Canada Pakistan Trade Expo & Mega Star Show Review by PakStar [Must Read It]

ONE DAY – TWO BIG SHOWS – JULY 12, 2009

Review By: PakStar Magazine

www.Pakstar.ca

CANADA PAKISTAN TRADE EXPO 2009 -UNIVERSAL
PROMOTIONS

With the full support of local Pakistani media (radio stations/newspapers) and the Pakistani consulate, this event was designed for the Canadian businesses to come and interact with Pakistani manufactures/exporter of food items such as rice, pickles, cookies, leather garments, fabrics, marble stone products, knives, pharmaceutical products, motorcycle apparel, etc.

This event was marketed heavily only on Pakistani media instead of promoting it within Canadian media. Emphasizing mainly on the music performers, keeping entry tickets for $10.00/single day entry or $15.00 for entire weekend – it became more of a regular MELA then an actually business expo. This event was not catered to the Canadian businesses.

PakStar managed to get reviews from several vendors who came from Pakistan. They were excited and looking forward to this event, but were in for a big surprise.

Vendor (A – Fabric: “we were extremely excited and looking forward to this event. On Thursday when it  tarted, no one was here except the organizers and vendors. We paid $6000.00 to the organizer in addition to our expenses such as airfare and accommodation. What we got was, general people who gave offers to buy our samples for $5.00 – $10.00 each; I wish I could do say something but I can’t. We are defiantly not coming back again. We have traveled to many different countries for expo but never ever experienced anything like this.”

Vendor (B – Motorcycle Apparel): “We are bit happy as we made 3 deals for our products. It’s not good but it’s ok. The organizers are marketing the performers more and more and if we had to see Abrar and Shahzad Roy – we could’ve paid them in Pakistan and watch them – we came here to meet and interact with the local
businesses and not to see the concert.”

Vendor (C – Leather Garments): “This event is a joke. Since the start of this expo till today, we have only seen general public or people who don’t have a business or want to start a business in near future. We have spent a lot of money to be here at this event. I’ve sold all my samples for $25.00/each and taking back few bucks with me.”

Vendor (D – FALAK RICE, PICKLES): A local distributor of Pakistani products (cookies/spices/rice) was selling their inventory quickly in this expo by reducing the prices. When we asked why? They had similar answer – they spent money on 3 different booths and now they wanted to recover the money back.”

Vendor E – Pharmaceutical products: This is our first time coming out of Pakistan and show casing our products which are up to the international standards. We had expectations but it’s not as we anticipated. We have not been approached by anyone as yet and I don’t think this is right event for our products. We were shown different picture and reality is in front of you. Public is here to enjoy the music show, no one is here to trade or to build business relation.”

Vendor F – PIA: Surprisingly Pakistan’s International Airline had there own stall as well, giving out airline’s flyers, posters, fact booklets. We normally don’t see PIA in the events; they were pressurized by the  government of Pakistan to sponsor and support this event and in exchange they were given a booth in this expo.

Music Show review:

Shahzad Roy performed on Saturday. Toronto police was visible on the entry doors to manage the crowd. Once inside the hall, it was a chaos. Many vendors had to quickly pack there stuff and leave. They didn’t want their products to get stolen with the crowd. The hall became much suffocated instantly due to large number of people inside. The hall was packed to capacity (1500) and many people were denied entry and were forced to leave the premises.

The stage was very basic, nothing fancy and the sound system was not up to standards. Even the local performers complained about the setup. Complaints after complaints, but the main singers some how managed to perform.

On Sunday, Abrar ul haq, Rabi Pirzada & Tariq Tafu performed. Large number of people started to gather out side the hall by 5pm. Vendors were told to pack up there products by 7:00pm so the organizers could remove some stalls and make space for the concert crowd. Again the police were called to the main doors to
manage the crowd entry.

Many people had to line up for 40 minutes to an hour at times. People who had already bought the tickets were waiting out side to enter the hall. Friends of organizers were getting in and out of the hall without any problems but the general public had to wait.

Sound was not that great. This time they had the volume turned up high and at one point Abrar’s microphone stopped working and we could hear Abrar track playing in the background. He was singing over his own CD. People managed to enjoy despite the conditions inside the hall.

This was not a business expo – this was a regular fair in which companies were flown in from Pakistan to showcase their product samples. The organizers made their money and gained popularity; vendors weren’t happy at all. People had to wait out side in lines for more then 40 minutes to get inside (Saturday/Sunday),
despite buying advance tickets.

In a nutshell:

The Good
-Decent music and entertainment
-An attempt to bridge the gap between Canadian and Pakistani businesses

The Bad
- Marketed only within the Pakistani community
- Not a proper trade show, nor a good entertainment
- Event was not catered to the right market (Businesses)
- Not utilizing the full hall
- No re-entry policy. If someone wanted to come out for fresh air or to eat, they couldn’t – they should have given wrist bands or stamped hands for re-entry
- Poor concert sound system

The Ugly
- Pakistani businesses losing trust on Canadian trade expo promoters/organizers.
- Lack of discipline. Organizer friends were getting in and out of the building without any problems and general public had to wait in lines to get in.
- Over selling the tickets.
- No professional security guards.
- Whole event was not managed properly.

MEGA STAR SHOW 2009 – JALWA PROMOTIONS

Most surprisingly the pick of the shows turned out to be the wonder-full-land performance by non-other then FAAKHIR.

Originally, the organizer of this show had announced that Ali Zafar, Sadia Imam, Shakeel Siddiqui and a team of comedians will perform at this years show. This is the only Pakistani event which takes place at the Canada’s Wonderland and people buy their tickets at discounted rate in advance.

This year it collided with the Expo, Abrar concert. On July 8, the organizer announced a new entry ‘SHAHID AFRIDI’ to this show and the very next day they announced ‘AFRIDI’ could not come. Then on July 10th, they announced FAAKHIR is coming to the show along with original lineup.

Why did they keep adding new artists at the last minute?

Maybe the organizer was panicking and making quick decisions, as there were two events taking place on July 12 (Sunday). By early morning of July 10, PakStar had learnt that Ali Zafar will not be coming to Toronto as he wasn’t able to get his visa.

The organizers of this show did not announced at any time on Friday (July 10) while being on radio stations that Ali Zafar will not be coming. On July 11th, day before the actual concert, Ali Zafar announced the following on his website:

“It is unfortunate to let our fans in Toronto know that Ali Zafar shall not be able to appear for the show due to the delay in visa arrivals. We must inform that Ali Zafar and his management was not responsible for the visas as they were to be provided by the organizers. July 11, 2009 – www.AliZafar.net”

This official announcement disappoints many people.

Early morning on July 12, Faakhir arrived in Toronto and was in the city for only 15 hours. PakStar crew met up with Faakhir before the concert. We found Faakhir extremely frustrated, stressed and it looked obvious that he hadn’t slept at all.

Around 8:30pm we arrived at the venue, Shahkeel Siddiqui was on stage then. Approximately 500 people were sitting in front of stage and the concert area was fairly empty. Sadia Imam introduced Faakhir on the stage soon after.

Faakhir started by informing everyone that “My friend Ali Zafar did not get the visa in time and the organizer of this show contacted me on Friday. Since I was in UK for another concert and was free on Sunday so I decided to take the ‘late night red eye’ from London’s Heathrow airport. I agreed to come, not because of the show but because this is a Pakistani show and we will not let Pakistan’s name get a bad reputation, we keep on covering each other’s back at occasions like this.’

