Strings, along with Junoon, Ali Haider and Entity Paradigm(EP), were the poster boys of the Pakistani pop music invasion that happened in the late 90s and early 2000s. Their music inspired envy and admiration in equal doses in India, while their good looks led to a lot of secret fangirling. In a very short span of time, these bands had managed what governments were then trying hard to bring about — a people-to-people connection between two perpetually-at-loggerheads nations.
Last week, in an emotional social media post, Strings announced that after 33 years, they are calling it quits. Thanking fans for all the support, they said they will continue to share an ‘inseparable bond’, but will no longer make music together. It was heartbreaking.
I went on a Strings diet (as you would expect) and listened to all my favourites — from the melancholic yet upbeat ‘Duur’ to the delicious ‘Dhaani’ and the beautifully produced ‘Anjane’. However, ‘Titliyaan’, especially the Coke Studio Season 2 version, remains my all-time favourite performance of theirs. It is a song that drains you of all rancour; it is words that remind you of twilight, and now, of the band itself. “Titliyaan Yaadon Ki Udti Jaaye, Rangon Mein Mujhse Kuchh Kehati Jaaye...”
Thanks for the music, Strings.
Play By Ear showcases a potential earworm for you, the discerning listener, who is on the hunt for some musical serendipity.