In our first episode, recorded at Devon Turnbull’s Listening Room at 180 Studios, broadcaster and collector Haseeb Iqbal revives the long-overlooked soundtracks of Lollywood: Pakistan’s once-thriving film industry.
Drawing from rare vinyl unearthed on a recent trip to Karachi, Iqbal plays music that shaped the golden age of Pakistani cinema in the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s.
From the cinematic ballads of Noor Jehan and Nahid Akhtar to the psychedelic orchestrations of the Tafo Brothers and Sohail Rana, Haseeb tells a story of artistic freedom and cultural pride before the country’s creative industries were silenced under military rule.
Between records, Iqbal reflects on his own journey growing up in North London, learning about his heritage through music, and finding connection in the sounds history nearly erased.