"Lailee Lailee Lailee Jan:" Ahmad Zahir vs. Zeek Afridi

How do you redo a timeless song that requires no change to stay relevant? According to Zeek Afridi, you first switch the song title and throw in some unimpressive extras for a more "mast" (fun/party) tune that fits in modern times.



I'm convinced the fact that Afridi is from Pakistan contributes to his dramatic rendition of Zahir's classic. The intro was eerily similar to many Hindi-language soap operas I've shamelessly consumed. The upbeat accordion and omnipresent keyboard made the song sound more like part of the soundtrack to a Bollywood movie than a Zahir cover, but Zahir's Afghan influence nonetheless shone through.

Namely, Afridi's ample use of keyboard and complete (meaning no lines were added or removed) cover of "Lailee Lailee Lailee Jan" was enough evidence that this was originally an Afghan song. Yes, Afridi brought some Pakistani-influenced elements to the song, but he remained true to its heritage. Afridi is a Pashtun meaning he belongs to the second largest ethnic group in Pakistan and the first in Afghanistan. His genealogy clearly contributes to his interpretation of this song because he relies so heavily on keyboard.

Afghans love keyboard, let me tell you. If there isn't a keyboard present at an (indoor) family gathering/celebration, everyone might as well go home. Keyboards create the dancing rhythm that parties revolve around, without them there would be no beat to dance to at these family get-togethers or in a deserted restaurant like the one in "Laili Jan."