Coming of age and into their own

The musical journey of Ali Zafar and Atif Aslam
Looking back and to the future of the brightest stars in Pakistani pop…

By Maheen Sabeeh
With every generation comes a change.

If music is a barometer, then this generation will be defined by two men. Both are young, daring, different, vulnerable and ultimately icons. Their names are splattered across blogs, forums, magazines and billboards. Songs they sang years ago still live on in memory even as they are incessantly repeated on television. They’ve charmed us collectively with their respective voices that stay in our heads long after the strains of their melodies fade. They have conquered hearts and minds of Pakistan in way that Uncle Sam never can. Those men are Ali Zafar and Atif Aslam.

Pakistan loves them because we have witnessed their journey from boys to men. We woke up to their talent with Ali Zafar’s cheeky ‘Channo’ and Atif’s intense ‘Aadat’. One set our feet tapping, the other resonated deep within us. Both melodies worked their way into our heads and we new that a new kind of music had arrived.

If Alamgir, Nazia and Zoheb Hassan defined the eighties, Vital Signs and Junoon were the voices of the nineties, than in the same vein, Ali Zafar and Atif Aslam who surfaced in 2003 and 2004 respectively are the stars of the new millennium.
Instep looks back…

Then and now: Atif Aslam
The story of Atif Aslam is an inspiring one. Atif was middle-class boy who came out of nowhere, blew onto the scene with one song (‘Aadat’) credited to a band called Jal which no one had really heard of and miraculously never looked back.

As the ‘Aadat’ phenomenon grew (it was the era where Junoon was on the rocks and Noori and Strings were really the only ones making cutting edge music Atif parted ways with Jal (namely Gohar Mumtaz). There was one consequence: his debut album was shrouded in controversy. There were beautiful songs…’Jalpari’, ‘Dil Haarey’ and ‘Aadat’ but we listened to these songs in wonder. And because of their popularity, the controversy grew.

Who wrote it, really? Jal’s debut consisted of exactly the same songs. We, the press, kept grilling the issue because it was interesting. A certain level of cynicism is allowed in Pakistan… and could anyone be certain? No, the real truth lies with Atif Aslam and former band mate Gohar Mumtaz. But that was a long time ago. And since then, Atif has proved his credentials time and again as a star and a talent to be reckoned with.

And he did it on gut instinct alone. Atif ventured into India where doing songs for B-grade films didn’t bother him. It was his way of reaching out to another audience, one that could choose to not welcome him. But Atif was always confident… he would do it or die trying. Whether it was Kalyug or Zeher, bad club mixes of Atif’s haunting tracks or Emraan Hashmi killing the visuals, Atif didn’t stop.

He went one step further with Doorie, his second album. The album was a super hit although it was painfully commercial stuff that sold on the shoulders of Atif’s unmistakable voice. It wasn’t coming from him, though. There was no ‘Kinara’ there. In an interview after the record, Atif had said, “It’s more difficult to do commercial music like Doorie because it is more challenging in a sense.” He was right. And at that point in his career Atif wanted to sell records.

He believed that getting a fan base would allow him to do what he really wanted to do later and he admitted that Doorie was music to sell and not necessarily good music. Indeed, in his pursuit of fame and fortune, Atif was as unabashed as the Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan who was the first star to openly claim that he would dance at weddings for money. We may have criticized Atif for selling out, but we could never call him a liar. Even back then, his honesty was endearing.

Then came Meri Kahani on which Atif teamed up with the Overload guys Farhad Humayun, Mahmood Rehman and others. It didn’t have the magic of Jalpari. And Atif’s vocal experiments in the studio didn’t have the same effect. The record was, at least honest. And that was Atif returning to his roots. Under heavy firing for his weird sense of style (which has gotten better with time), unapologetic for his not-so-inspiring tunes in his early days, the star of Atif Aslam continued to rise.

In the music industry, Atif’s reputation even took a hit because of his brother and manager Shabaz Aslam. Initial fashion disasters (Shabaz is behind Atif’s wardrobe) weren’t the only reason. The brothers developed a reputation of playing good cop and bad cop. There were umpteen complaints about how pushy and demanding a manager Shabaz was, but he obviously did a good job.

Now, this reputation has slowed down as Atif is coming in to his own. One example: Coke Studio.

