Meesha Shafi Speaks on Joining Overload, Working With Her Husband & Her Career in Fashion

Instep Today: You have a degree from NCA. You’re a fashion model and now you’ve debuted as a singer with Overload. How has the progression been?

Meesha Shafi: The progression has been very natural. All of the arts have always been of great interest to me. I started modeling before college and singing professionally towards the end of my time at NCA. However, I have been singing and painting since I was a child. I was raised by a family that is deeply rooted in literature, the performing arts and fine arts. I have been fortunate to have been encouraged and supported from a very early age to realize my talents and ambitions. The environment at home and the exposure I got from growing up around extremely cultured, talented and very progressive individuals has got me where I am today.

Instep Today: Overload are known for their sensational beats and animated, eclectic shows. Has it been difficult fitting into this mix?

MS: I was friends with the band before I joined Overload. Farhad and Mahmood are both from NCA, so we had a lot of common interests. I had the opportunity to see the band jamming in the studio, recording and performing several times. This did give me a fairly good idea of the dynamics of the band and the sound as it develops and evolves. When it came to actually making songs with them it was still challenging. Their sound is very aggressive, full of testosterone and can be a bit intimidating, so carving a place for myself into the music was difficult at first. They are however, as musicians, very open to ideas and don’t restrict themselves to sounding a certain way. I think this is very evident on the new album (Pichal Pairee). In my experience so far, as long as my input is aesthetically up to their standards, they are very open to experimenting with their sound.

Instep Today: Is it difficult being in the same band as your husband (lead guitarist Mahmood Rehman)?

MS: At times we lock horns. But not about the music itself. The only conflict we ever have is over the pace at which to work. Mahmood is a full time musician and enjoys time spent in the studio. I am a bit restless and enjoy doing different things in short spurts. So time management becomes a bit tricky at times. But there are huge perks to working together in a band too. We get to travel and tour beautiful new places together, enjoy being on stage together, listen to ourselves on the radio and see ourselves on TV and then exchange notes about new ideas, inspirations and even improving on certain things.

Instep Today: What was your take on Pichal Pairee?

MS: I think it’s a great listen. It has a whole range of moods, the energy builds up to insane levels in some places, and becomes thick and brooding in others. There are some very intense tracks, like ‘50 Years/A Thousand Miracles’ for example. Then there are upbeat, light songs like ‘Amjad Khan’ which really get you moving. I also like the electronic music in ‘Pichal Pairee’, which was new for Overload. ‘Vichar Gaye’ is a personal favourite of the band’s. The more I listen to it, the more I fall in love with ‘Saat Mein’. Although I feel like I sound the least like myself on that track. ‘Dig’ and ‘Kaykra’ are so full of energy and power, I love their structuring, I think it’s very complex but very smartly done. ‘Dhol Bajay Ga’ was the last song we recorded and by then we were so restless to release the album that I think you can hear that in the song. Basically, we don’t care what stands in our way, we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing. Making music for you to listen to.

Instep Today: Was music always a goal or did Overload prove to be a catalyst in the process?

MS: Music was a goal, but I might not have known how to move towards it if it hadn’t been for Overload. As I said before, I’m happiest doing lots of different things otherwise my creative juices stop flowing. To join a band that was already very famous, very established and had an already running momentum was a great opportunity. It came at a great time for me.

Instep Today: On the single, ‘Pichal Pairee’ there is a resemblance between you and British soul singer Amy Winehouse. Coincidental?

MS: The first time I heard that was when you drew that comparison. I’m very mildly a fan of hers, so it’s interesting to me that some seem to see a similarity. I guess my answer is that it is purely coincidental. Although, she does have a very beautiful voice and is a brilliant songwriter, so I am flattered.

Instep Today: The English language limits your market, especially in a country like Pakistan. Mixed with instrumentals, it makes for a small audience. Was that ever a concern?

MS: Never. Not to me, and certainly not to anyone else in the band. We don’t like depriving ourselves of making songs that we are more than happy with just because they won’t be playing in every truck, lorry and khokha. We have been making music for those listeners too, but what sells is not on the top of our list of priorities. I think releasing the album for free proves that point very well.

