In a recent interview, Danyal Zafar opened up about his ongoing journey to make space for himself in the industry. Danyal managed to earn a spot in Coke Studio’s otherwise arid tenth incarnation. Though criticised for the track, ‘Muntazir’ – alongside last year’s breakthrough talent, Momina Mustehsan – ended up becoming the only song this season to trend on YouTube at number one for almost an entire week.
Danyal feels he steps into his forte with his second track, ‘Julie‘ this term that came out yesterday. “It’s a very raw, in-the-moment jam that Ali Bhai and I had when we were in the kitchen. The next thing you know is that we were performing it on Coke Studio,” he laughed. “It’s basically him and I finding a middle-ground when we step into blues and jazz; when it comes together, it’s definitely a blues-powerhouse.”
“I know people will expect a lot from me, because I have big shoes to fill, but I have my own sound, and my own way of doing music that I feel is very distinct and different from his [Ali Zafar’s],” Danyal said.
“Nobody can do Ali Zafar better than him, I hope nobody does Danyal Zafar better than I do.”
He adds, “If I was already an established musician and my younger brother would find a passion for music, a) what’s his fault that he also wants to pursue a career in the same field, and b) being his elder brother, I would want him to go further than I have. And you know had I struggled and paved my way, like Ali Bhai did, and create a comparatively easier pathway, it would be his responsibility to excel more than me.”
