– An intimate music performance by Highway 61 – Alif
The unseasonal rains could have been a disaster but instead it created an intimate atmosphere for an evening of beautiful Sufi melodies. Highway 61 or Alif, as they will soon be known, set up the stage for a memorable acoustic performance with Mohammad Munim on vocals and guitar and Hardik Vaghela on the keyboard.
Highway 61 is a popular Sufi ethnic music group based in Pune. The band has been creating and performing music since 2008. Their music embodies ‘Music, Expression, Freedom’ – a fusion of classic rock with Urdu/Kashmiri lyrics.
Mohammad and Hardik spoke about their song writing process and shared stories that added new meaning to the songs. The interactive session saw the audience asking questions about the band’s layered lyrics to understand the meaning and context and relate it to the songs. They also had various song requests which the duo happily obliged. Mohammad and Hardik launched into renditions of their popular numbers which had many people singing along.
Highway 61 introduced a few songs from their new album, giving a glimpse into their transformation to ‘Alif’. The band recently finished recording an OST, Sahibo for a film titled ‘19th January’ based on Kashmir. Singer Shruti Jakati made a special appearance and lent her melodious voice to the song.
The acoustic interactive session was well appreciated for its emphasis on lyrics, poetry and stories of original songs.