As Atif Aslam joined the ranks of Coke Studio this year, the haze around him disappeared altogether. Shahbaz didn’t even go on the sets and Atif for once gave in completely to the joy of making music for music’s sake. The musician in him danced and charmed, inspired and experimented with some of the finest musicians this country has produced and the rest is history.

Then and now: Ali Zafar
Ali Zafar’s story is equally interesting and intriguing.

He came and leaped at us as the blue-eyed boy in the entertaining ‘Channo’. It took Ali three years to work on that record. He modeled on the side and worked his way up and worked with names like Tariq Amin, Nabila and Khawar Riaz in his early years. To see him in his element, you have to see Ali Zafar at a concert live. He changes sentiment from song to song, singing both with his heart and his head. But before we saw Ali Zafar mesmerize Pakistan with ‘Allah Hoo’, he was the boy who made us dance and clap along with the spring in his step and the twinkle in his eye and a voice that reminded us of Kishore Kumar.
The record Ali Zafar debuted with was called Huqa Pani and it took influences from the Arabian nights, Western beats as well as Eastern roots. It was a fun album to be taken with a pinch of salt, yet masterfully executed. And there was no doubt that Ali’s voice was eastern and beautiful and its purity would be reflected throughout his music in the coming years.

In 2006, Ali Zafar released the playful and soulful Masty, his follow-up to Huqa Pani. 2006 is (ironically) also the year when Atif Aslam returned with his third record, Meri Kahani. Doorie had elevated his star power tremendously and Atif was arriving on its trailing coat tails. It was an exciting year. For the first time, Ali and Atif were going head to head. But Atif took the glory often because of his self-confidence and the fact that he had three albums in a span of three years to his credit and Bollywood was now calling out with more than B-grade offers.

Ali Zafar, on the other hand, was always a little more torn and vulnerable. His career may have started like wild fire but he had seen the firing of critics just the same. His career moves were also not as gutsy as Atif’s. He was always concerned about his image and what people would think – refusing a role in Shoaib Mansoor’s Khuda Kay Liye because it was too controversial.

Ali (along with his then-girlfriend, now-wife Ayesha Fazli) was abducted last year in Lahore and was released after paying a hefty sum of 2.5 million rupees. It was a fearful situation that compounded his fears of being a superstar. Ali’s refusal to talk about the incident led to further conspiracy theories. These events did effect Ali but he is held his head high.

The very fact that Ali Zafar walked the line between fashion and music was intriguing and often questioned. Ali Zafar has always been measured and careful. While Atif just did it and justified it, Ali Zafar always wanted to do it right so he did hold back.

Self-doubt in an artist is not all that uncommon. The front man of one of the biggest bands in the world (Chris Martin of Coldplay) came to doubt himself in the wake of international criticism over their 2005 record X and Y. Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan is another example. The man never thinks he’s done a good job. He always passes the credit to the filmmakers. Aamir Khan wears the coat of method acting and avoids publicity unless his film is comes out. He walks a thin line.

Ali Zafar is walking the same thin line. One conversation with Coke Studio co-producer Umber Hyatt comes to mind.

“He changed on that floor… it began last year with ‘Allah Hoo’… Ali is searching for something,” Umber had said. And she hit the nail on the head.

The floor Umber referred to was of Coke Studio where Ali stunned last year with his vocal dexterity and soul on ‘Allah Hoo’. He belted out some of his most popular numbers like ‘Rangeen’, ‘Chal Dil Meray’, ‘Janay Na Koi’ but ‘Allah Hoo’ was Ali Zafar’s arrival on a radically different and welcoming note all over again. This year, like Atif, Ali joined Coke Studio and like Atif, he shone for entirely different reasons.

Two is better than one
Atif and Ali are not two peas in a pod. They are similar but not the same. They are both musicians but they both are still finding themselves. They are just in their twenties. Neither of them released an album this year. They are both working on their next offerings with more effort, zeal and passion than ever. They refuse to divulge information and they don’t play games either.

The situation in India can’t stop them either. In the wake of Mumbai attacks, neither Atif nor Ali Zafar were going the Bollywood way. And strangely enough, the timing was perfect in a sense. Coke Studio season two was beginning and the two joined in. The collective goodwill behind the show translated to our pop stars.

“They were reserved but the guard came off, slowly. Atif and Ali are like my young brothers. They are superstars. They can throw their weight around but they didn’t,” remembers Rohail Hyatt fondly.

