Aleem Zafar Covers “Yeh Watan Tumhara Hai” By Mehdi Hassan & Here’s My Take

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yeh watan tumhara hai aleem zafar
Via YouTube

It has been more than 57 years since Mehdi Hassan sang the evergreen, Yeh Watan Tumhara Hai. Yes! It first came out in the year 1962. And yet, more than five decades down the lane every Pakistani knows the song by heart and goes into a patriotic trance each time it plays on the television or radio.

What really delights me is that Mehdi Hassan’s legacy continues to live on. On 23 March this year, Aleem Zafar paid tribute to the legendary Pakistani singer by covering Yeh Watan Tumhara Hai.

Aleem Zafar Mehdi Hassan

The best part of this cover for me is that for most part Aleem has stayed loyal to the original arrangement.

Incorporating tabla to the melody was a smart move! I’m glad it wasn’t a pop/rock cover. That would’ve made me very upset.

Aleem also did a pretty good job with the visuals. The video starts with Aleem walking towards Mazar-e-Quaid because what better way to start off a new-age offering of the classic than from the resting place of the Founder himself?

Via YouTube

I always prefer seeing visuals that capture the scenic beauty and historic significance of places within Pakistan in a national song. The video served the purpose well by capturing Pakistan instead of focusing too much on the singer.

Read: 10 Fun Facts You Absolutely Must Know About Singer & Model, Aleem Zafar!

minar e pakistan faisal mosque

With all the good things said, Aleem Zafar is nowhere close to Mehdi Hassan. This is an extremely difficult song to cover and Aleem’s vocals aren’t seasoned enough to pull it off with perfection. It is probably for this reason that he largely stuck to lower notes throughout the song.

Read: Aleem Zafar Covers Junaid Jamshed’s “Ilahi” & Here’s What I Have To Say About It

Still, the cover was overall an earnest effort and Zafar deserves credit for trying his hands on a song that by no stretch of imagination was an easy feat to conquer.

Mehdi Hassan left us over 5 years ago and it warms my heart to see young singers like Aleem Zafar keep his legacy alive.

Here’s the cover of Yeh Watan Tumhara Hai by Aleem Zafar!

I will be looking out for more covers from Aleem.