After this brief statement he started the concert, performing live. About 55 minutes later, Faakhir was rushed to the airport to catch his 11:00pm flight back to London, UK.

Most importantly Faakhir sang completely live on minus one track (something which other singers should also follow) and his power packed performance was enjoyed by everyone. He belted out 12 hits, one after another which got the audience dancing on their feet’s. Many people from the rides returned to the concert area because of Faakhir’s thumping music/songs. Faakhir’s excellent performance and audience’s overwhelming response once again refreshed the fact why Faakhir is so popular in North America, especially on east coast and in Toronto.

The next morning we heard rumors that Faakhir was threatened and hence had a security guard with him. Faakhir spoke with PakStar from Dubai airport later: “No one threatened me however voices were raised owing to stress due to time constraints and rush. These organizers kept security guard with me for the 15
hours I was in Toronto, and I am sorry I couldn’t give you guys (PakStar) much time due to limited time.”

Why the organizer didn’t announce it on Friday or Saturday that their main artist/performer Ali Zafar will not be coming?

The organizers should work with each other and the Pakistan’s Consulate office should appreciate and support every Pakistani event taking place in the city. They should also mediate any conflicts between the organizers.

Our Toronto’s Pakistani community is fairly big and when you have two big events on the same day, frustration levels rises, people suffer and get divided. Also, the general public should be informed ahead of time if there are any last minutes cancellations or changes in the performer’s line up. Both shows had
issues and our community suffered.

Kinara Video Making Memories by Shahzad Aslam

Dear aadeez

Thanks for liking the video of Kinara. Here is a list of some happening during the video making of Kinara. We were actually not having any specific plan to shoot this video but what ever happened in there was random. Normally on tours we are fully equipped with High definition cameras to record stuff but this time we thought of taking it to another level n record something funny.

From Lahore we flew at PIA and asked the PIA pilots to let us shoot some scenes of atif in cockpit. The funniest part is he is putting on a short n his sleepers while flying a Boing plane hehehe

In Mauritius we had a great time in concert which is being shown in video.The concert was arranged at the highest point of the city and the venue was an Old French Castle in its original form.. Next morning we started working at 5 in the morning by burying all the band members in the sand. We asked the hotel waiters to made drinks with fancy colors to be shown in video. Atif n band were in sand for about 2 hours standing n buried up to their necks n than suddenly they got panicked perhaps due to so much weight of sand on their bodies n the itching due to sea animals in sand. so we decided the make them sit in sand rather than standing n than we buried them till their chests with sitting posture which made them feel comfortable. Sand Burial was looking a fun part to outsiders but it was really difficult for the guys under sand to perform under such a load

In the mean time the hotels chief manager who was a big fan of atif n a proud owner of Harley Davidson 2006 Arrived .Fortunately the same day he had already arranged a get together of all the best Harley Davidson bike Owners with their Bikes in Mauritius in his hotel. He invited us to get together n offered us a ride. Bikes were nothing else but pieces of sheer beauty. What a sound n what a ride it was. Atif being a big fan of cruise bikes was so excited and he took a longer ride. Bilal was sitting behind him to shoot the ride but he made his feet burnt on silencer getting lost in the pleasure of the ride of Harley. But those are my fav shots in the video

Next were the swimming shots in the ocean with guitar ( beginning of the video). The guitar which was already needing repair was damaged to death due to water n it was really difficult for atif to move it in huge sea waves coming n hitting him on beach. Thank God we got the underwater kit for camera to shoot it.

The last adventure in Mauritius was the under water deep sea walk. We were waiting for other vans to join us in front of a runway on a highway n suddenly I saw a plane about to land on that runway. Sameer was holding the cam at that time n he shot the scene. The initial thought of under sea walk was dreadful for the guitarist asad .He went into water saying Kalima n Darood thinking he ll not come back ever heheheh n I have that in my video footage there was a huge fear on his face.

The underwater world was altogether a different experience. Every body loved it. When u go down u feel pressure on your ears and its not very easy to maintain a vertical balance while standing on the seabed n if u loose your balance u may be dead cause of the weights being hanged with your body to keep u vertical.

We really felt how small we are in terms of creatures of God there are many more and much bigger in size in short “INSAAN KO APNI AUQAAT YAAD AA JATI HAY”. There are huge cities of sea creatures underwater. Small beautiful fishes came to us to collect bread pieces n there was a beautiful sound of their bite at bread piece which we could hear. The colorful fishes were in such abundance that we had a feeling we could catch any one of them but they were so swift that u cant even touch them n they ll run. It was a larger than life sight We remained under water for about 30 minutes but loved it.

Our next plan was parasailing in Mauritius but the winds were not favorable n we had to postpone it for Goa. The best part about the underwater video is there is one shot in which a life guard is standing with the band members but he is acting same like other band members n no one can recognize him in the video.

Our next stop was Dubai in Dusit Thani hotel at 39th floor as u can see in the video the sky line of Dubai is shown. All the shots of the hotel were unplanned n shahbaz was surprised by atif in the evening when atif went straight into his room n started singing in window n shahbaz was like “ Aye ki hou rya way”? hehehe

The Funny dancing shots of atif were shot backstage in the dressing room vanities at Dubai Arabian Ranches Race Crouses.

The last destination on the tour was Goa Where we enjoyed the parasailing. It was fun going about 1000m in air after the underwater deep sea walk. Atif did a wonderful job while shooting his own self with camera in one hand and holding the parachute with other as only one person was allowed to fly with parachute at a time. The toughest part was to keep the camera away from water after landing as we were not having its underwater kit in Goa but atif did a great job.

I was scolding at the parasailing people cause of not giving us the complete air time for which we paid but that naughty guy took his silent revenge by landing every other person on sand but me in the water making me completely wet hehehehehe but it was fun.

N finally we came back to Lahore with some funniest memories of all times. Bilal lashari did a great Job in making this video. The map shots were shot in Lahore in Bilals room. He also added some great special effects in making it more colorful n attractive. All the other boys contributed their part

Sameer acted well and polluted the swimming pools of all the hotels

Hussein took care of all the French babes coming near the band hehehe.

Hamad did well being always on the phone with his fiancée

Asad was the worst actor of all with no emotions on his face but always feeling hungary for food

Mubeen acted really well and was smoking nonstop.

Bilal fell of the creek loosing his balance due to no sleep in 3 days while he was peeing in the Indian ocean n guess what was the first dialogue he said after standing in water “ Ohh sh*t meray dollars geelay hou gay hen Pakistan men pehlay hi dollar 86 ka hou gaya hay “ hehehehe.

