To all our readers who celebrated this weekend, Eid Mubarak! Also, happy belated Earth Day! 🌏 On the anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, we explore how the fast fashion industry impacts South Asian countries and garment workers. Next, PopShift Music Festival in NYC is on the horizon. Did you buy your tickets? Last but not least, we explore the life and legacy of Qawwali’s greatest — Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

— Rosh & Raghu

PopShift Music Festival - New York City

New Poster Alert! Popshift Music Festival is right around the corner! Make sure to cop your tickets before they are gone. Oh yeah, early bird tickets are all gone!

PopShift Music Festival is a two-day experience, sponsored by Toyota, that features a unique blend of art, music, and culture. On May 19, the festival kicks off with an upscale Music + Art Mixer, where attendees can engage with various visual art installations and listen to up- and- coming South Asian artists. On May 20, the festival continues with a Music Concert, featuring a talented lineup of artists who will perform live on stage. The festival ends with an After Party post concert. Tickets to each event are sold separately.

(more information here)

Fast Fashion Exploits South Asian Countries

If we had to guess where your outfit was made, somewhere in South Asia is a safe choice. After all, Bangladesh is the world's second largest exporter of ready-made clothes. India’s fast fashion production is estimated to be worth $100B+. Companies, including Zara, H&M, and Primark, have suppliers across Pakistan.

The Problem
Despite these countries having rich histories of sustainable artisanship, the clothes being produced for fast fashion conglomerates are anything but. The influencers offering Shein discount codes for the same low-quality bikinis they wore while partying at 5-star establishments in Mykonos aren’t the ones facing the brunt of the environmental and social impact though. Historically, South Asian countries and laborers are exploited by the global North.

Remembering Rana Plaza
This week marks the 10-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse, an entirely avoidable tragedy that saw over 1,100 lives lost. An illegally constructed eight-story complex in Dhaka, Rana Plaza housed several garment factories for fast fashion companies.

Unable to hold the weight of the equipment and people inside, visible cracks appeared in the walls. Still, factory owners were ordered to continue production. The lack of safety infrastructure inevitably kept hundreds of workers trapped inside when the building inevitably came down. The tragedy brought global attention to the issue of abuse in the garment industry.

But the Issue Still Persists
Women and children continue to be wildly exploited by fast fashion companies. Dangerous working conditions like buildings with no windows or fire exits, 18-hour work days, and rampant sexual abuse continue to be the norm. This is all done for abysmal pay, as the workers are typically paid less than 10 cents per piece.

What Do We Do Now
Shop smarter, not harder. Here are some practices you can adopt:

• Shop from sustainable brands

• Maximize the most of your existing wardrobe

• Question your impulse to buy

• Avoid cheap materials

• Shop second-hand

The Life and Legacy of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Widely considered one of the greatest voices in the genre's history, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was a Pakistani musician and Qawwali singer whose virality and influence continue to shine through the decades.

Qawwali music, rooted in Sufism and Islam, is characterized by the harmonium, tabla, and clapping. Its calming ambiance and consistent harmony have brought millions of people worldwide together. Khan’s globalization was immense, leading to the introduction of his music to a wider audience outside of Pakistan. He performed iconic shows in cities including Paris, Tokyo, New York, Sydney, and more.

Khan also famously collaborated with a number of Western musicians. His collaboration with Michael Brook blended traditional Qawwali music with modern electronic and ambient sounds, creating an innovative fusion that respected the genre's roots in Night Song.

With nearly 5M monthly listeners on Spotify, he is still credited as an artist by the many musicians who sample his music today. For example, Kali Kali Zulfon Ke (Lo-Fi) was released less than a month ago but is listed as Khan’s “latest release.” It already has 95M+ streams on the platform.

Khan's influence extends beyond the music and experiences he’s inspired. His powerful and emotive delivery conveyed a deep sense of passion and spirituality that has left a lasting impact on audiences worldwide. In this way, there are hundreds of social media pages dedicated to revisiting his performances, and videos have continued to go viral all throughout social media. etc

@azizmianqawwali

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan- Dard Na Dasaaa #punjabi #ghazal #foryou #nusratfatehalikhan #viral #lines #InstaGood

Today, renowned artists, including A.R. Rahman and Arooj Aftab sample his music and cite him as a major influence while incorporating elements of Sufi music into their own style. The newfound popularity of qawwali-themed club events featuring DJs who mix traditional qawwali music with modern electronic beats also thrives. Artists pushing this contemporary sound forward include Farasat Anees, ZEEMUFFIN, Brooklyn Raga Massive, and more.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan passed away at the young age of 48 in 1997 due to cardiac arrest, though his legacy lives on in the minds and hearts of millions worldwide.

Listen to the PopShift Playlist on Spotify.

Other Notable News

• Mickey Singh releases new album “Infinity” after a long hiatus.

• Sid Sriram releases his “Do The Dance” as his first single with Def Jam.

• BAHÉ, a new band by Shishi and Aditya Rao, released their debut track “Closer.”

• Abhi the Nomad released a new track “Casanova.”

• YDV and Vy released the music video for their track “Lyrical Almanacs.”

• King and Nick Jonas released the music video for their track “Maan Meri Jaan (Afterlife).”

• Ramya Pothuri released a new track, “we never even knew what we were.”

• Raf-Saperra released the music video for his track “Mast Qalandar (The Sufi Qawali Joint).”

Writers: Roshni Lalchandani, Aneesa Khan

Editors: Raghu Alla, Roshni Lalchandani