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| RESHMA Wild flower from the desert (The Magazine TV TIMES Pakistan)
I still recall how I came across her accidentally one day, when I went to the studios to record a short play. The two music studios are at the end of a long corridor, similar to that of a luxury liner. As you move forward you reach the spacious concert hall which is at right angles to this corridor. You turn left and there they are the twin music studios. It was near the door of the concert hall that a rather unusual spectacle greeted me. From a distance it looked as if some colorful gipsy had somehow gate-crushed into the studios of Radio Pakistan’s Broadcasting House. Dressed like a typical young Rajasthani woman, she looked lovely in her multi color ghagra, short tight-fitting blouse and a chunri resembling a large colorful scarf. What startled me most was the lavish use of bright colors in everything she wore. Added to it was a small, well polished brass pot which she held in one of her hands. With the other hand she was gesticulating to her audience, which was a small group of instrumentalists who had gathered around her perhaps to admire the novelty which had unexpectedly appeared in their midst. Like me, they too were accustomed to either sophisticatedly dressed, amateur female singers or loudly dressed, heavily made-up professional ones. So their surprise and curiosity was natural. Near her was a stranger, who though not dressed as unconventionally as the woman, looked out of place due to hi restlessness. Later I learnt that he was her husband who in those early days used to accompany her zealously as if she, a wild flower from the desert needed protection from the wiles of the crafty city folk. That day brought many more surprises to me for a while later; I saw her perform through the glass window of the recording booth and listened to her rendering of a Saraiki folk song. She was sitting on the carpet with her brass lota in her lap. She was using to coins to tap on it for rhythmic accompaniment. This was an addition to the rhythmic support, which she was receiving from a dholak player. A sarangi-wala and a sitarist were also accompanying her softly. Not being familiar with all the finer elements of the Saraiki language I could not follow the subtleties of the words of the song. Even then it sounded fascinating due to its haunting melody and the brilliant modulation of her powerful voice which had made it sound sinuous and singularly appealing. It was something entirely different from what I had heard, from a large number of our folk singers including some of the best in the sub-continent. Little did I realize then, that a new and refreshing folk vocalist was emerging on the musical horizon of Pakistan, who was destined not only to create, but maintain a special place of her own? That was Reshman, one of Pakistan’s leading folk singer whose background even to this day, despite so much that has been written about her remains indistinct. In the earlier days of her debut, deliberate attempts were made to add a mysterious touch to her personality. Spicy stories began to appear in newspapers and magazines narrating how mister this and madam that had discovered her on some street in Lahore or Karachi and how their patronage had all of a sudden catapulted her into fame etc, etc. I recall many other stories how she had crossed Pakistan’s border to reach a safe haven from the deserts of Rajasthan in India when her dreams to migrate to Pakistan where a glorious future was awaiting her! Whatever the truth about her background and origin, the fact remains that Reshman who should now be her in late forties or even early fifties is a great folk singer who has an individuality of her own. At one time some professional composers and tour operators tried their best to lure her away from her forte which is folk music. But thank God, despite many a momentary aberration, she remained faithful to her muse. When someone at the beginning of his or her musical career gets a taste of cheap publicity with the added charm of monetary benefits, the possibility of loosing one’s true style of singing or playing begins to loom large. It is fortunate for Resham and also for the art from that after a brief experience in trying her talents in fields other than her own; she came back to her original mould. Those who can recall some of her ghazals and geets like Meri Hamjolian would agree with me that despite the pathos and a charming blend of repose and intensity, the song could not become popular. The main reason was that Reshman’s voice quality did not suit the composition. The same song rendered by, say Mahnaz would have at once become a hit. This is no reflection on either Reshman’s musical talents or the flexibility of her communicative voice. Not even of her style, which is free from any obstructive contours. As a matter of fact, in spite of shades of rigidity in it, most of her folk songs have spontaneity and abundance, revealing her greatness as a genuinely great folk singer of Pakistan. (By
Anwar Enyayetullah)
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