Come to India and as the situation is getting better, Atif and Ali are going back again.
Atif recorded a new tune for the Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif starrer Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Ali is traveling to India frequently but refuses to give out information. He did however mention that he dropped the lead role in Mahesh Bhatt’s Jashnn and we’re really glad he did… but the real point is not Bollywood. It is the ability to recognize their own potential and they are both doing just that.

We have seen them the entire summer right up till Independence Day with Coke Studio. Atif paid homage to Michael Jackson in the experimental ‘Wasta Pyar Da’ and went forward with Ustaad Riyaz Ali Khan on ‘Kinara’. He released the thought provoking and rocking ‘Humein Kya Huwa Hai’ and it was an honest piece of Atif’s music. It is coming together for him, it seems.

Ali Zafar did just the same. Taking the ‘Allah Hoo’ step forward, Ali wrote ‘Dastaan-e-Ishq’ with Baqir Hussain and flew sky high. His folk tribute to the original creator of ‘Yaar Dhadee’ – Ustad M Jumman – didn’t go unnoticed either. These were honest moments of music and it was the Coke Studio environment that helped.

In later conversations, both Ali and Atif maintain that it is important to realize the worth of our own music and treasure it. It’s this frame of mind that didn’t stop them from working with the likes of Saeen Tufail Ahmed (Ali Zafar) and Ustad Riyaz Ali Khan (Atif Aslam) without any musical hangover of the West. Discovery, intrigue and self-realisation struck inevitably and we saw some incredible music from both of them.

And that is not all they are doing this year.

Atif and Ali are both trying to understand the economics behind the business of music and they are both trying to figure it out, as individuals and as artists who are hoping to create a united front. Amidst the stories of a Union for Pop (in the pipeline), Ali and Atif are researching how the business of music works internationally. It is a necessary effort, one that hasn’t fully blown into effect but one that just might change the stakes.

The business of music is changing rapidly. The medium of releasing music is changing. It’s the digital age and we just can’t deny its reach. Spending one day on the web googling Atif and Ali is a daunting task. From fans to foes, they are all there… writing, commenting, reading and downloading Atif and Ali Zafar.

Irrespective of what the world assumes about them, they are both actually friends, even though the cynic in most of us, refuses to believe that. Atif jammed with Ali Zafar and many other musicians at Ali’s house earlier this year without hesitation. He was invited to Ali’s wedding and he showed up. These guys are genuinely friends, perhaps because they have risen together to be in the same position which no one else can really understand as well.

And despite being two of the biggest stars, neither carries a diva-like attitude. Ali has come to let his self-created guard down with time. He is more open and receptive to the media now more than ever. Atif is learning to take criticism with a pinch of salt and that is as valuable as understanding the importance of media. They are more comfortable in their own skin and that reflects in their brilliant songs at Coke Studio.

From Gumby to Zeeshan Parwez, Assad Ahmed to Rohail Hyatt – all describe Ali and Atif as decent, down-to-earth guys. The many conversations that led to this final draft don’t need too much recap. Atif and Ali Zafar are who they are. They have made some mistakes, they have suffered through criticism but they are still here. They shine through their songs and performances, shows and their own individual path that is as much a mystery to us as it is to them. And that is how it should be.

Ultimately they’re etched in memory because of their talent. Their music entertains, delights and sometimes enlightens us and if any artist manages that and has his feet rooted firmly in the ground; it is an admirable way of being.

So here’s to a new chapter in Pakistani pop… thanks to these two, the future’s looking bright.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince****

*ing: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Helena Bonham Carter, Maggie Smith and David Thewlis.
Directed by David Yates
Tagline: Once again I must ask too much of you, Harry.

We walked the castle of Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry with Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry Potter – the Chosen One, the Boy Who Lived with the first installment of the magical franchise, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It has been six years since, Hogwarts has changed and so has Harry. As the sixth film in the Harry Potter franchise rolls, we explore the anxiety and growing pains of Harry Potter, the troubled and estranged past of Lord Voldermort (Ralph Fiennes) and the genius and the monster buried within him.
With this film, the series has leaped forward as a link to the past (much like the book) into a darker terrain, one where the unthinkable finally happens.

The journey of Harry Potter rings true as far as growing up goes. The conflict and confusion of entering adolescence and trying to find focus strikes a chord. In this film, romance also surfaces for Harry and his two best friends, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) like never before. And even Harry seems to have discovered his one true love – Ron’s sister Ginny Weasley.