We ll upload the pics of the tour later

Enjoyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

shahzad

Resolutions for 2009 one would love to hear (Pakistani Media Industry & Fashion)

The New Year always comes with an irrepressible urge to make that essential list of resolutions even if it is like writing your own doom, as resolutions never do get fulfilled. This list, which we hope to see some high profile figures writing, is just as Eutopian. Instep daydreams…

By Aamna Haider Isani

Fashion designers
“We will stop blowing our own trumpet and learn to take criticism.”
Karachi and Lahore have both come to stand equal on at least one account: they both have one designer each that is trying to outdo the other in terms of branding, marketing and blowing his own trumpet on television. Without taking any names, the two we refer to did put out rather decent collections last year (as well as doing the customary rounds of the social pages) but their continuous blow of hot air was a little immodest and distasteful. However their bid to outdo each other on off-shore shows was fascinating. Here in Pakistan, we caught them for better part of the year on television and fashion glossies as they went on and on about their endless achievements in Malaysia, Dhaka, Dubai, Riyadh, Czechoslovakia, Kazakhstan, Namibia, etc. Coming soon…they will be planting their monogrammed flags on an iceberg in the Antarctica!
The bragging was followed by endless whining: they whined about not being nominated at the Lux Style Awards, about not being nominated for enough categories, for not being praised to the skies, by being critiqued by journalists too young and naïve … the list is as endless as their list of fashion shows held all across the world.

Shaan
“I will wake up to the twenty first century of cinema and will bury my burly moustache.”

We loved Shaan in Khuda Kay Liye as much as we loved him in ‘Khamaaj’ as well as the splendid patriotic music videos he has directed for Mobilink. That’s the Shaan we have grown to appreciate over the years and we do seriously think he has the power to influence popular Pakistani cinema (which still translates to the gandasa culture) towards change. Shaan’s next film (working title: Love at 0300) will hopefully bring

about that change and the talented actor will stop playing Dr Jekyll Mr Hyde by playing the thought provoking sensitive male one minute and the overweight village bully the next.
And while we’re at it, can we please add that Shaan should also wake up to technology and realize the convenience of sending promotional CDs of his next film instead of hard copies as big as table mats (that Instep received from his Production house during the promotion of his last film Zilay Shah). Technology, Shaan, will make your life easier as well as ours!

Most of Pakistan’s new fashion models
“I will exercise and not depend on diuretics and starvation to lose weight and look young.”

At the risk of invoking the wrath of the industry by adding “and stop modeling when we hit 35″, we do hope Pakistan’s fashion models write out this resolution and paste it on the door of their medicine cabinets (as they rarely visit their refrigerators). We have seen one show too many with models that are over-age and under nourished. Skin and bones do not make for good skin tone whereas youth and a healthy lifestyle does. And it is the healthy glow and flawless skin that one desires to see…fashion photographers would surely agree. Joining a gym would be a good idea. We’ve seen girls with terrible skin stepping into advertisements for skin products. But then in print Photoshop always works its wonders and the click of a mouse is always more powerful than the brush of a styling wand, even if that wand is in the hands of the most competent stylist.
And while the models are at it (writing resolutions), can all of those who are either ‘mature’ or married please stop posing as blushing brides?

Ali Azmat
“I will promote my album and not hope that my name alone will sell it.”
Ali Azmat is the epitome of a rock star in Pakistan; he has the attitude and he just doesn’t care what anyone thinks. Ali has been seen turning up in a woollen cap and tattered jeans at black tie events and he has also had the audacity to repeatedly state on TV that he would willingly do anything (make a guest appearance, host an awards show etc) if the money is worth it. So there are no great pretensions about his love for the industry – but at least Ali is no hypocrite. But he’s also not very sensible when it comes to branding his identity and marketing his product

which is in fact very good. The rock star’s current album suffered a whiplash as Mr Ali Azmat was just too cool and confident to bother promoting it. Where most musicians hold press conferences and organize tours to spread the word and build the hype, Ali left the country when it was time for his album’s release.

Dino
“I will not inflict more torture on the people of Pakistan as they are going through enough already!”
2008 was a year that may have brought democracy to Pakistan but slowly and gradually it stripped the country of other bare necessities like food supplies, wheat, electricity, gas (Lahore witnessed an unprecedented dose of gas load shedding) and even petrol towards the end. Now in times like these, all one could rely on for entertainment was a good old reliable radio. But it appeared that to many people, the punishment of silent solitude was preferable to the punishment they would be meted out on radio: having to bear endless hours of RJ and now the proud owner of one album Dino, raving on and on about his vocal skills and subjecting his listeners to hours and hours of his music. We hope that this year Dino will realize that music is not his cup of tea and he will vow to have mercy on the people of Pakistan who go looking for some relief on the radio. And while he’s at it, maybe he should reconsider his new look. He most certainly isn’t a star but if he’s going to plaster himself everywhere then we’d prefer him to have at least some semblance of style and begin by stop trying to look like a Justin Timberlake clone.

Salman Ahmed
“I will purchase a new wardrobe and never, ever wear that black and red kurti again.”
We know that economic recession has hit the world badly but honestly, we do think that Salman Ahmed can afford to add at least a couple more shirts to his very limited wardrobe. The objectionable item of clothing, of course, is the black and red embroidered kurti-jacket that Salman has been wearing time immemorial. He first wore it in the video of ‘Ghoom Tana’ and then at his concert in Kashmir. In between, one saw Salman wear it at several occasions, interviews included. Salman must promise that he will put it away and while he’s at it, burn the red Nepali
cap too! We get the hint Salman, you are a Sufi rocker hence the whole ethnic/rock garb…just don’t push it so much. Seems like you’re trying way too hard!

Reality bites the dust – instep analysis by munib kamal

The carnage in Mumbai resulted in major melodrama across the border that, if truth be told, reminded one of a bad Bollywood film (by munib kamal)

Mutual fascination society

The attack on Mumbai hit many Pakistanis harder than 9/11. The carnage lasted a lot longer for one, and on the other hand the fact remains that Bollywood and Mumbai are closer, to both our homes and hearts, than Hollywood or New York will ever be.

In Pakistan, we are all to familiar with Bombay, even if we have never travelled there. We’ve visited it via Bollywood. We’ve seen the city on our TV screens, for years on pirated DVDs, and recently in our cinemas where Indian films at long last are coming legally. We know Mumbai as home to superstars we love as much as Indians do. From Dilip Kumar and Madhubala to Shahrukh Khan and Kajol, we have avidly followed their films. One can safely say that Pakistanis are the most rapt audience Bollywood will find anywhere. If Madhuri and Kajol have been my favourite Indian actresses, my grandmothers loved Nargis and Meena Kumari and my mother was a huge fan of Sharmila Tagore.

Even as India and Pakistan have often stood daggers drawn, glowering at each other across the Line of Control in times of trouble, Bollywood carried on its cultural invasion of this land of the pure, creeping in through the (made in Pakistan) Trojan horse of piracy. Since then, things have gotten better and the beginning of the 21st century has seen a cautious corridor of communication open up between us two historically warring neighbours. Aamir Khan has been here to raise funds for Imran Khan’s hospital. Mahesh and Pooja Bhatt have come to Karafilm and taken Meera and Atif Aslam back to India with them. Arjun Rampal, Shilpa Shetty and Urmila have been to the Carnival De Couture while Faiza Samee has built up a loyal clientele across the border. We have been delighted to host Indians and they have been thrilled to be here and vice versa. India and Pakistan have a mutual fascination that has just barely begun playing out. Or should one use the past tense here? ‘Had…”

Relationship ruptured: The blame game begins

Seeing the terrorism in Mumbai unfold was like watching an action packed thriller come to gruesome real life. That it ran for well over three days compounded the affect of the attack. As we watched Mumbai caught up in the wave of terror unleashed by urbane young men with back packs, we couldn’t help but draw parallels between what happened in Mumbai and the umpteen Bollywood films on terrorism that have come out in recent years. The song ‘Zara hat ke, zara bach ke, yeh hai Bombay meri jaan’ played in many a Pakistani head.