Instep Today: What is next on your plate?

MS: My plate is heaped with things to come right now. We’re already making new music, touring, and jamming. We have a few new video releases lined up. I am very busy otherwise with my work for L’Oréal and Stoneage (Misha is a brand spokesperson for L’Oréal and an ambassador for Stoneage). They are both huge companies that are expanding locally at an exhilarating pace. I am doing fashion shoots and some TV plays. The only thing I do not have time for right now is painting, and I miss that terribly.

Instep Today: Will music take precedence over fashion or do you plan on pursuing both? Where do you see Overload heading next?

MS: Overload will keep on making music, putting it out there for everyone to listen to. Touring, performing and reaching out to our fans. I have a lot of love for fashion, and I plan to carry on till a hopefully graceful retirement from the modeling world. However singing is something I plan to do for a long, long time.

Faisal Rafi speaks on Kaavish, music production and more

While Mekaal Hasan takes a step away from production (to concentrate on his music), Faisal Rafi is taking young artists under his wing and as it turns out, is working on a plethora of records at his Silent Studio (rather silently).

Faisal Rafi is no stranger to the music industry and with has jumped into urban pop music production alongside his other classical projects. In the contemporary music scene, the most prominent record that has Faisal Rafi’s stamp includes Kaavish’s Gunkali, which remains the talk of the town.

The record is a litmus test for Faisal, who is flying solo as a “music producer” with this record. But Kaavish’s Gunkali never seems to make it to the market. Speaking with Instep Today, Faisal Rafi said, “The album (Gunkali) was finished and handed to FireRecords over a year ago. It’s been pending release with them for a very long time, the video itself was shot in November last year. What’s being recorded is some new experimental Kaavish stuff, out of concern for the “up to date ness” of the first album since its been stuck with the record company for so, so long; some re-mastering was done. No re-recordings for the older album.” But Kaavish aren’t the only young acts in townworking with Faisal. Another one is Raeth, the boys who remain famous for the pop ditty ‘Bhula Do’. Speaking on some of the upcoming records and their progress, Faisal said, “Raeth’s album is done and pending release with Fire Records. Maryam’s (Kizalbash) album is already out. Ayesha Omar’s album is currently under production.”

After Zeb and Haniya, Maryam and Ayesha should make for interesting additions to the music industry. Like Strings’s Koi Aanay Wala Hai, where Faisal played engineer to some tunes, he may be playing a similar role for Karavan.

“A lot of the tracking and recording for Karavan’s album was done at our studio. Assad Ahmad is a childhood friend and it was a pleasure working with them.” Faisal is also working with Arieb Azhar and Taal Karisma.

“We just finished Arieb Azhar’s new album. It’s currently in post-production and features the poetry of Arshed Bhatti among others; as well as performances by Aamir Zaki, Jaffer Zaidi, Mannu, Raheel Manzar, Alan Simon, Fahad aka Freddy, Irfan Khan and myself.”

Speaking on Taal Karisma, the band that comprises of young National Academy of Performing Arts students, Faisal said, “Under production is Taal Karisma’s debut album, which will be a ground breaking musical effort from these extremely talented NAPA students. And all this in tandem with Shahi’s (Hasan) and my ongoing classical and folk music preservation and archiving effort, which will last till we live.”

So there we go. While concerts may have become rare, one thing is for sure. Some interesting young acts are coming up and they sound promising. And with Faisal Rafiworking round the clock, one won’t be wrong to assume that some of this music is bound to release sooner than later.

“I don’t think many people want to watch music channels or listen to radio stations to check if any new music is out.” – Sajid Ghafoor and Zeeshan Parwez speak on the recent Peshawar blast, the adverse affects on the music industry and more…

Maheen Sabeeh

Instep Today: The recent blast in Peshawar led to countless deaths. How is the situation there now?

Sajid Ghafoor: Numb, just like the rest of Pakistan. But since we are facing this back lash on a more regular basis, we have become more numb than the rest of our fellow Pakistanis living in other cities. It’s so ironic. I can see all of us suffering from a mass general depression.

