Mohabbat (song)

Mohabbat
by Hafeez Hoshiarpuri
Original titleموحبّت
Written1920s
LanguageUrdu

"Mohabbat" (Urdu: موحبّت transl. Love), also known as "Mohabbat Karne Waale Kum Na Hongey" (Urdu: موحبّت کرنے والے کم نہ ہونگے transl. There will be no shortage of lovers.), is an Urdu ghazal written by Hafeez Hoshiarpuri. The ghazal has been covered by numerous singers, including Mehdi Hassan, Iqbal Bano, Jagjit Singh, Papon, Farida Khanum, and Arooj Aftab. Aftab's rendition won the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

Background

"Mohabbat" was written in the 1920s by Hafeez Hoshiarpuri, a poet born in 1912 in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India and died in 1973 in Karachi, Pakistan.[1][2] The ghazal is based on the Hindustani classical Music raga Khamaj.[3]

Music

"Mohabbat"'s have been interpreted in multiple ways.[2] The lyrics describe the pain of separation from a loved one.[4] Musician Arooj Aftab stated that the ghazal "could be a love song, breakup song, a political statement, a nostalgic memory."[2]

Versions

The ghazal has been covered by numerous singers, including Mehdi Hassan, Iqbal Bano, Jagjit Singh, Papon, Farida Khanum, and Arooj Aftab.[2][5][6] The ghazal was initially popularized by Hassan's rendition.[7][8] Aftab's rendition won the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.[4]

Renditions of the ghazal commonly use instruments such as the harmonium and tabla.[9] Taan, a vocal modulation in which a singer quickly shifts between notes while climbing up a scale, is a common vocal technique used in renditions of the ghazal.[9]

Arooj Aftab version

Arooj Aftab released a version of the ghazal on March 16, 2021 as the lead single to her album, Vulture Prince.[9] Aftab sings three couplets of the ghazal using "vocal jazz techniques."[10][5] The recording utilizes a more stripped back, minimalist instrumental, beginning with a guitar and harp melody.[5][9] Synthesizers and flugelhorn are introduced in later sections of the ghazal.[5] On the track, Shahzad Ismaily plays the synthesizer, Gyan Riley plays the guitar, Nadje Noordhuis plays the flugelhorn, Maeve Gilchrist plays the harp, and Jamey Haddad plays percussion.[5] Aftab had performed live renditions of the ghazal since 2011 but recorded a studio version following the death of her brother in 2018.[1]

Reception

Pitchfork listed it as a Best New Track, writing that it encapsulates "calmness, peace, patience, simplicity. And then sadness, longing, wandering, searching, openness, oneness."[9] Time selected it as one of the Best Songs of 2021, calling it "blissful and enveloping" and a standout of Vulture Prince.[10] Kitty Empire of The Observer described the song as "home to some of Aftab’s most elegiac intonations."[11] Uncut's Sam Richards described the song as "based on traditional Pakistani songs of yearning, placed in a radical new context that only enhances their power."[12] Band Baji of Dawn described the song as "a beautiful, minimalist, unplugged track that is haunting both for its ambient sound as well as Arooj’s elongated vocalisations of longing and separation."[5] Barack Obama selected the song for his 2021 summer playlist.[1][13] Aftab's rendition won the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Performance at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.[14][15]

"Mohabbat"
Single by Arooj Aftab
from the album Vulture Prince
ReleasedMarch 16, 2021
Length7:42
LabelNew Amsterdam
Producers

References

  1. ^ a b c Ashton, Kimberly (July 14, 2021). "Arooj Aftab's 'Mohabbat' Gets Presidential Nod". Berklee. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
  2. ^ a b c d Singh, Amitoj. "Pakistan-born 'neo-Sufi' singer breaks free from music traditions". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
  3. ^ Sultan, Asfa (2022-04-06). "A bittersweet aftertaste". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
  4. ^ a b Venkatraman, Sakshi (April 5, 2022). "Behind the South Asian folk and jazz blends that won a Grammy". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2022-04-05. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Baji, Band (2021-07-29). "Love, longing and Arooj Aftab's 'Mohabbat'". Images. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
  6. ^ Ghosh, Sankha (2022-05-17). "Ghazal girl Shahana Shome back with yet another timeless classic". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
  7. ^ Khurana, Suanshu (2022-04-15). "Giving credit is a simple courtesy. Arooj Aftab must not grudge it". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
  8. ^ Vajpayee, Soumya (2012-07-25). "Remembering Mehdi Hassan". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
  9. ^ a b c d e Jagota, Vrinda. "Arooj Aftab: "Mohabbat"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
  10. ^ a b Chow, Andrew R. (May 26, 2021). "The Best Songs of 2021 So Far". Time. Archived from the original on 2025-05-17. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
  11. ^ Empire, Kitty (2022-02-12). "Arooj Aftab review – a mesmerising ambient jazz threesome". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
  12. ^ Richards, Sam (August 2021). "New Albums". Uncut. Retrieved 2025-10-30.
  13. ^ Malik, Sabah Bano (2021-07-11). "Barack Obama's summer playlist features song by Pakistani artist Arooj Aftab". Arab News. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
  14. ^ Monroe, Jazz (2022-04-03). "Arooj Aftab Wins Best Global Music Performance for "Mohabbat" at the 2022 Grammys". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
  15. ^ "Arooj Aftab becomes first Pakistani singer to win a Grammy". Al Jazeera. 4 Apr 2022. Retrieved 2025-11-28.
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