The attackers all seemed to be in their 20s, dressed like city boys in polo shirts, cargo pants and khakis. They were definitely ‘metrosexuals’ in urban terminology. One even wore a t-shirt that with Versace emblazoned on it.

“Thank God it doesn’t say ‘Karachi’,” quipped a friend after the attack while we watched the reruns of the CCTV clips of the rampage interspersed with Indians hurling accusations at Pakistan.

The boys took over the city with a fury never seen before. They opened indiscriminate fire at a train station, held and killed hostages in Mumbai’s landmark hotels, targeted a Jewish centre, flung grenades into crowds and fired when they exploded. It was guerilla warfare within a major city conducted by very young men who were shockingly well-trained killers. They looked nothing like the bearded, war-hardened Al-Qaeda operatives caught in Pakistan or Afghanistan. They sported the look of boys one finds in the more upscale areas of Asia’s urban cities. They could have been from Pakistan. The fairer ones could have been from Kashmir on either side of the border or even from Chechnya. Or they could have been from India itself. If one were to draw a parallel with Bollywood, they remarkably resembled the characters of Rang De Basanti, a film that in retrospect seems to foretell how a group of armed young men could take an institution hostage and employ the media the situation generated to send a message out to the world at large.

In Pakistan, we soon found ourselves under fire as ‘the perpetrators of the Mumbai carnage’. That was a surreal experience – one that put every Pakistani’s back up. It may not have been completely unwarranted (we do have militant Islamist organizations) but then again, so does India. Their flags fly over the slums of Mumbai that Simi Garewal in her now-famous faux pas mistook for the Pakistani flag… and so she recommended that Pakistan be carpet bombed on television! Of course, Indian media later rectified the error and she apologized. But since one’s back was up, one couldn’t help but observe that the Islamist flags flying over the slums of Mumbai speak volumes for the marginalization of Muslims in India. And one couldn’t help but note that while Simi Garewal so freely made this faux pas, no Bollywood actor, Muslim or Hindu, refuted her. It is easy for Hindus to point fingers at Muslims in India, but it doesn’t seem to work the other way.

The plot thickens

India may have come a long way but is it a secular country yet, is what was debated across Pakistan as our eyeballs were glued to our television screens. And since Bollywood is the yardstick by which Pakistanis judge India, then we note that Yusuf Khan had to change his name to Dilip Kumar to be accepted as an Indian hero but the Khans that follow in his footsteps (Shahrukh, Aamir, Salman, Saif) can use their Muslim names today. One point to India. And then we read blogs by fundamentalist Hindus demanding the Khans go “back to Pakistan”. Minus one for India. We see Abhijeet, who has always been anti-Pakistani reiterate the demand that our artists be banned from working there. Another minus one. And there is seasoned broadcast journalist Barkha Dutt spewing a ‘Pakistan did it’ diatribe without any proof. Another black mark against the world’s biggest democracy.

We were infuriated by the immediate impulse of Indian media to put the blame on Pakistan on the very day the carnage began. They took it for granted that the team of terrorists that brought Mumbai to a grinding and bloody halt rowed there in a dinghy boat armed with enough ammunition and explosives to last for four days. “It’s as implausible as the plot of a bad Indian film,” scoffed a friend. “As if anyone could pull this off without help from people within Indian borders.”

It was the same friend with whom one had laughed out loud at the shenanigans in Dostana just days earlier. As we watched dead terrorists pointed out as Pakistanis by Indian journalists, we agreed that they, in a momentary lapse of reason, seemed to think that no terror network exists on their soil.

Take a long hard look at yourself

The films of Bollywood tell a different story. The bhai log in India have been well-documented in the many Ram Gopal Verma and Mahesh Manjrekar films like Company, Sarkar and Vaastav. People are actively recruited from Mumbai’s many slums to join the infamous underworld that is involved in drug trafficking, prostitution and terrorism. The recruits are both Hindu and Muslim. When the world doesn’t open up to you, the underworld often does. It’s a universal story. The bhai log of India, the hood in America, the gangs in London and the militants in Pakistan have that in common – they are marginalised people. And real depictions of their tragic descent into violence have been few and far between in India. It’s better for the box office to glamourise the underworld via shoot-em ups with raunchy item numbers thrown in.

There have been few landmark Indian films that tackle the core causes of militancy in India. Gulzar’s Maachis comes to mind, which was a superb comment on the roots of terrorism, set against the Sikh insurgency of the 1980s. Then there have been excellent films on the Naxalite movement like Govind Nihalani’s Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa and more recently Sudhir Mishra’s Hazaaron Khwahishein Aisi. These were art-house films that got critical acclaim, were seen by a few and went largely uncovered by the Indian press. If compared to the Abhishek-Aishwarya wedding, they hardly got covered at all. Glamour and stars are the staple diet across the border and this is what you need to make terrorism palatable there.

So you have Aditya Chopra’s glossy Fanaa that gave the freedom movement in Kashmir a rather glamorous face via a love story between Aamir Khan and Kajol. The film ended on a clichéd patriotic note with Kajol (who plays a Kashmiri girl) killing Aamir (who plays a Kashmiri freedom fighter and so a terrorist according to the Indian state) when she discovers who he really is. Out of all the films mentioned on militant movements within India, Fanaa was the biggest hit, probably because it kept all the key ingredients of classic Bollywood (simple story, superstar cast, lilting music, colourful cinematography, sentiments of Indian nationalism) and used the issue of terrorism as a backdrop against which they could play out.

In Fanaa, Zooni’s (Kajol) life in what we Pakistanis call Occupied Kashmir is restricted to a house where she lives with first her parents and then her father and son. There are no checks by the Indian authorities, none of them ever seem to have been either questioned or harassed by the army. Aditya Chopra creates Kashmir within an utopian bubble, all snowfall and clear blue skies with no sign of the All Parties Hurriyet Conference or the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front. There is no room for real life characters like Yasin Malik in mainstream Bollywood and neither is there any place for the more moderate views of Mirwaiz Omer Farooq. There is no room for the Naxalite movement in Bollywood either, nor is there room for the communalism that afflicts India. It may be explored in films like Parzania and Mr and Mrs Iyer but first the box office and then Indian media marginalise these efforts. However Shahrukh Khan developing six pack abs for Om Shanti Om is guaranteed to make front page headlines there.

“Let’s play down our divisions and do the dandia”

No wonder the Indian press floundered so badly when faced with the mayhem in Mumbai. The urge in the biggest democracy in the world is to escape. Their flourishing film industry has taught them how to be masters at that. And unfortunately, it is still escapism that the bastions of Bollywood are advocating, even after the proverbial bubble has literally burst.

In an article titled ‘No Shootout at Colaba please!’ noted Indian film critic Subhash K Jha writes: “How many of the recent films on terrorism helped diffuse bombs? If the legacy of reform limps to a roadblock in our cinema then isn’t it better to just make escapist entertainers rather than pretend cinema can change the world? But why should our entertainers go into a shell at a time when civilisation is wounded? Give us more of your skills with escapism. Please don’t make movies about mayhem and terrorism. Let cinema be a vehicle for entertainment only. As a tool of social reform it has failed miserably.”