Zeeshan Parwez: An hour back, we experienced an earthquake, the second one in a week’s time. Something is definitely not right in this country. We have lost too many innocent lives. And for what? In my limited knowledge, I don’t recall our countrymen being so insecure and terrified ever. Here in Peshawar, we’ve been talking about these issues amongst our friends for almost two years now. Not an evening goes by when someone doesn’t talk about the current situation. I have had excellent memories of my childhood in and teenage years in Peshawar and to recollect them is becoming difficult with every passing day, because of whatever’s happening, I can’t relate to them anymore. I can just hope and pray to God that our country and its people are always safe and happy Insha Allah.

Instep Today: As musicians, how difficult is it operating from Peshawar?

SG: We still haven’t had a single concert in Peshawar since Sajid and Zeeshan were formed. That fact speaks for itself.

Instep Today: Bomb blasts throughout the country have put everything on a halt. How is this affecting the music industry in your view?

SG: Greatly. Respect and appreciation for the performing arts usually comes in when your basic needs are fulfilled. We already have wheat and sugar crisis. People are losing loved ones in the blasts. I don’t thinkmany people want to watch music channels or listen to radio stations to check if any new music is out. In short, if the demand falls, so will the supply. Having said that, at the same time music can play a very positive role, as it naturally uplifts the soul.

ZP: The music industry is just one of the many departments that have been hit. In these depressing times, no one wants to go out to concerts or listen to music too much, and that includes me as well. So you’d expect the public to lose interest in a lot of things. Organizers nowadays usually cancel their shows a few days before it’s actually taking place. If I put myself in the audience’s place, I understand I’ll have to think three times before deciding whether to go out to a concert, knowing that our major cities have been hit by bombs. Even if there are new album releases, musicians are not getting any shows (the only revenue generating option in the country) so thus, this affects their ability to chip in media related material, which costs money.

Instep Today: Your debut album, One Light Year at Snail Speed, released in 2006. Are you still planning an English album?

SG: As mentioned before in previous interviews, yes, and we’re almost done with the second album now.

ZP: Yes, our second one is going to be in English as well. We have been at it for the last two years. Our recording strategies remain the same, laid back and relaxed, but the production feel has changed dramatically. So I hope people like our sophomore album. It’ll be great if it’s largely appreciated by majority of people and they can somehow see the hard work put in it.

Instep Today: How far along is it and is there a tentative release date in mind?

SG: It’s almost ready and the tentative dates? I’ll let Zeeshan answer that.

ZP: It’s almost three weeks away when I can finally say “Thank God, it’s finally done”, because we have been working on it for such a long time. At times you want it to get finished as soon as possible so people may listen to it. I can’t give a date because we still haven’t gone to record labels with the album. The plan is to visit various record labels and check out what they’re offering. Otherwise, go to plan B that is to release it ourselves. I know it’s an English album so we’re not expecting much.

Instep Today: Are you planning on releasing it (legally) online via mediums like iTunes, Amazon, Napster etc?

SG: Sounds like a good plan, thanks for the idea (smiles).

Instep Today: Zeeshan, what other videos are you working on?

ZP: There is one music video for me in the pipeline; it’s a song by the Islamabad based band Irtaash. This video is currently in its post production stage. And the other upcoming ideo would be the back-breaking/animated ‘Waris Shah’ from Mekaal Hasan Band, which I finished last summer. I think it’ll hit the airwaves this winter. But apart from all this, I’m narrowing down my concentration to one place – and that is our (Sajid and Zeeshan) videos, after the album is ready, I’ll jump on it the next day. I have some crazy ideas so let’s hope it all goes well.

Mekaal Hasan shifts gears from producing music to making music.