The film picks up from right where The Order of the Phoenix trailed off… Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black is dead and Lord Voldermort’s return is finally accepted by everyone including the Ministry of Magic. The magical world has become darker. Voldermort’s evil minions, the Death Eaters, led by Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) run wild as they are chased by Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) and his diminishing army.

This film, like all Harry Potter movies, has many undercurrents. The most impact comes in the late night travels of Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter into the past of Tom Marvolo Riddle, the boy who became the greatest dark wizard of all times – Lord Voldermort. These journey’s are the focus of the sixth book as Dumbledore imparts his insight to Harry, who is now old enough to be exposed to darkness at its worst. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is grim, cold and emotionally compelling from the first scene.

It’s a rite of passage for Harry towards what lies ahead. Dumbledore is showing him the ropes and giving him assignments like cleverly manipulating Professor Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) and luring him back to the halls of Hogwarts. Harry also has to endure watching Professor Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) finally take hold of the one position he had been gunning for from day one – to be Professor of the Dark Arts. But Harry’s one obsession throughout the film is that he suspects that his young nemesis Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) has an assignment from the Dark Lord himself.

Draco is no longer the same. No one can disobey the Dark Lord. Draco is terrified and conflicted. Yet he chooses to keep his surface intact, in a way akin to Harry Potter, who is covered in blood more often than not. Then there is an Unbreakable Vow between Severus Snape and Narcissa Malfoy (Helen McCrory), Draco’s mother and then there is the Half Blood Prince whose notes in an old text book make Harry the best in Potions in his class. But he has no idea about who the Half-Blood Prince really was…

The story of Harry Potter has always been a compelling one. Harry, the orphaned boy who we first met as an 11-year-old has grown into a confident wizard with perplexing emotions yet a will to fight the fight. This Harry Potter is admirably rolling with the punches even as confusion, death and fear permeate the air. As Harry has grown, the films have taken a more mature, appealing twist. Visually, it’s beautiful yet dark, sometimes eerie and sometimes simply stunning as Harry and friends play Quidditich in the blue skies on their brooms. The characters explore emotions that we’ve felt only in the books. When it comes to the transition from pages to scenes, it is safe to say that Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is the most alluring film since Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Some storylines may have been dropped and that is excusable because director David Yates has wonderfully spun the many themes of The Half-Blood Prince into a two and a half hour film without losing focus. It is an emotional film and the level of intrigue remains mysterious, clues are stained, self-doubt is palpable in Harry and questions arise at every step.

One coup that makes this film so gripping is its cast. The acting is impeccable and the ensemble cast is an enchantingly delightful one. Other than the usual youngsters, the seasoned actors from Britain who populate The Half-Blood Prince as good and bad wizards lend it more dimension and character. Jim Broadbent, who plays Professor Horace Slughorn is the latest addition to the well-rounded cast that includes other British actors like Michael Gambon’s now weary and wise Albus Dumbledore, the sharp yet adorable David Thewlis’ Remus Lupin and the strict yet loyal Professor Minerva McGonagall, played by Maggie Smith. Other actors who give stellar performances include Alan Rickman who plays the shrewd Severus Snape and plays both sides with such vigour and strength, you can’t figure out which one he’s really on. Helen Bonham Carter’s Bellatrix Lestrange is more deranged and wicked than ever. The young and pretty Evanna Lynch, who plays the wacky Luna Lovegood, is another girl who lives in her own world who adds some light to the otherwise depressing story. Emma Watson shines as Hermione Granger who is no longer just the book worm. And the most special of them all is without a doubt, Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry Potter. He is heartbreaking and emotional, alone yet still standing – he’s brilliant.

Some dialogues from the film lend it absolute conviction, especially when delivered by someone with as much skill and style as Michael Gambon, who at one points says to Harry: “In my life I have seen things that are truly horrific. Now I know you will see worse” or when he says to the students at Hogwarts, “Every day, every hour, this very minute, perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle’s walls. But in the end, their greatest weapon… is you.”

To look at this film as just another Harry Potter film would be unfair. The childish streak – which Chris Columbus of Home Alone fame installed in the earlier films (much to our dismay), is almost gone. The tension is painful, it feels real and growing. The light moments are few, and the days just get bleaker. Harry is now alone, finding a way back to recover from the colossal loss and betrayal that has changed the stakes forever. The troubled trial that lies ahead begins now. And we are riveted… waiting to watch the next and final installment before this fantasy comes to a close.