At the same time, the Indian information ministry issues an advisory that apart from exhorting the media to not replay the gory scenes of the Mumbai carnage also includes the directive that “News coverage should project that India is a global power which has the full support of the international community.”
The Indian press, Indian cinema and the Indian government are allies in creating the mirage of Shining India. And as much as one loves the escapist cinema produced on the other side of the border, one can’t help but feel that it is this collective urge of India to escape from its own problems that led to the assault on Pakistan that came way before any concrete evidence had been found and carries on way after any concrete evidence has emerged. The only link in the long bloody chain of the Indian carnage was the one that the media called “the baby-faced terrorist” and who (conveniently enough) turned out to be ‘Pakistani’.

The villain of the piece
He prowled the train station in Mumbai in grey cargo pants and a black t-shirt, a massive backpack and a rifle at the ready. The Indian media couldn’t decide on his name for days. Muhammad Amin Kasab, Azam Amir Kasav and Azam Amir Kasab were all names attributed to him in various new reports on channels and in print. The accounts of his story also varied, some made him out to be a boy from a middle class family, others said that he was recruited by militant Islamists while working as a petty criminal in Lahore. Yet another said that his father had made him join a militant organization for a fee to feed the family.

Indian media reported all this and more, hoping to outdo each other with exclusives. There were obviously a lot of Indian police and intelligence personnel giving away radically diverse ‘facts’ as unnamed sources, probably for a fee. Media is big business in India and the terrorism in Mumbai was definitely the event of year. With so many talking heads striving to make their mark, to break some news, they got the story so horribly jumbled that one can’t separate fact from fiction anymore. Well that’s understandable, Bollywood barely manages to put a reality check on their storylines. It’s only natural for the Bollywood–obsessed Indian media to follow suit.

At the time of this going to press one is waiting for the young terrorist’s story to get even more confusing. The Indians have decided to subject him to Narco analysis, a dubious sounding process where he will be administered a drug they call the ‘truth serum’ that will make him cast aside his inhibitions and come out with the ‘truth’. This process is discredited in countries like the US and UK because the drugs used can make the subject hallucinate. Yet this process is what the Indians proclaim will make him ’sing like a canary’.

We can safely bet that once again all fingers across the border will point right at us. India is as predictable as its cinema.

Review: Turning up the heat on the Lux Style Awards

instep analysis
Turning up the heat on the Lux Style Awards
In terms of high voltage drama, this year’s Lux Style Awards went up in flames as Shaan and Iman Ali went head to head on stage, Ali Azmat sparked off distaste with his crass sense of humour and short circuiting sent out smoke signals from an actual backstage fire! By Aamna Haider Isani

The ground reality is that this year’s Lux Style Awards were the most disappointing yet. They were initially meant to be a black tie affair in solidarity with the constant crisis the country is in, but as time approached, the ceremony had grown into a show that was much smaller than what the LSAs have come to be associated with and yet much bigger than what was originally planned. The result: an event that was neither here nor there.

The show itself was marred by mismanagement, interrupted by constant hiccups thanks to last minute changes in the program, delayed and stretched to 3 am despite the actual program being short enough to be wrapped up in an hour. The seventh annual Lux Style Awards, held at the Golf Club in Karachi, bubbled down to an evening that reflected more as a ‘function’, a private event or even a wedding, which was all too affected by undercurrents of bad vibes, personal likes and dislikes and complete chaos because of good old-fashioned bad management.

The evening was disappointing but it wasn’t a disaster; there were enough fiery moments to save it from being that. In fact, in terms of high voltage drama, the 7th Lux Style Awards were fiery with a capital ‘F’. The LSAs this year were built upon a bed of controversies, boycotts and threats of cancellation; they were presented amidst flaming hot exchanges on stage as well as a fire burning backstage and they were followed by the usual round of rants and raves. It was a loaded round!

The horror and the humour:
The horror of the show went way beyond logistical goof ups. Ali Azmat was back behind the podium as emcee but his jokes seemed a little more personal than they were funny. He was out of control and at times it appeared that the stage had become his personal space, used to take the mickey out of anyone he so desired to. While he did praise newcomers Zeb and Haniya, there was no need for him to pull Fakhir’s leg in such an embarrassing (albeit hilarious as watching someone get ridiculed is always funny) way. Fakhir was obviously not prepared for the verbal assault in which Ali called him a “pretty boy” followed by a jibe that Fakhir was dressed like a waiter or rather a joker. “The waiters want their clothes back,” Ali said, followed by, “Hey I’m acting like a joker and you’re dressed like one.” The humour fell into bad taste as Ali repeated the crass jokes, taking digs at all and sundry, Pakistan included. No where in the world will comedians crack jokes running their own country down to the ground but apparently Mr Azmat was above all that.

It all became way too offensive and continued with Shaan later taking Ali a peg down for cracking unpatriotic jokes.

All LSA photography by Faisal Farooqu:
Apparently Shaan and Ali had a tiff at rehearsals where Ali Azmat started tearing Lollywood apart in his characteristically crude way. What one witnessed was a karaoke type stand up comedy that was more suited to a shanky nightclub but not to a ceremony like the LSAs. Humour is necessary to make these ceremonies work – Shah Rukh Khan and Saif Ali Khan put people in fits of laughter at the Filmfare Awards in India – but that humour shouldn’t be at the expense of pulling the stars down. The audience was left between cringing and giggling embarrassedly. These bad vibes prevailed throughout the show, making way for the ultimate Shaan-Iman Ali showdown at the end.

Between the absent Shoaib Mansoor, Shaan and Iman Ali, it was three way warfare with poor Fawad Khan stepping in as referee. The animosity that Shoaib and Iman have against Shaan is no secret; they have all been making public statements about it but the last episode was absolutely cringe worthy. Shaan should not have taken the LSAs as a platform to tear Shoaib Mansoor down but then again Shoaib Mansoor should have given him the respect he deserves as the hero of his film. Mr Mansoor had apparently requested that Iman and Fawad receive his award for Best Film and not Shaan. Iman then further provoked Shaan by telling Fawad that ‘he’ was the best part of the film, indicating that Shaan got the award instead as “there was a bias”.

Eager to act the mediator, Fawad called Shaan on stage to “complete the picture” and that was just the cue Shaan needed to start tearing Shoaib Mansoor down. Once again, people in the audience could be seen looking everywhere but at the stage. In a way, Shaan’s tirade was more unpatriotic than Ali Azmat’s cheap jokes. If you’re part of a film that has won praise all over the world, then as an actor you promote that film and your team; you don’t “go home and feed your dog” as Shaan clarified he did. Between Shoaib Mansoor’s absence (he always gets away with his public image of being reclusive though he should have been there to receive his award), Iman Ali’s pettiness and Shaan’s egotistical monologue, one was left in an uncomfortable situation. If these are our top stars, then God help the industry from self destructing!

Bridging the great divide:
All that said, in no way could Pakistan’s so-called stars take away from the moments of glory, glory that belonged entirely to the younger stars in the making, like Fawad Khan, for instance.