“I’m not doing that much production right now. I’m tired of it. I want to concentrate on my albums.”
Mekaal Hasan

Maheen Sabeeh
Karachi

Mekaal Hasan is one of the most sought-after music producers in Pakistan. In between gigs, recording, mixing and mastering countless records, Mekaal Hasan has also been busy for the last few years, working on his own band’s highly-anticipated second record, Saptak. With the release of the their spanking new video ‘Chal Bulleya’ with a fully-loaded star cast and an equally gripping song, Mekaal Hasan Band are back. If Sampooran was the first step for MHB, Saptak will further increase their success and strength as a band. Instep Today catches up with Mekaal to find out more…

Instep Today: ‘Chal Bulleya’ has an all-star cast. How did it come about?

Mekaal Hasan: Everyone was so cooperative. Ammar Belal (who did the wardrobe) has been a friend for years. I’ve known Aaminah Haq since we were kids. Ahmed Ali Butt and Fawad Afzal Khan (of EP) are friends. Except for Moammar Rana and Meera, I knew every from before.

Instep Today: Tell us about Meera and Moammar Rana. A taste of Lollywood…

MH: Meera was very generous. There were two rooms in which we were shooting and the sequencing had to be right. We shot the bath tub sequence in Meera’s bathroom! And she was a complete sport.
Moammar Rana is a really nice guy. We shot for four days straight – right from 11 am till 4 am in the morning. There were many versions of this video. It took us six months for editing and now it is on air.

Instep Today: ‘Chal Bulleya’ is an arresting video. Do you fear that the all-star cast will take away from the song?

MH: Not at all. If anyone understands the song, then no. I see the video as a black comedy.

Instep Today: The seven sins – it’s an interesting idea…

MH: Bilal Lashari came up with this idea. In the song, we’ve used Bulley Shah’s poetry alongside another poet called Bhagat Kabir. If you listen to the song carefully, it is about the sprituality of Bulley Shah and how his faith is under question. It is about being selfless and being less critical. Envy is the gateway to sins that are indulgent to the senses. It is all about you. But this song is not about you. It is about everyone else. I won’t call it religious but it is theological in a sense. We emptied our brains on it.

Instep Today: ‘Jhok Ranjhan’, ‘Huns Dhun’ and ‘Andholan’ were released as singles. You were releasing Andholan (the album) as a follow-up to Sampooran. Is Saptak the same record?

MH: No. We signed up with EMI Virgin in India for Andholan. They couldn’t digest that record. So we are doing two albums with them. One is Saptak, after which Andholan will follow. We wrote some new material and now we have a two-album deal with EMI. As for the other three singles released in the last two years, which were intended to be on the next MHB record are on Saptak. That means proper mixed versions of ‘Huns Dhun’, ‘Andholan’ and ‘Jhok Ranjhan’. After these two records, we are done with EMI Virgin.

Instep Today: Has Saptak released?

MH: Yes, it released on October 10 via CDbaby.com from where the CD can be purchased. Meanwhile we’re also releasing Saptak on iTunes, Amazon, Napster, MySpace – the full works. Internationally we will earn revenue through this.

Instep Today: But what about making the album available in the market? How will it be distributed?

MH: The same distributor that is used by record labels will distribute our CDs. But it isn’t available just yet due to the obvious security situation. With a record out, you want to do shows.

Instep Today: Did you tie up with a record label locally?

MH: Why should I? I create my own content; I make my own videos and produce my own records. Before this album came out, I played the record out on almost every channel before its release. We road tested before making any decisions.

Instep Today: Saptak supposedly refers to “series of seven notes”. Will that be the theme off this upcoming record?

MH: No, that was Sampooran. Sampooran focused on Shah Hussain’s poetry. Saptak is focused on Bulley Shah. Saptak is musical octave.

Instep Today: You were also doing a video with Zeeshan Parwez?

MH: Yes, the video is of ‘Waris Shah’ and it will be animated.

Instep Today: Besides working on the two MHB records, are you working on anything else right now?

MH: I’m not doing that much production right now. I’m tired of it and I want to concentrate on my own albums for the moment.

“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).

