudoun apne khwaboun ko, kaise chodoun apne khwaboun ko” - chal chala main aur tu
Being Broke
But it is not easy chasing a dream
It will frustrate you, make you cry and scream
I had to learn how live minimally
Have you had bananas for lunch daily?
Between part time jobs, business course, muziclub and the band
It wasn’t as grand as I had planned
“sasta-vasta kuch nahi milta, har khwaab ka har wafa ka rupiya” - rupiya
Crazy Chaotic Passion
It took everything I had, and then some and more
The work timings were bad, seemed like I got sleep nomore
But the core of my passion was still burning strong
It felt like this is where I belong
Two years on, muziclub had grown and the band was recording songs
Opening for Bryan Adams and offers from record labels, nothing can go wrong
“hunarmand ye fitna, baazi hai bahana, main tamashai mujhmein bhi hai fitoor” - fitna fitoor
Dependencies
Yeah right!
You forgot to factor in other people you idiot
Not everyone’s priorities are the same, and all sentences don’t rhyme always. While you are trying to write poetry, others are busy writing their own stories and you wonder, when did this poem turn into a paragraph full of “Sorry I am late” and “I can’t right now” and attitudes subtly hinting at “I take you for granted”.
“har koi hai shartiya tum ho bhi, har koi hai shartiya kyun na main bhi” - shartiya
Jo dikhta hai vo bikta hai
And to add to this, when selling yourself is not your strong point, people will use you as a doormat. And you can’t really fight or stand up for yourself, coz you are not that guy (or maybe you were never placed in such a situation and you remained a sissy). You’ve never learnt to smooth talk, to deal with emotions like a mature person, and you have a big f*cking ego. No-one ever showed you the mirror. So everything starts going downhill. And you don’t realise you have clinical depression until its too late.
“kahmoshi bechuon, chillayega kaun, gar bakse mein rakh chodoun, khareedega kaun” - shoshe ka chasma
Depression
There are somethings which you think can never happen to you.
But they do, and then you don’t really want to accept it. You don’t know you are sinking, and drowning everyone who loves you. You do things, and say things which never should have been done or said. And you can’t take them back. You are trying too hard, and it is taking all your effort but you can’t stand up, can’t open your eyes to the truth, and while you want to do everything, nothing is getting done. It is a dark place to be in. And just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. It is as real as that bloody wound, that running nose, that fractured hand.
I lost 3 years to this sickness.
“malaal sa zindagi ko hogaya, jahaan pe baitha tha main, wahin pe din raat se mila” - malaal kya hua
River of emotions
A lot was going on at this time and I was oscillating between trying to remain present and at the same time drowning in my own river of emotions.
“Khotsan chas be yer ma gas Jhelumas” - Jhelumas
Eternal hope
Somewhere deep down in my heart
I knew I could make a new start
The light at the end of the tunnel is faint, but its there
Call it god, belief or faith - it answered my prayer
“subah ki shake jo khilti, hai noor-o-noor ki kirnay,
sabhi ko paak tu karde, khudaya noor se bhar de” - Mazhab
Acceptance
It took a really bad day and a hard look in the mirror
But accepting the sickness first, made things clearer
It was a sickness which was a part of me
And when I could see, I knew what I had to do to be free
“doude walum lol jigar chaine, roumut daiwanaei, boz boz fasanaei” - roumut daiwanaei
Brotherhood & Family
There are very few people in this world who care about you
They know you, and love the side of you that is true
They will tell you the harsh truth
Not to hurt, but make you stronger
If you want to go fast, walk alone
But if you want to go far, walk together
“hott hai zarre mein bhi quwat badi, saath bas kuch hi haath ho, jo ho sahi” - ali
Never let go
A wise woman once told me - Practice, Patience, and Persistence
These are the things that will take you to brilliance
The journey is long, keep an eye on the dream
Experience the beauty, drift in the stream
Stay on the road no matter what people say
The time will come, when it will be your day
“but do you realise with time, it’s time to let go - NO NEVER” - like a sufi
Life threw all the colours at us. And to paint them was the only way to make meaning of it. Out of this necessity, a work of art called Sufayed was born. And we realised that even though all the colours were different, together they were strong as Sufayed. Together they were one as Sufayed. Together they were alif.
Sufayed is alif, and alif is everything.
"kal wahan pe duniya boli ye sab hai fizool,
Aaj main bhi hoon woh bhi hai, jeet hai junoon" - chouraha
Few points to note here:
- I know many of you might not understand the language, but do try to listen to the feeling of the songs. To my fellow Indians I say: Hear the poetry in the music! We have something to say, are you listening?
- Please show your love and support by buying the music, playing it and tipping on musicion and Upvoting and Resteeming this post.
- The album has been mixed and mastered at Westlake Recording Studios, LA. People from LA do say hi in the comments 🙃
- The album has been produced by Ashish Manchanda - a Full Sail Hall of Fame inductee. I know there are a few people on Steemit from Full Sail, I tried saying hello on discord, but I know how busy producers can be, so I let them be. 👽
- All the lyric videos you see above have been made by me. 😇