Fawad was clearly the show stopper as he danced with Saeen Zahoor to the tune of ‘Allah Hoo’ (from the Khuda Kay Liye soundtrack) and as Atif Aslam and Shehzad Roy joined the iconic sufi folk singer Reshma and collaborated with her on the hugely famous ‘Lambi Judai’ and ‘Chori Chori’. These are songs which were picked up by the Indian film industry almost two decades ago, when the Pakistani pop industry was non existent. One was taken for blockbuster Jackie Shroff’s debut film Hero (1983), and the other adapted to Dimple Kapadia’s Lekin (1990) as ‘Yaara Seeli Seeli’, And now as Pakistani music looms large over Bollywood, it was absolutely heartening to see the generations coming together in acknowledgement of each other.

Watching Fawad Khan in his western avatar, grooving next to the whirling dervish Saeen Zahoor dressed in folk magnificence, was also a sight for sore eyes. The impact of the two coming together was strong, almost soul stirring. And it sent out a very strong message as to where entertainment in Pakistan should be heading. It’s all about paying tribute to legends – something the LSAs have set the trend for by giving importance to Mehdi Hassan, Naheed Akhtar, Runa Laila and now Reshma – as well as building new stars. And it’s as much about creating the right links.

When the Lux Style Awards started way back in 2002, their future was uncertain and critics predicted the show would pack up within a few years. Pakistan simply didn’t have enough star quotient to carry them through, they believed. But over the years the LSAs have helped make stars just as much as they have helped keep the older ones in the spotlight. And this is one of their biggest achievements.

And so this year’s LSAs also paved the way for new talent, talent that is soaring new heights these days. Jal walked away with three awards – for Song of the Year and Album of the Year while sharing the spotlight with the hugely talented Bilal Lashari, who had directed the video of ‘Sajni’, for Best Video of the Year. Former winners of this category, video directors Saqib Mailk and Asim Reza sat in the front and clapped him on, which once again meant a lot in terms of encouragement and industry building. The Jal boys were of course ecstatic, even thanking Atif Aslam in their acceptance speech though it wasn’t clear whether they were being sarcastic or simply thanking him in good faith.

Later the boys – Atif and Jal – performed live at the end of the show. And despite bagging three awards, Jal were totally overshadowed by Atif Aslam going live but they sat through the performance in good spirit. The crowd went hysterical with delight as Atif belted out the massively popular ‘Pehli Nazar Mein’ and the Jal boys applauded with great dignity.

In fashion, Maheen Karim, Rizwan-ul Haq and Rabia Butt won awards for Best Pret, Best Photographer and Best Emerging Talent respectively. To witness the industry actually acknowledge talent this green is indicative of how visions are broadening. Seven years ago, pr

Beyond the long shadow of Fuzon (instep analysis)

The original Fuzon and their debut, Saagar, is considered one of the best albums of the decade. But the band didn’t last. Shafqat Amanat Ali went solo with Tabeer while Fuzon recreated themselves with a new vocalist Rameez Mukhtar and a new album Journey.

By Maheen Sabeeh

Butterfly effect
The original Fuzon has the kind of complicated, tortuous story that would send a less dynamic band into oblivion. However, since this former trio is as compelling as it gets; they have all survived on.
Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan is now a solo trooper in the music scene. Meanwhile former band mates Shallum Xavier and Emu resuscitated their claim to fame act Fuzon with a new singer, Rameez Mukhtar.
And fortunately both acts delivered on their promise of a new album ala Shafqat’s Tabeer and Fuzon’s Journey.

Now though with both records out, the question that one
predicted since the band first broke up has been hanging in the air: which is better? Most importantly, does it surpass the genius of Saagar?

Neither of the two can be answered in a simple yes or no. The only thing more complicated than creating an actual record is deciphering the feeling behind it and its timing. There is a trickle down effect to every piece of music created. What Saagar did for the music industry is very different from what Tabeer and Journey are doing. And that is exactly the case here. But first a look at the two records…

Tabeer vs Journey: the similarities
In some ways, Tabeer and Journey are similar. Both boast of incredibly powerful singers. Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan is of course the bigger draw. The son of Ustad Amanat Ali Khan, the seventh son from the prestigious Patiala gharana has deep, untainted vocals that remain unmatchable. Not enough can be said for the sheer power of Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan. It is the kind of voice that is not only inimitable but one that stands tall in front of both pop superstars and rock chameleons.

Rameez Mukhtar, while not exactly another Shafqat in the making, is a decent singer and is capable of hitting just the right notes without being off key, which is just such an underrated feat today in the industry. We often tend to dismiss the ‘baysura’ element in our singers in front of other qualities such as star power, popularity and other factors. And this is where Rameez delivers.

The other similarity is that of ‘fusion’ itself.

Shafqat and Fuzon have stated that their records are a fusion of genres. While the songwriting is driven from Eastern ethos such as raags and kafis from ancient kalaams by Sufi names, the music is made contemporary, making it more relatable for an entire generation unaware of the massive heritage that we call our own.

Fuzon’s (the new one) lead single, ‘Neend Na Aaye’ is driven from Raag Aiman while Shafqat’s Pagalpan off Tabeer is an inspiration from Sindhi folk. Both Shafqat and Fuzon have based their music around basic compositions that have been around for quite some time.

The difference

Tabeer
As always, it isn’t a composition, on its own that makes it a favourite with fans but the treatment that makes the real, long lasting difference. And when it comes to treatment, Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan takes the cake.

From nowhere does Tabeer sound like Saagar. This album swells and expands in directions that Saagar never took.

Unlike Saagar, Tabeer is hardly mournful. Au contraire, it is a concoction of songs that have a kind of universal melancholy that sporadically plays with the sunshine effect.

‘Khairheyan De Naal’ based on a composition by Tufail Niazi, with its languid nature, subtle guitars and rolling drums is astonishing.

The Darbari-based ‘Kartar’ is the high point of Shafqat’s vocal virtuosity and with the grandiose orchestration, it is brilliant.

Meanwhile ‘Rohi’ (originally sung by Zahida Parveen) is an intriguing blend of East-West. The sparse and peaceful introduction just gives it a soothing tone and the beautiful flute gives this tune such a solid character.

On ‘Naina’ tinkling piano notes, smooth guitars, subtle percussion and storytelling-like lyrics make it one of the many powerful songs on this record.

‘Rang Le’ and ‘Bulleh Shah’ are the dark, haunting tunes of the record with calming vocals and atmospheric mood.

Manqabat’ and ‘Dum Ali Ali Dum’ despite the many versions around have the kind of magic that is glorious yet restrained, totally gripping and impeccable.

The only flaw on the record comes in the form of ‘Pagalpan’. Driven from Sindhi folk, it is just chaotic due to its electronica-like treatment that just makes the tune more Bollywood-esque than anything else. The music just doesn’t work on this.

Journey
Journey began where Saagar left off. The main distinction came in two forms: the singer that was replaced and the music that is a lot more crunchier. On its own, Journey is a decent debut record. I say debut because it is the first time Shallum, Emu and Rameez have worked together on a full-fledged album and the equation between them has just begun.

Songs like ‘Ab Hum Kahan Hain’, ‘Choo Le’ and ‘Pari’ are made for concert tunes. Shallum’s tryst with guitars is never too outlandish. He pulls everything between a Salman Ahmed to The Edge (U2) and makes it work while Emu proves his prowess as a keyboardist who can play magically and yet restrain himself.

There are gems of ballads that are equally entertaining as they are beautiful. ‘Suna Suna’ and ‘Neend Na Aaye’ are the two examples and it isn’t just the somber music that does the trick. Rameez Mukhtar emotes as a singer and stretches the songs in the right directions, hitting all the right notes along the way.