“When it comes to Bollywood, there are some standards that have to be met.” – Ali Haider rejects Bollywood and returns to the limelight with a new video, ‘Hamesha’

Maheen Sabeeh
Karachi

With 12 albums to his credit, Ali Haider simply cannot be dismissed. Hs years of success have followed years of struggle. As Ali continued making music albeit some experiments that never went right, it was the year 2007 when Ali Haider returned with the smashing record Jaanay Do. It was Ali Haider doing what he knew best, making melodic, multi-layered pop music.

Over the years, Ali Haider has given countless hits including ‘Qaraar’, ‘Purani Jeans’, ‘Zalim Nazron Se’ and more recently his comeback hit, ‘Jaanay Do’ off his 2007 record, Jaanay Do.

Ali is back in the spotlight with a brand new video, ‘Hamesha’. It may not be a groundbreaking video but it is one that grabs attention because of the strong tune. Somber, melancholic and soft, ‘Hamesha’ definitely works.

Instep Today catches up with Ali Haider and finds out more about the video and what he’s been up to…

Instep Today: You’ve just released a new video, ‘Hamesha’. Tell us a little about it?

Ali Haider: Its directed by Jameshed Jan Mohammad. It’s his first video and I have to say that he’s very talented. He wanted creative freedom and in the given budget, he did a good job. The video is a story about two people. We shot it in one day.

Instep Today: How has the response been to the song?

Ali Haider: For some reason, I neglected this tune. But since the video has released, I’ve gotten great feedback from people. I do have another video in the pipeline with Sohail Javed but the song is undecided for now. It might be a new song.

Instep Today: You were planning on working in Bollywood…

Ali Haider: Yes, there was a movie College. They wanted my song ‘Purani Jeans’ for it and offered 4000 dollars. ‘Purani Jeans’ is a massive hit here and across the border still. It is an original composition and the sum wasn’t sufficient. How much does Sonu Nigam charge? And he is the playback singer, not the composer.

My manager asked them for 25,000 dollars as remuneration for the song plus a 3-day stay in a five star hotel, business class flights for me and my manager and they didn’t agree so I refused to give the song.

I will not sell my music for short in India. Reema (the Lollywood actress) asked me for ‘Hamesha’. She really liked the song and wants to use it in her film. I told her she could have it for free. As it is, our film industry is struggling and when people are trying to revive it, we should support them. So for Reema, the song is free because the focus should be Pakistan. But when it comes to Bollywood, there are some standards that have to be met.

Instep Today: You’ve also opened your own production house?

Ali Haider: Yes. Instead of making telefilm, I call it musifilm. I get acting offers for serials but acting is not what I do. I can’t reject one but do another because sometimes personal relationships are involved. So the idea is to do one, maybe two musifilms via my own production house.

Instep Today: In the aftermath of Mumbai attacks, are you still planning to pursue a case against MasterCard India?

Ali Haider: Yes I am going to pursue it relentlessly soon.

The second coming of Shafqat

Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan
The man who blazed his way through Pakistani pop with Saagar is back with a new album, Tabeer. From classical novelty to phenomenon, Shafqat has made his mark. In this interview Shafqat speaks on finally making the leap as a solo singer, the important of infrastructure for the music industry, making it big in Bollywood and a lot more…

By Maheen Sabeeh

It was in 2002 when Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan escalated to unprecedented success with his then-band Fuzon and the beautiful album Saagar. Fast forward to 2008 and it sees the return of the majestic singer once again. But this time, it’s his solo album, Tabeer, and Shafqat is calling all the shots. As we meet for an interview at the Arts Council in Karachi – where Shafqat has been rehearsing with his live band before flying off to India – it’s clear that he is a busy man. Shafqat sits down with me, just chatting about the humid weather, only to be called back and throws an apologetic look before taking one final stab at a tune. Even though the gap between Tabeer and Saagar is of a few years, Shafqat has managed to stay in the spotlight. Singing for Karan Johar’s magnum opus Kabhie Alvida Naa Kehna in 2006 put Shafqat firmly on the Indian map. And since then it has been an upward spiral for him. This really is the second coming of Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan and for him it is a lifelong dream that has come true on his own terms and in its own time. In this interview with Instep, Shafqat reveals the feeling behind Tabeer, the importance of Bollywood, the India-Pakistan difference and why digital music is the order of the day… Instep: This is your first album in over five years. And this time, you’re a solo artist and there is no Fuzon. Saagar was a smash hit, critically and commercially. Tabeer has a lot of expectations behind it. How are you feeling? Nervous? Shafqat Amanat Ali: Whenever I work on an album, I’m least bothered about its success. I don’t think about whether it’ll be a hit or otherwise. My major concern is that people should like it and they should respect my work. My concern is not to get popular. I don’t want to be only popular. I also want my work to be respected.

