Echoes from the North: Sawain e Haineen Season II and the Poetic Renaissance of Gilgit-Baltistan
By Amir Hussain
In a time when cultural identities are often blurred by the rush of modernity and mass media, the launch of Sawain e Haineen – Season II, or Tunes of Wisdom and Prescience, marks a significant moment of artistic revival. Curated and presented by Azeem Hunzai, this album is not just a musical endeavor—it is a cultural milestone that brings together the soulful voices of Gilgit-Baltistan’s past and present in a rare and powerful fusion of poetry, music, and mysticism.
Launched recently at The Blackhole—a venue known for its artistic ambiance—the event drew poets, musicians, cultural thinkers, and admirers of regional literature. The album is a carefully woven tapestry of classical folk expressions, ghazals, and contemporary poetic voices that collectively reflect the region’s timeless heritage and evolving socio-cultural consciousness.
At its core lies the legendary folk song Charai Malung, attributed to the mystic bard Rehmat Malung Jan, whose life and poetry are deeply rooted in the valley of Puniyal in Ghizer. The song recounts the epic tale of Malung Jan’s love and separation from Urmus—a woman of unmatched beauty, intellect, and grace. This is no ordinary tale of romance; it is steeped in mysticism, spiritual longing, and divine symbolism. Malung Jan, with his mastery over Persian and Shina, constructs a poetic universe where Urmus becomes a metaphor for the eternal beloved—embodying attributes drawn from diverse lands: the sensuous delicacy of Badakhshan, the philosophical depth of Germany, the sweetness of Hunza, the frugality of Kashmir, and the boldness of Afghanistan.
Through this composition, Malung Jan explores the agony of separation, the ecstasy of love, and the yearning for divine union. His verses transcend the limitations of time, space, and subjectivity. The story of Urmus, thus, becomes a spiritual symphony, resonating with the metaphysical themes of Sufi poetry and the romantic melancholy of folk tradition.
Equally profound is the contribution of Ustaad Ghulam Abbas Hassanabadi, who is credited as the first and finest exponent of ghazal in the Burushaski language. His poetry, deeply rooted in local imagery and symbolism, carries an extraordinary emotional depth. His ghazals, included in this album, recall the lyrical pain of Mir Taqi Mir, the introspective satire of Ghalib, and the revolutionary conviction of Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Writing in a language with no script of its own and confined largely to oral traditions, Ghulam Abbas has elevated Burushaski to a poetic form capable of expressing the universal themes of love, loss, and spiritual struggle.
Adding to the richness of the album are the voices of contemporary poets. Imran Hunzai, a young artist and writer, presents poetry that grapples with cultural disruption, social contradictions, and the subtle imposition of exogenous values. His verses are marked by a growing maturity and a strong commitment to exploring identity, language, and belonging in an era of global transformation.
Sherbaz Khan, another contributor, brings a deeply nostalgic yet critical voice. His poetry reflects the disillusionment of a generation witnessing the decay of traditional values under the weight of rapid, unreflective modernization. His beloved is not just a romantic figure, but also a symbolic representation of a lost cultural ethos. His verses strike a chord with anyone who has observed the slow erosion of collective memory and emotional depth in contemporary society.
Aftab Ilmi, the youngest among the featured poets, injects the album with revolutionary zeal. His poetry challenges entrenched norms, articulates the aspirations of the youth, and calls for a more equitable and compassionate society. While still evolving, his voice is raw, energetic, and unafraid to confront power with poetry—a trait reminiscent of all great revolutionary writers.
What makes Sawain e Haineen – Season II particularly significant is its careful curation. It is not a random collection of regional songs or nostalgic rhymes. Instead, it is a conscious act of cultural preservation and literary expression, where every piece has been selected for its thematic, linguistic, and aesthetic value. In this sense, Azeem Hunzai’s work serves both as an archivist and a visionary, who recognizes the need to preserve indigenous wisdom while presenting it in a format that speaks to today’s listeners.
This album also brings to light the power of multilingual expression. From Shina to Persian, from Burushaski to poetic idioms inspired by Sufi metaphysics, the album reflects a linguistic richness rarely found in contemporary music. It reminds us that language is not merely a tool of communication but a vessel of memory, beauty, and imagination.
Beyond its musical and poetic value, the album is a subtle but powerful response to the erasure of indigenous voices. In an era where global cultural production often sidelines local traditions, Sawain e Haineen serves as a reclaiming of space—a declaration that the voices from the mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan are not only relevant but essential to understanding the deeper currents of human emotion and spiritual inquiry.
In a nutshell, Sawain e Haineen – Season II is a brilliant and timely offering. It brings together the mystical wisdom of the past, the lyrical brilliance of the present, and the revolutionary hope of the future. It is not just an album—it is a mirror held up to our collective soul, reflecting who we are, what we have lost, and what we still have the power to reclaim.