‘Joo Dil Ne Kaha’ which is perhaps the moodiest tune on the record with its sharp instrumentation, crisp sound and haunting vocals is beautiful.

But like most albums, the flaws here are glaring. ‘Atish O Aab’ is an extremely weak melody that is downright forgettable while ‘Teri Yaadan’ and ‘Dholna’ are plagued with weak vocals.

The verdict
Comparisons are inevitable. Tabeer and Journey have once again called for them. Between the two albums, it is Tabeer that holds more power, not just because of Shafqat’s vocals but the music that is daring, different and experimental.

Tabeer uses verses from Tufail Niazi, late Zahida Parveen, Amir Khusro, and qawwalis like ‘Dum Ali Ali Dum’ but it keeps the traditional rustic feel alive while creating a juggernaut of sound that not only distances itself from a mighty album like Saagar but takes a step forward.

Tabeer is soulful, yet musically it is challenging. On the first hear, one might inadvertently mistake it as a Bollywood like album. But listen closely. The majestic orchestration is neither as chaotic nor is it too convoluted like most Bollywood music.

In comparison to Saagar, many have said it pales. But that is hardly true. The real truth is that Saagar was a phenomenal debut that made for easy listening with its simple yet beautiful sound. Tabeer dares to experiment. It is more complex and intricate.

It was one of the few records that managed to make every song stand out. Be it the beautiful ‘Khamaj’, the playful ‘Deewanay’ or the subtle ‘Tera Bina’.

‘Ankhon Kay Saagar’, Fuzon’s first video wasn’t exactly one of their finest. It was just a platform for the men to perform and they did just that. And it worked like a charm.

Fuzon became so popular that they managed to make videos with coveted music video directors like Saqib Malik (’Khamaj’, ‘Deewanay’) and Jami (’Ankhian’).

Saagar wasn’t just another album. It was a record that created three stars. Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan became one of the most talked about singers. Meanwhile veterans like Shallum Xavier and Emu, who had been around in the music industry for a decade, finally tasted commercial success. For the first time, the spotlight was on all three men and they became a part of the pop juggernaut.

But after just one record, Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, Shallum Xavier and Emu separated. And that not only sent shockwaves throughout the industry but it changed the stakes for all three men.

A rewind…
With Saagar’s release in India, Shafqat’s vocals became famous. So much so that Shankar Mahadevan (of Shankar-Ehsan-Loy fame) tracked Shafqat down and offered him a playback singing number which turned out to be Karan Johar’s magnum opus, star-studded Kabhie Alvida Naa Kehna that featured among others Shah Rukh Khan. This was in 2006. Soon after, things started taking a sour turn for the band.

A rift of sorts began within the band. When three men start thinking differently, a clash becomes inevitable. And that is what had happened.

Before the band officially called it off, the long delayed second album was in shambles. Each had his reason.

Shallum Xavier attributed the delayed sophomore album to sour record label deals. Without a solid record deal, Fuzon wasn’t going to release its record.

Emu blamed it on bad record label deal and Shafqat. He claimed that Fuzon’s manager Sen Management (Erum, Nazia and Sania Saeed) caused the rift. Sen Management, in Emu’s words, was managing Shafqat more.

Back then, Shafqat didn’t bring up breaking up or any problems within the band. His take was that an album deal was in the pipeline. But with three different opinions, the break up was inevitable.

And when the band broke up, Instep (along with the entire media brigade) received a press release that introduced Rameez Mukhtar as the new vocalist. The press release didn’t even mention Shafqat or his reason for a departure.

It was a bitter break up of an incredible band that together made an album that remains one of the finest ever done in this country.

The new game
After going solo, Shafqat’s career picked up even more. After making it big with ‘Mitwa’ off Kabhie Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), Shafqat’s worth within Pakistan and abroad only increased. After all, the song was featured on Shah Rukh Khan. While working on Tabeer, Shafqat also struck gold in Bollywood. He sang on KANK, then Dor and recently on the Salman Khan starrer Hello. Among other projects is Nagesh Kukunoor’s John Abraham starrer Aashaeyin. He is also in talks with AR Rahman. Shafqat is also planning another album, after the promotion of Tabeer is over, with Rohail Hyatt and that album, he says, will feature songs that he wrote for Fuzon back when he was in the band.

Recently Shafqat also sang on the soundtrack of the Pakistani film Ramchand Pakistani.

Debajyoti Mishra (Raincoat fame), the music director of the film, specially asked for Shafqat for this project to director Mehreen Jabbar. And not surprisingly, the film’s music has won rave reviews universally.

Tabeer has just released but the response has been solid, according to Shafqat. When this article goes in print, Shafqat will be off to India for a series of concerts.

In comparison, the new Fuzon’s career graph is not looking so bright. The band made the blunder of making ‘Neend Na Aaye’ their first lead single off Journey. ‘Neend Na Aaye’ had already been heard as the old Fuzon’s tune and had leaked over the Internet in Shafqat’s voice. As opposed to releasing a brand new tune, the band released ‘Neend Na Aaye’ as their own tune, with Rameez replacing Shafqat. And while it may be their best single, it always reminds one of Shafqat.

The new Fuzon released videos and even toured India. But with other acts like Ali Azmat, Zeb and Haniya, Azal, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Strings – all out with fantastic new albums, Fuzon’s worth in the market has diminished. The new Fuzon just hasn’t been able to make a big splash, the kind one first witnessed when Saagar had happened.

In the end
Tabeer may not become the next Saagar but then again, how could it possibly be? Fuzon was three men, with hugely diverse music influences coming together. And Tabeer is just Shafqat. But for Shafqat, it is still a pretty effective record. The sales are up and Shafqat is making all the right moves. He has struck a fabulous deal in India where Tabeer is being promoted all over the place. And for him, it is just the beginning.

On the other hand, Journey hasn’t created the same effect for Fuzon. Rameez Mukhtar has just entered the spotlight and he is trying to fill in the shoes of Shafqat, which is certainly not easy.
This round has been won by Shafqat. It remains to be seen where Fuzon go from here but for them to last, the shadow of old Fuzon has to be replaced. Unfortunately Journey hasn’t done that.

What if?
One can’t help but ask what if original Fuzon hadn’t separated?

Shafqat’s popularity rose while he was with Fuzon. He had solo offers that he pursued and that created resentment within the band. There were obvious problems of miscommunication and misunderstanding between Shallum, Emu and Shafqat.

But what if… they had worked through those differences?

Between the three of them was Saagar and with three schools of music coming together, it was one hell of an album. It was magic just like Talaash and Azadi were for Junoon and Hum Tum was for the Vital Signs. Our bet is that had the original line-up survived together, they could’ve created a melting pot of Tabeer and Journey. Just imagine that! And now we’ll never know…

Ali Azmat Is Not Dead by Madeeha Syed

The last Ali Azmat gig I attended was a Junoon concert sometime in 1998 at the Alliance Françoise in Karachi. Needless to say, I was pushed around, got an accidental bonk on my head from the danda of a policeman who was supposed to be a part of the security arrangements and saw people doing the bhangra in front of the stage while throwing glass bottles at the musicians. There were others who were trying to scale the walls of the venue with baton-wielding policemen trying to ward them off. It was utter and complete madness. To top it off, by the time I got in Junoon had already performed their last two songs and left the stage. I vowed never to go to a concert open for the public in Pakistan ever again.