Instep: How did Tabeer happen? SAA: It wasn’t even my idea. It was in fact Music Today (Indian record label). Our initial briefings led me to believe that they were looking for a Sufi album. I realized at that time that the Sufi music one hears of from India is not original. I told them that you think that if you mix guitars with tabla, its Sufi music. However, Sufi music is made of kalaam. Baba Bullay Shah, Baba Farid, Shah Hussain and Amir Khusro wrote kalaams. We pick up their kalaams and compose it in a very traditional way. That is original Sufi music. When I discussed this with Music Today, they were very excited.

They asked me to make something but I declined. I asked that we first sign a contract and get the legal procedures taken care of. When we were done with everything, I made them a demo and they liked it. The work on the album began. Somewhere down the line, the music started becoming very mellow but we still wanted it to be Sufi so we added folk to it. Tabeer started out as a Sufi but as we progressed it wasn’t completely Sufi. It has folk as well as fusion. It’s a variety of genres.

Instep: You were also supposed to work on an album with Rohail Hyatt. What happened to that? SAA: Both Tabeer and another album were being done with Rohail Hyatt. Once I’m done with the promotion of Tabeer, then I’ll work with Rohail on another album that I had composed back in Fuzon days. As for Tabeer, he was onboard but then Coke Studio happened. He got busy with that and he said Shafqat, I won’t be able to do this. Instep: Despite album releases from big guns of the music industry like Ali Azmat, Strings, Atif Aslam and Jal, there are hardly any music shows. Musicians tend to appear more on television and those shows are often on DAT (digital audio tape)… SAA: There are many reasons. Firstly, it’s the security situation. If someone invests in a concert and a bomb blast happens and 100 people die, then what? I’m not saying that concerts are a target but the fear is everywhere. No one will invest in such a scenario. Secondly, people are financially and economically very weak. People who are facing problems in paying electricity bills and feeding their families, they don’t have 1000 rupees to spend on a concert ticket. You can listen to songs in your car or on the radio and in your house anytime. Concerts have gate crashers and security problems. Thirdly, TV channels don’t pay the artists. They say that we are recording but they are selling their time. They are getting ads and are paid for it. If artists are not being paid, they won’t live shows for free on air. Instep: You escalated to fame in India with Kabhie Alvida Naa Kehna’s ‘Mitwa’. How did that come about? SAA: It was very simple. The very first time I spoke to Shankar (Mahadevan), it was on the phone since he was leaving for USA and he couldn’t come and a journalist was also there. He said to me, ‘Shafqat, I’m a huge fan’. We exchanged a few words. He heard Saagar on the radio and asked around about me. Then one day Ehsaan called me. They were in Goa and said that they wanted to do a song with me. I had gotten offers to sing for Indian films prior to KANK but either I refused or would ask an amount that producers wouldn’t agree to. When Ehsan called I said I’ll do it without knowing whether it’s a film or their own album. It was then that I found out about KANK. They told me that someone from Dharma Productions would call. Anyway, then Karan Johar called and said: “I’m a great fan and I listen to your album in my car and I love it. And I want you to come and sing a song for us”. And that was that. Instep: Is Bollywood a necessary evil for Pakistani musicians to survive in the Indian market? SAA: I’m not sure about others but it’s different in my case. I’ve never let them (Indians) walk all over me. I’ve never done anything that’s not up to the mark. If I think it’s not respectful I don’t do it. I had five offers earlier and I refused them. They were not big banners and they didn’t have anything to offer me. Even for KANK, when I heard its Dharma Productions and Shah Rukh Khan’s name, I didn’t change my price. I charge what I charge. I will fly business class, I will stay three days and I’ll stay at the Marriott. The point is that if you don’t lose your identity and keep a certain self esteem, I don’t think anyone can cheat you or do any wrong. India is a very big market no doubt but we can’t rely on it 100 percent. We have our own viewer ship here in Pakistan. If we get famous from here, people will respect us abroad. Tomorrow if they stop giving me work, what will I do? They don’t owe me