Kaifi Khalil and Arsalan Rabbani Band Perform in Livermore, California
By Ras H. Siddiqui

The Bankhead Theater in Livermore, California, is a relatively small venue. It has seating for roughly 500 people but when populated by South Asians it seems much larger. At least that is what it felt like on Friday, August 18, 2023, as Desis from the San Francisco Bay Area and further inland came to listen to two vocalists from Pakistan who are slowly making a name for themselves here in North America.

The first amongst the two is the versatile Arsalan Rabbani and the second, a young sensation by the name of Kaifi Khalil. Both hail from different backgrounds but a common factor amongst them is in their launch at Coke Studio (Pakistan) which has incubated several young singers and musicians. The Studio has also developed a fan following in India and Bangladesh and within the South Asia Diaspora worldwide, thanks to YouTube.

But coming back to the event in Livermore, the main promoter behind it locally was CNY Desi Entertainment (Hasan Shaikh) with national promoter, Houston-based Rehan Siddiqui, media partner HUM TV Network, and aided by Shahab Siddiqui, who incidentally is promoting an Atif Aslam show in nearby Oakland on November 3 rd while partnering with Instant Karma and CNY Desi. It was no surprise that representatives of all these outfits were here at the Livermore show. The co-emcees of the event were Sohab Mushtaq and young Daanish Shaikh.

Going into a show with two relative unknowns can be considered risky, but coming out thoroughly entertained was a great feeling. Arsalan Rabbani on vocals, accompanied by two band members, one on keyboards and another on guitar, put on a long, high energy and very satisfying performance. He is no stranger to the entertainment industry but till now has mainly been known as a backup or collaborating musician. He has played music with and accompanied well-known artists including Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar, Junoon’s Salman Ahmad, Sajjad Ali, Ali Haider, Humaira Channa, and Fareeda Khanum, to name just a few. But seeing him perform solo here for a prolonged period of time proved to be quite entertaining.

Arsalan started off on piano with Wohi Khuda Hai a soulful ballad originally by the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and then proceeded to sing about 14 more songs already made famous by renowned artists such as Arjit Singh, Rafi Sahib, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Sajjad Ali, Arif Lohar, Abida Parveen and Atif Aslam. And he performed all of them well, while seeking audience participation often. He ended his performance with Tajdar-e-Haram, a Qawwali made famous by two generations of the Sabri clan and reproduced with great success by Atif Aslam. If there was any doubt in our minds whether Arsalan Rabbani could carry a solo show, they were erased here in Livermore.

The next performer is the one who many came to see because he is fast becoming a sought-after artist. Kaifi Khalil is one of the latest sensations to emerge out of Coke Studio. From humble beginnings in a struggling section of Karachi named Lyari, Khalil has overcome many obstacles and odds to be able to come and perform for us here in Livermore. The rich and famous of Karachi do not live in Lyari and as a matter of fact not many of them even care to venture there. It is a very densely populated underprivileged community made up primarily of Baloch, Sindhi, Gujarati, and Kutchi speakers, along with the African origin Sheedi people locally known as Makranis. They may be poor, but they are plucky and resilient. And they have a passion for three things: 1) Football (soccer), 2) Good Music, and 3) Progressive Politics. It is from this background that young Kaifi Khalil emerged – with demonstrable talent and abounding promise.

Kaifi first came to our attention with his Balochi vocal delivery (Rap) in a song called Kana Yaari (Coke Studio, Season 14), and from then on, we were hooked. In this song he collaborated with the veiled Eva B and turbaned Abdul Wahab Bugti. The song currently has many million views on YouTube and has made Kaifi a known performer.   And then came the superhit romantic Urdu language ballad Kahani Suno 2.0, a collaboration with superstar Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, one which has sealed Kaifi’s success.

Kaifi Khalil’s performance at this event was limited but well worth the wait. He sang solo and played the guitar with little other support. Starting with Kana Yaari and more than one version of Kahani Suno interspersed with medleys, he shared his talents to the delight of the audience. What was surprising was that Kaifi did not even have to ask the audience to sing along because they were already doing that on their own. His performance here can be best described as short and very sweet. This young man is just getting started and he possesses genuine talent. Hopefully, there will be more appearances by him in California in the years to come.

(Our thanks to OnF Photography for permission to use their pictures for this article)