I’ve broken the promise I made then several times. The exceptions were the Brian Adams’ concert in January 2006 and a Bayview concert held later that year as well in which the original Fuzon, Mekaal Hasan Band and Noori performed — without Ali Jafri, although he did come on stage to perform one song. Gumby was still a part of Noori during that concert although the band officially split right after they performed on stage.

After performing a plethora of concerts abroad right after the launch of the much-awaited Klashinfolk, Ali Azmat finally performed in Karachi last week. The concert was organised by a local university and when I got there, I was taken aback to see how parking stretched on for well over a mile outside the venue with police patrolling the area. Once inside, I could see a gatecrasher trying to jump over a wall and a bunch of (presumably) male students running towards him and beating the crap out of him. More and more students joined in till several policemen rushed to the spot. The scenario brought back a feeling of déjà vu — it was reminiscent of what used to happen at Junoon concerts — ten years hadn’t changed anything.

Once inside, the performance area was full of excited students and by the looks of it, I braced myself for potential trouble. Making my way to the backstage area, which was really nothing more than a part of an empty ground, on the left hand side of which Zeeshan Parwez was shooting footage of the concert and the audience (I’m assuming for the next Ali Azmat music video). From where we stood the stage and the audience were clearly visible.

The Ali Azmat band, which featured Waqar ‘Wacky’ Khan on drums, performed several numbers off Klashinfolk, including Gallan, Yeh Kya Hua and Ley Sumbhal. It was heartwarming to see Ali give himself to the crowd — he interacted with them and encouraged them to sing along. But it was the crowd’s response, which I reiterate was predominantly composed of the 17-year-old to 21-year-old age group, that was pleasantly surprising.

They sang along with him and hooted in excitement if Ali so much as bent forward to come closer to them. But I think a moment that stood out was when a member of the audience threw a plastic water bottle at Ali which he promptly kicked off the stage. Anyone who’s been to a Junoon concert knows that the band was often pelted with glass soft-drink bottles that at times can prove to be hazardous. Anyone at such a concert can vouch for the fact that there have been times when the band has stopped performing and asked the crowd to behave.

However, according to Ali, concerts are too few and far in between to begin with in this day and age when so much socio-political activity is going on in the country to depress its inhabitants. He then collectively asked the audience to condemn the bottle-thrower. And surprise, surprise! All one could see were palms risen in the air. The culprit had been publicly shamed.

The band was called in to perform an encore which they did, one of which was requested by the audience of Garaj Baras. Ali ended the concert by speaking about how he thoroughly enjoyed the experience and how it was what he looked forward to as a musician.

The moment the concert ended another fight erupted outside the performance area. What was frustrating was that there were members of the faculty standing about who seemed least concerned. I assume that they were there to see that the students of that university and their guests behaved. So why the indifference, guys?

Having said that, the concert was an experience-and-a-half. Those who previously stated that Ali’s prime audience had aged with him and that he does not appeal to the ‘young’ crowd anymore… think again. The only other time I had seen a crowd respond this way was when Noori first took to performing on stage. If this wasn’t a testimony of Ali Azmat still being a predominant rock star, I don’t know what is.

Concert Review: All That Kolachi Jazz by Khaver Siddiqi

They say that jazz is an acquired taste. If that is so, then Karachi has quite an appetite for it. On a brisk Saturday evening the jazz/fusion group, the Kolachi Quartet, performed a gig at the PACC.

Pakistan?s prominent percussionist Gumby handled the drums, classical guitarist Abbas Premjee helmed the guitar, Khalid Khan of Aaroh provided the bass lines and finally rounding things off, Emu (Fuzon) chimed in with his synthesiser and keyboards.

The who?s who of the entertainment industry loitered around the entrance of the inner theatre where the concert was set to take place as TV stars, musicians, photographers and models mingled with the band members.

The Kolachi Quartet had performed before, but that was a special performance away from the prying eyes of the public. This time round they opened their doors to them, although there weren?t enough members of the general public around. As the lights dimmed, the musicians took to the stage looking relaxed and grinning at each other. Abbas greeted the audience and announced the opening track, Oops, and like a well-oiled machine each musician fell into place.

At first nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But when put in their individual perspective, each musician brought his own flair, passion and sound, and when they came together their music gelled perfectly. Oops was jumpy and upbeat, filled with a jazzy and fusion sound while giving a sneak peak into what the show was all about. That Sinking Feeling followed and with it the band moved to a slower tune.

Although jazz is ambient music, the band made sure they were the centre of attention. ?We haven?t given this one a name yet, but we call it the Kirwani Jam,? said Premjee as an untitled piece beginning with an erratic but stable beat followed. It wasn?t long before the audience got into the grove.

The band then welcomed Zara on stage. The singer was previously heard on the Khuda Key Liye soundtrack and although she did justice to it, her live act was less impressive. Suniye Ji was a soft ballad with her vocals sinking into the ambience created by the band. At times she seemed a bit lost, but through most of it she was on track. After another track with her, the band took a break as Abbas Premjee took the stage to perform a few solo compositions. From crescendos to soft whispers, he showed off his training in the guitar ? and the audience loved it.

The band regrouped and was joined by Irfan from Multan who sings in his native tongue. Although he stumbled a bit at first, he found his own temperament and settled in with the band. After the concert, the band spoke about the premise of the concert with much glee. It was clear that not only did they enjoy playing as a group, they did so as individual musicians as well.

?This was probably more for us as musicians than as a band performing for an audience,? said Gumby. Emu agreed, ?It?s just something that had to be done. As a musician, I?ve always been into jazz but never had the opportunity to play it live or as a part of a band.? Khalid added, ?This was our first public concert and it was amazing.?

When asked if they would ever release an album, Gumby said, ?Every piece that was played in the concert, except for one, was an improvisation. We?ve practiced a basic structure but apart from that it?s not something that can be captured on a disc, it has to be done live in front of an audience.?

?This is total improvisation, the essence of jazz music,? Emu reiterated. Guitarist Premjee echoed the same sentiments, ?Jazz music is spontaneous, you can?t have that on a disc. It?s meant to be played live hence we?d like to do more shows.? Bassist Khalid said, ?We can probably look into a record but at the moment we?re planning on doing more shows.?

The band faced one criticism. Jazz music as a genre is extremely niche in Pakistan at the moment. There are very few people who play it, and even fewer who appreciate it. ?That?s right,? said Gumby, ?it is niche but at the same time we?re doing it and it?s not like nobody came to the show.?

Whereas the majority of the band agreed upon its niche genre, Abbas Premjee had a different view, ?I don?t think its niche at all and if it is, it?s less than ghazals and everything else that we have.? Premjee insisted that more shows would lead to jazz becoming a broader genre than it is.

Individually, the Kolachi Quartet members have a busy schedule up ahead. Premjee spoke about his solo album Elements and that it would be released shortly. Khalid Khan spoke about Aaroh, ?We?re working on some new songs that will lead into a new album.? Emu and his band continue to broaden their audiences, ?We?re (Fuzon) going to India again soon, so that should be exciting.? Finally, Gumby has his hands full working on Abbas Premjee?s album, providing drums for other people (Kaavish?s upcoming record) and ultimately more Kolachi Quartet shows.

Source: DAWN

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