anything. When their own singers have stopped working in Indian films, then who are we? And it’s not like I’m a very big singer that without me their industry won’t work. Today they picked my song ‘Mitwa’ and made it a hit. Tomorrow they’ll use someone else’s song and that’ll become a hit. So whatever work you do in India, you should do it while protecting your self respect and ego. Instep: Pakistani music scene lacks an infrastructure. In comparison India is supposedly better… SAA: The industry is better but it has its flaws. For example, in India if you want to sing, you have to have a certificate from all the music labels. If anyone is organizing a show, they need to have a certificate from a label that we’re singing your song. They pay them royalty. Instep: The links between music and the Internet have increased tremendously in the last few years. Locally most new and old albums by Pakistani musicians are available for free downloading. What is your take on it? SAA: One can put teasers on the Internet – I’m talking about local music websites – but not full albums. Be loyal to your country and your artists. Why can’t they do a deal with the artist? Just put teasers and maybe one complete song. Anyone can put up anything on YouTube. It seems that one has to shake hands with the people of YouTube as well as others and collaborate with all of them. Piracy can’t be contained completely but there are ways to deal with it. Instep: You recently sang on the Ramchand Pakistani soundtrack. How was that experience? SAA: It was a great experience. Debajyoti Mishra (of Raincoat fame) is a really nice guy. He told me later that he said to Mehreen that he would do the OST only if I was involved. Mehreen called me and told me there’s this guy, he’s done Raincoat’s music and I really like the music. I thought why not? If anyone makes a Pakistani film I’ll always say yes without any hesitation because it high time we support our industry. Instep: What did you think of Ramchand Pakistani as a film? SAA: It’s a great film. Mehreen took a big step and the effort is huge. I think it’s a very well made film. Instep: Are you working on any new Bollywood tunes? SAA: There are four films coming out, one is Mumbai Cutting, then Zindagi Tere Naam, that’s a duet with Sunidhi Chuahan. There is Hello, which stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. I’m doing one song in Nagesh Kukunoor’s Aashaeyin which features John Abraham. Instep: Is it true that you’re working with AR Rahman? SAA: There’s a guy in Pakistan and he’s friends with someone in Delhi. They are planning something and A.R.Rahman sahib is doing that project. If that project works out then, we’ll be working together. We’re still in talks so let’s see. Instep: Coming from the Patiala gharana with generations of classical knowledge behind you, has it been difficult to dabble in modern forms of music such as pop? SAA: My father sang ghazals which were experimental but successful. Asad bhai also sang pop once but decided to stick with traditional music. I think that people who say expect me to sing only ghazals… I tend to ignore them. One shouldn’t be too rigid about any form of music. Instep: How important is training for singers? SAA: You know recently a company has launched this software which tunes your vocals when you sing live. So in this age of technology, singers have lots of options. But should the electricity ever go out, one will be in trouble. I think training is important because it proves that you are honest with your work. There’s a saying in Punjabi, jes ko milta hai khanay ko, us ka juta jata hai kamanay ko. Singers come and go. Today one is a hit, tomorrow someone else will take that spot. If you think of singers like Mehdi Hassan Sahib or Farida Khanum ji, Ustaad Fateh Ali Khan sahib, they are remembered as legends even today. Training is hugely important in the long run. Instep: What do you think of Fuzon’s new singer, Rameez Mukhtar? SAA: I wouldn’t like to comment on Fuzon. I’ll only say that he’s good. Instep: Are there any concerts in the pipeline? SAA: Definitely. We’re shaking hands with a few other organizations as well. So let’s see how it goes. We’re planning shows on our own in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi and maybe a few other cities. Instep: On a final note, what is your live act like? SAA: Right now we have 9 people. I started with a five member band, but then I realized that the sound in the album is different when it’s live. The money that I earn from one show is split nine ways now but I’m willing to do because I don’t want to compromise on the sound.