– Maheen Sabeeh

*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME

Under the iron sea

Three artists and three lovelorn records… Instep lends an ear to some new local music releases

By Maheen Sabeeh

Artist: Sharique Roomi
Album: Yakeen**

Sharique Roomi’s Yakeen should have ideally been titled: “Sharique Roomi and Kashan Admani”. For one thing, Kashan Admani (Mizmaar guitarist/producer) has played guitars and bass on almost every song except ‘Sab Darwaze’.

Come to the album inlay and it is as disappointing as it gets.

Every song has the same combination of guitars, bass and drums thrown in together. The mélange of instruments that made Coke Studio stand out, the range of eclectic sounds disposed by Rushk for that matter (who managed to create melancholically mournful layers of sounds and weave them into meloldies) – are all but missing here completely.

The similarity in songs is a turn-off. They wander directionless, hopelessly into musical terrain that is neither inviting nor intriguing enough to evoke a second glance. The examples are spread throughout this record.

‘Pyar Hai’ is catchy with some fantastic guitars (that do not go overboard and gel well with the rock-heavy melody) but ‘Teere Peeche’ takes the musical buzz away almost instantly. The riff sounds like a cut out of an Audioslave record. One wouldn’t call it a rip-off but a sense of déjà vu does arrive with this tune. Lyrically it’s a little funny as Sharique sings, ‘Tere Peeche Ayon Ga Ma/Seedhay Seedhay Tu Meray Saath Chal Ray/Warna Chilaoonga Mein’ – but the singing is monotone without conviction and the song is unable to redeem itself.

‘Khali Kaali Raat’ is electric rock and just might be a raging hit at concerts. But does it have the same soul as Noori’s new ‘Kedaar – Coke Studio mix’ or the fiery ‘Dil Ke Baaton Ko’ that Aaroh debuted on their debut Sawal? No. ‘Dil Ke Baaton Ko’ was in-your-face with tough plastered all over it and Farooq’s vocals had the same aggression as those volatile riffs, and the two melted in perfect symphony. These are just some examples. ‘Khali Kaali Raat’ has neither of those qualities.

‘Thoda Sa’ goes on about having fun in life amidst the doom and gloom that surrounds us. The message maybe right, especially for an entertainment-starved youth but the constant riffs, and the dull vocals are no help.

After Strings’s Koi Aanay Wala Hai and Ali Azmat’s Klashinfolk – the game for rock music just got a lot more textured. It is hard to compete as the tides fly towards stars like Atif Aslam and Ali Zafar and as Noori return with (in the coming weeks…) what sounds like their most mature effort yet – the genre of rock music just expanded into a whole new dimension and it has to be tackled with more than the ability to play or sing. Playing fabulous guitars and singing love songs is just fine but it isn’t enough to cut a memorable record.

Verdict: Yakeen might sit well with Roomi fans but a record with vision and consistency is what Sharique Roomi needs to walk the fine line between edgy rawness of rock and the haunting blues and ballads. Yakeen manages it but only in small patches.

Artist: Schaz
Album: Jalan*1/2
“Each and every track of this album contains a piece of me!” says Schaz in her album credits. And it’s clear that every piece of Schaz is lovelorn, celebrating and crying, dreading and dreaming and going through all the motions and emotions. The problem, however, is that neither the sound nor the vocals are sharp enough to grab the listener. Why would we sync it on iPods or request it on the radio when much better songs are out there?

It isn’t that this record is awful. No, it is promising… but in places. All the songs are written and composed by Schaz except one. It’s an important step as a young artist to attempt songwriting. Music is always more exciting when it’s personal and has heart behind it.
There is no doubt that Schaz’s debut single ‘Jalan’ worked. It was and still is this wonderfully enigmatic tune. Questioning, contemporary and bluesy, it was an impressive debut. But Schaz disappeared and has now returned with her solo album.

There is no buzz around the record and it remains unclear what the genre really is except for plain old pop and rock. And that is the one genre that Pakistani music industry produces in abundance and only few remain memorable.

Jalan has few entertaining tunes and is mostly just dull. Take for instance ‘Mere He Raho’ which works on the shoulders of some lacking sonic efforts and sees Schaz take another swipe at waiting for someone but the song evokes little emotion.

