The best Nescafe Basement tracks include Allah Hoo, Mehbooba, Bol Hu, Pee Jaon, Tere Ishq Mein, Tu Mera Nahi, Kitni Sadiyaan and Gorakh Dhanda. Most are covers of Pakistani classics by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Haroon and Farhan Saeed, rearranged by young musicians. Here are 13 to add to your playlist, including picks from the 2024 to 2025 season.
Nescafe Basement is a Pakistani music series created by producer Xulfi (Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan), the guitarist of the band Entity Paradigm. It started in 2012 and gives students and new musicians a stage, with Xulfi mentoring them and arranging their performances. Xulfi later produced Coke Studio Pakistan from Season 14, which made him a familiar name for Indian listeners too.
The show ran five seasons up to 2019, then went quiet for a few years. Season 6 began on 28 December 2024 and ran into early 2025. All performances are free to watch on the show’s official YouTube channel. For more music and entertainment lists, see our listicles section.
13 best Nescafe Basement tracks
1. Allah Hoo
Hamza Tanveer, Rizwan Butt and Sibtain Khalid reworked Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s famous qawwali in Season 3. They keep the devotional core but add guitars and a rock build-up, so it works for listeners who are new to qawwali.
2. Mehbooba
Ali Tariq, Hamza Tanveer and Ali Asghar covered Haroon’s pop hit in Season 5 (2019), with drums, saxophone, violin and rubab. Haroon himself praised the cover on Twitter in February 2019, which is rare praise from an original artist.
3. Bol Hu
Soch the Band and Hadiya Hashmi teamed up for this Season 5 track. It is a soft, spiritual song built on Hadiya’s voice, and it became one of the most played songs from the show.
4. Tere Ishq Mein
A Season 2 reimagining of the folk song made famous by Alan Faqir and Muhammad Ali Shehki. The Basement version leans into the Sufi feel of the original and is one of the show’s early standouts.
5. Tu Mera Nahi
From Season 4, this cover of Rizwan Anwar’s song shows how well the show blends vocals with a full band. It is moody and slow, and the arrangement gives the original a new life.
6. Pee Jaon
Hamza Tanveer and Momina Mustehsan covered Farhan Saeed’s Pee Jaon in Season 3. Many listeners prefer it to the original. Momina later found a large Indian audience through Coke Studio’s Afreen Afreen with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
7. Gharoli / Ghoom Charakhra
Tahseen Sakina and the Baluch Twins performed this medley in Season 5. Ghoom Charakhra is closely tied to Abida Parveen, and this version brings real emotion with a simple, folk-led arrangement.
8. Kitni Sadiyaan
A Season 4 tribute to Faraz Anwar, one of Pakistan’s most respected guitarists. Xulfi and the students turned it into a layered, almost orchestral piece.
9. Gorakh Dhanda
Zain Ali, Asfar Hussain and Zayrab Sultan performed this Season 4 version of Tum Ek Gorakh Dhanda Ho, the poem by Naz Khialvi that Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan made famous. It mixes qawwali vocals with heavy guitars.
10. Akhiyan Udeek Diyan
Another Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan song, reworked in Season 2 with an electric guitar riff that runs through the track. It is one of the best examples of how the show mixes rock and qawwali.
11. Nishaan
Sherry Khattak, Ali Suhail, Altamash Server, Maria Fatima and Parizae Azhar performed Nishaan in Season 3. It stands out for its melody and the honesty in the vocals.
12. Saaqi (Season 6)
From the 2024 to 2025 comeback season, Ittehad Band and Sanya Shahzad’s Saaqi shows the show has not lost its touch. It is a good starting point if you want to hear the new batch of talent.
13. Youn Hi (Season 6)
Hadia Hashmi returns with the band Towers for Youn Hi, another Season 6 highlight. Fans of Bol Hu will enjoy hearing how her voice has grown.
A correction to our earlier list
An older version of this article said Gorakh Dhanda was performed by the band Bayaan and helped it win Pepsi Battle of the Bands. The Nescafe Basement version credits Zain Ali, Asfar Hussain and Zayrab Sultan. We have fixed the credit. We have also updated the Mehbooba credits to the three performers named in reports at the time.
Why Indian listeners love Nescafe Basement
Most of the songs here are built on music Indian listeners already know, like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s qawwalis, which Bollywood has borrowed from for decades. The show presents them with young voices and live bands, so they feel fresh without losing their roots.
The other reason is the format. There are no judges, no eliminations and no drama, just musicians playing. If you like Coke Studio or MTV Unplugged, Nescafe Basement is a natural next step. Find more music coverage in our celebs section.
Frequently asked questions
Who created Nescafe Basement?
Producer and musician Xulfi created the show in 2012 and mentors the musicians who perform on it.
Where can I watch Nescafe Basement?
All seasons are available free on the official Nescafe Basement YouTube channel.
Is there a new season of Nescafe Basement?
Yes. Season 6 began on 28 December 2024 and ran into early 2025.
Who sang Pee Jaon in Nescafe Basement?
Hamza Tanveer and Momina Mustehsan sang the Nescafe Basement cover of Farhan Saeed’s Pee Jaon.
Sources: Nescafe Basement on Wikipedia, Xulfi on Wikipedia, Daily Pakistan on Mehbooba.
