Coca-Cola Studios ‘Blockbuster’ puts spotlight on Lahore district known for music giants
LAHORE: The small, crowded Galwi Mohalla in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore has spawned many legendary folk and ghazal singers, including Mehdi Hassan, Naseebo Lal and Reshma. And now, with their latest hit on Coke Studio, Pakistan’s longest-running annual television music show, the Galwi group has added to the list of musical sensations from the district.
The song “Blockbuster” combines Umar Butt’s deep voice with the energy of Faris Shafi, considered a pioneer of Urdu rap, and the soulful vocals of Galwi Group, and has garnered more than 18 million views on YouTube since its release on May 25.
While Shafi was already well known in Pakistani music circles and Bhatt had been garnering praise for her singing following the release of Blockbuster, the real breakout stars were the all-female Ghalwi group, Rooha, Sajida and Abida, who went from struggling street singers to overnight sensations.
The video depicts a stylized version of a typical Pakistani neighborhood with its vibrant colors, busy traffic, pedestrian hustle and bustle, and roadside shops, and the gangs’ appearance also brings attention to Galwi Mohalla in Lahore’s Shahdara neighborhood on the Grand Trunk Road. The neighborhood has a deep musical tradition and takes its name from the musical instrument “galwi,” a small round pot usually used to store milk, but in Galwi Mohalla’s streets, the instrument can also be banged to produce sound.

Sajida Bibi, the group’s oldest member and a street singer for the past 20 years, said the family’s roots lie in the Indian state of Rajasthan.
“All our ancestors, grandfathers and great-grandfathers lived there,” Sajida told Arab News in an interview. “We love singing. Reshma is from there. [Gharwi Mohalla]Naseebo Lal is from there, Mehdi Hassan is from there too.”
The group was discovered on YouTube by renowned music composer and Coke Studios producer Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan (aka “Xulfi”).
“We were singing [Lahore’s] Food Street, our [videos] “We were playing on YouTube,” Sajida says, “and then Shulfie Bai saw us, liked us and started this [Coke Studio] “I was happy to sing this song.”
Bibi’s sister Ruha is married to the struggling qawwali singer Ruhul Hassan, and her 12-year-old daughter Saba also became an overnight celebrity after her cameo role in the film Blockbuster.
Hassan initially joined Galwi Group rehearsals to help look after his baby brother on set, but Shurufi said in a video posted to her Instagram page that she “got goosebumps” when she heard Hassan singing a lullaby to her son, which prompted her to get involved in the production.
“I was singing him a lullaby and Uncle Shurufi heard it and asked me to sing a few verses for us too,” she told Arab News.
The rest, needless to say, is history.
“I want to continue singing. This is what I have always wanted,” Saba added. “This is what all the children of Galwi Mohalla want.”
The family, who have always struggled financially with little income from weddings and other events, as well as from performing at popular restaurants, are now hopeful their fortunes will turn around.
“We’re grateful to everyone who has covered our story and we’re so excited to share our music with the world,” said Ruha. “The more people who love our music, the more motivated we are to continue our family tradition.”
Going forward, the group will be working on a Punjabi song with renowned classical musician and tabla player Altaf Hussain Tahu Khan.
“Tuff gave us songs based on his success. [of Blockbuster]“We said we would be happy to do it, as it is a Punjabi song and an old Kalaam song. [folk music].”
Taff may not have the clout of Cork Studio, but the women of Galwe Group have big dreams.
“Reshma was like an aunt to us,” Sajida said, referring to one of Pakistan’s best-known folk singers, who died in 2013. “She was famous all over the world. We want to follow in her footsteps.”