On ‘Meray Yar’, she sings ‘Kehtay Hai Dost Mujhse/Hogaya Hai Tujh Ko Mujhe Se Pyar/Par Ye Mein Mano Kaisay’ – the lyrics are as pedestrian as most Bollywood lyrical jargon.
‘Mastana’ with its crushing guitars does manage to create an ambivalent mood but the melody is too weak to give it a second hear as Schaz sings, ‘Tu Hai Mera Ho/Nikaley Jarahi Hai Meri Jaan/Yeh Pyar Bara Mastana/Yeh Pyar Bara Deewana’ – it sounds like a bad Indian film song.

‘Teri Ratein’ is monotonous and sounds almost whiny.

The mood of this album shifts from lyrical dullness to recycled riffs and clichéd sounds. Its idealistic romanticism but without any solid layer. The production is consistent but the content is conflicting.

Hadiqa Kiani’s latest, Aasmaan, with all its hooks and beats, essentially works because the melodies are beautiful. The sonic efforts behind the record are secondary. Jalan’s biggest flaw is its inconsistency in sound.

There is no harm in attempting a lovelorn album but there is always a chance of entrapping oneself in clichés. And that fact follows Schaz’s Jalan like a plague.

Verdict: Jalan is an average record. Though Schaz is promising as a singer, she needs to step away from the painfully dull lyrics and weak melodies to leave a lasting impression.

Artist: Zeb Alam
Album: Sapney**

Dj Ali Mustafa is at it again. Working with new artists has become his forte and 23-year-old Zeb Alam is the latest artist to join the ranks. Zeb’s solo album appeared out of thin air in markets without any buzz around it and it seems that it will go down in the same vein.
And that is because there is nothing interesting about this record. It’s one love ditty after another with some electric riffs thrown in here and there. They meander on endlessly and it’s quite annoying.

The opening track, ‘Khoya Raha’ with its sharp riffs and ‘Teray Meray Darmiyan/Aaye Kyun Faasle’ is a clue to the endless maze that is Sapney. If dreams are haunted by love, as the lyrics reflect, the conviction in vocals that wrenches the heart isn’t there. Why does Atif Aslam work? It isn’t just because of his growth as a musician but that voice that made him stand out in 2004 with ‘Aadat’. The carrying of emotions is important for a singer for the listener to fall into the world of music.

‘Sapney’ – the title track – has some character. The soft piano and the weeping violin with Zeb singing, ‘To Kya Huwa/Phir Bhi Jeena Hai/Aansoo Hai Tau Ansoo Peena Hai/Na Kuch Kisi Se Kehna Hai’ – the song slowly builds towards a crescendo and Javed Iqbal’s violin and Ali Mustafa’s instrumentation is just bang on.

From ‘Sapney’ we cross ‘Tum’, (the song that is eerily similar to Roxen’s ‘Toa Phira Aao (remixed version)’, ‘Aao Na’, the rock song that has one foot in progressive rock, another in Junoon’s old raw Talaash days and one in the world of pop love and it all flies right through the head without registering.

‘Mahiya’ (yet another one…) sounds like a song right out of a Pakistani or perhaps an Indian film, with its up-tempo frenzy of sticky sounds and the only imagery that comes to mind is of lush green locales with film stars running around. It is rather amusing. If that’s your cup of tea, give it a listen. Otherwise skip it.

There are hints of hope in songs such as ‘Pehla Pyar’, but they too are all about love. It’s quite boringly done. One doesn’t expects gems like Ali Azmat’s ‘Na Re Na’, Zeb and Haniya’s ‘Rona Chor Diya’, Strings’s ‘Humsafar’ or ‘Titliyan’ or Atif Aslam’s all-new ‘Wasta Pyar Da’ but there has to be some ingredients that make one give Zeb Alam another listen.
The effort behind Sapney is not by Zeb Alam alone.

The lyricists range from Arafat Ali (who wrote the major chunk of the words) to Bilal Saeed. It seems (from the album credits) that the only thing Zeb Alam has done is sing on this record. And if that is his forte, he falters time and again. The emotions don’t reflect the true mood of the song because the vocals fall flat. Its shaky ground for a new artist. And these vocals may be struck by studio effects which can go awry at times. He’s young and has a long way ahead but with Sapney as a debut, Zeb needs to work more on connecting with the words via his voice that has an uncanny resemblance (at times) to Roxen’s Mustafa Zahid!

