Review: Kailash Kher and Arif Lohar turn up the heat in Dubai

Arif Lohar and Kailash Kher did not disappoint at the second and final day of the MTV Undivided concert, a platform that brings together Pakistani and Indian artists, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The show began at a quarter to ten and was opened by a band called Ektara. They sang Maula from Delhi 6, Kinna Sohna Tenu Rab Ne Banaya by the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Teri Meri Kahani by Arijit Singh as well as the CokeStudio version of the song Madari, composed by Clinton Cerejo. Their performance was very energetic and set the mood for the entire night. They added their own flare to some of the songs and by playing with the beats and stood out as performers.

Both artists gave power packed performances with a song selection that had a mixture of Punjabi folk songs and bhangra music, along with a few Bollywood and Sufi renditions. But it was Lohar and his band who stole the show with their powerful and upbeat Punjabi folk songs, making it absolutely impossible not to move your shoulders and do a little bhangra dance. All of Lohar’s songs had a dhol (drum beat) to them, which was the highlight, as the big instrument set the pace for everyone’s heart beat and it felt as though everyone was connected to the music. Lohar sang his most popular song, Jugni Ji and blended it with other folk songs. He also sang Wanga Chada Lao Kuriyon and Challa, and ended his performance by singing the hit song Duma Dum Mast Kalandar walking beyond the barriers to sing closer to his fans.

Besides serenading the audience with their soulful music and being completely in sync, Lohar and his band wore matching costumes. Their long black coats with silver elaborations and designs definitely deserve a mention, since they were the only band that was uniform in both their signing and appearance.

Kher was the final artist for the evening and he opened his act with the soulful rendition of his song, Chaandan Mein. Together with his band, Kailasa, he performed sang Rang Deeni, Tauba, Yaa Rabba and Tu Jaane Na from the movie Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani. His renditions of Deewangi and Saiyyan, which were the most looked forward to songs of the night, made several members of the audience rather emotional. Even though Kher did not change or add to the melody of most of his songs, the simple delivery with the original music of his hit singles left a lasting impact on everyone. Kailasa even sang the CokeStudio version of Bismillah and performed a few instrumental tracks as well.

Ziyaah Khan, who was at the concert with her husband Zuhair, said, “[It] was worth staying till two in the morning, despite having work the next day.”

Reena and Anurag Guglani, who were fans of both the performing artists, told tabloid! that they have been fans of Kher’s music for years and have become Lohar’s fans quite recently after following his music on MTV.

Overall, the second day of the MTV Undivided concert proved to be just as exciting as the first, and gave the audience the perfect combination of good music and entertainment. While it is tough to say which day was better than the other, all artists and bands during this two-day event showcased their talent and brought with them the perfect fusion of culture, music, corporation and camaraderie, which was the main theme of the event. Music brings people together and that is exactly what we saw at MTV Undivided 2016.

Shreya Bhatia is an intern at Gulf News.