Coke Studio Season 10| Sayonee| Junoon Feat Rahat Fateh Ali Khan & Ali Noor (youtube.com)

Sayonee is a Pakistani pop song created by Junoon, a band made up of members from several different regions of Pakistan as well as New York. Sayonee is a fusion between Western rock and South Asian classical music. Both Western rock instruments, like the electric guitar and bass, and South Asian instruments, like the tabla, dholak, and harmonium, are used. Additionally, the vocalists use both Western and South Asian classical styles when singing this piece, often alternating between the two. The combination of Western and South Asian sounds creates a unique fusion style that resembles both rock and raga. I chose this song because my uncle is from Pakistan and, as India is both the largest country in South Asia and a much larger figure on the world stage culturally and politically, Pakistani music is often completely overshadowed by Indian music. Junoon’s music shows how Pakistan and India are still tied together through music with both maintaining their music traditions (as well as incorporating new traditions) today. This song also displays how South Asian music can be used in an Islamic context rather than just in Hinduism.