Verdict: Zeb Alam needs to figure out the kind of artist he wants to be and run with it. His vocals are his biggest assest and they need more conviction to pull off complex emotions that make an album worthwhile.

*****Get it NOW!
****Just get it
***Maybe maybe not
**Just download the best song
*Forget that this was made

“My next album is called Ankahi and it will release this Eid.” – Shiraz Uppal

One of Pakistan’s most underrated singers talks about his next album and working with the legendary AR Rahman on the soundtrack of the upcoming film, Boys.

Maheen Sabeeh
Karachi

If with his first two albums, Tu Hai Meri (2001) and Tera Te Mera (2003), Shiraz Uppal was gingerly setting his foot in the Pakistani music industry, with Jhuki Jhuki (2005), he captivated everyone. Shiraz Uppal stands tall today as one of the most underrated composers and singers of this decade. The beautiful compositions, the intelligent songwriting and hummable gems like ‘Jhuki Jhuki’, and ‘Mann Ja Ve’ didn’t go unnoticed and the album has became a landmark in Shiraz Uppal’s career. Bollywood came calling in 2007 again and (without selling his existing music short like Atif or Roxen) Shiraz seized the opportunity and created ‘Roya Re’ for the soundtrack of Dhoka (2007). The tune is still memorable for its soul and bluesy notes.

Pakistan’s fiery rock star, Ali Azmat, maintains that “Shiraz Uppal is one of the best composers we have today. He is better than me, and many others.”

But lately, Shiraz has been lying low, away from the spotlight. In some ways, it is characteristic to his calm demeanour. But the man is now coming back. Instep Today caught up with Shiraz Uppal and here’s what he told us…

Instep Today: What have you been up to lately?

Shiraz Uppal: I have just finished singing a song called ‘Secret of Success’ for an Indian film called Boys. The music is by AR Rahman and it is the main song of the movie. Boys is an upcoming Bollywood movie, which has been directed by Shankar and features Siddharth and Genelia D’ Souza in the lead roles.

The soundtrack of the film is already a roaring hit in South India and now it’s releasing in Hindi, as is the norm with most of AR Rahman movies. I recorded the vocals in my own studio in Lahore as AR Rahman sent me the music track over the Internet. He has always been a source of inspiration for me and is the perfect music director to work with. He is simply a genius.

Instep Today: Your last record, Jhuki Jhuki released in 2005 and was a huge success. The expectations from your next record are sky high… when is your next album due?

SU: Yes, I’m aware. The response to Jhuki Jhuki was amazing. I have put in my heart and soul in producing my next album. It is called Ankahi. I’ve produced it myself. I’ve worked on the cover design as well. It will release this Eid…. Insha Allah.

Instep Today: So when will the videos start rolling?

SU: The first one from the new album is called ‘Rabba’ and has been shot in Karachi by Jalal. ‘Rabba’ should hit airwaves around Eid. Then the next one is with Ahsan Rahim and it’s called ‘Mann Laga’.

Instep Today: Will ‘Roya Re’ be a part of Ankahi?

SU: Yes. It never released as a single. So the film version will be in it alongside the original version.

Instep Today: Have you signed up with any record label?

SU: Yes. Ankahi will be released by Fire Records.

Instep Today: How was your experience of working with them?

SU: I had heard some mixed stories but so far it’s been a wonderful experience working with Fire Records. They are all professionals in this field and stand by their commitments.

Instep Today: Does Fire Records own the rights to your songs?

SU: Yes they do own them.

Instep Today: With the ongoing deals between channels and record labels – the biggest one being Fire Records – the cut in royalty, who does it go to under your contract or did you opt for a lump sum deal?

SU: As there isn’t any formal structure for royalties in our country so I opted for a lump sum deal.

Instep Today: Have you heard about AMPP and/or Union of Pop?

SU: Yes, I have heard of it but I don’t know exactly what it is and who it belongs to.

Instep Today: Tell us about your foreign shows?

SU: The last tour that I did was of the USA. It was for three months and I performed in 16 different states.

Instep Today: What was the most fun show for you and why?

SU: The most fun show was in Las Vegas. Besides loads of applause, my wife and I got two Swiss diamond watches from one of the fans present there and there were a lot of other things to explore in Vegas (smiles).