Music Q&A

10 questions with Adeel

Instep: Were you always interested in music?
Adeel: I got my first keyboard when I was in class 2. Later on I was studying to be a doctor. But I could never concentrate so I decided to pursue it full-time.

Instep: ‘Meray Haniya’ released a while back…
Adeel: I have been trying to get the album out. I was desperate to make a video but all the major directors never had time. They always told me to wait. Hammad then made the video for ‘Haniya’. I was then releasing the album with Sadaf but it was shut down and all the stock came back. Now finally I have struck a deal with Fire Records.

Instep: Your record is also out in India. How did that happen so soon in your career?
Adeel: Fire Records introduced me to people at Tips. They heard the album and signed me.

Instep: You’re also singing for an Indian film?
Adeel: Yes, it’s called Juggar and features Manoj Bajpai and Urmila Matondkar. Tips is also involved with the movie.

Instep: Is there a deal in your contract with Tips to sing for movies. Atif Aslam also released Meri Kahani via Tips and we all heard him sing for Race, which is also Tips. A pure coincidence?
Adeel: I can’t speak for Atif but as far as I’m concerned there is no clause that binds one to sing for an Indian film. That said, Tips promotes its artists and film music in India is huge.

Instep: Are you looking to sing as a playback singer in Bollywood or follow in the footsteps of Atif and Strings who’ve sung for Indian films but also have proper videos to their credit?
Adeel: I’ve always wanted to be a playback singer. I don’t mind not having videos as long as I can sing decent songs.

Instep: There are lots of musicians/producers involved in Koi Chehra…
Adeel: Yes. Ali Mustafa is one. Ali Zafar recommended Shuja Haider. Faakhir recommended working with Shani so Koi Chehra has quite a few people.

Instep: What would you say is your inspiration in music?
Adeel: I’ll be honest. I am not into gora-type music like Led Zeppelin. I used to watch Amitabh Bachchan films as a kid. And here was this man who would like beat up 10 guys and jump from a mountain and he didn’t have a scratch. I’ve always been fascinated by Indian cinema so my inspiration is more of Mohammed Rafi and Sonu Nigam.

Instep: You’ve also been performing in India.
Adeel: Oh yea! It’s incredible actually. Indian pop barely exists so Pakistani music is loved in India. The venues are bigger, lighting and sound is excellent. I’ve also played for some private gatherings. One was for an NGO by Kapil Dev and another one Sangeet party by the Gandhi family. It was so much fun. It was like a total party.

Instep: What’s next on your agenda?
Adeel: I’m planning on releasing the video of ‘Ki Jaana Main Kaun’ aka ‘Disco Bullah’. In mid-April, I have a tour of America coming up. If things settle down here further, I would love to perform all over Pakistan. I love performing here, especially girls’ colleges (smiles). They are always very supportive.

– Adeel was talking to Maheen Sabeeh

Jal are back!

Their new video ‘Sajni’ and brand new album Boondh is out now

By Maheen Sabeeh.

Just as one thought that no major artist would release a new album this year, out came Jal with their brand new album, Boondh after a break of almost 3 years and with the video of ‘Sajni’ – which has just hit airwaves nationwide.

Instep Today caught up with the brainchild of Jal, Gohar Mumtaz on releasing the new album, upcoming plans and the response this album has generated…

 

Instep Today: Congratulations on finally releasing Boondh…

Gohar Mumtaz: Thank you.

Instep Today: Boondh was officially launched on December 15 but the album hit markets before that… out of the blue?

Gohar Mumtaz: Yes. That often happens. The album comes out a little before time but we’d rather have it early than late.

Instep Today: This album was slated for a release in November. Why the delays?

Gohar Mumtaz: Farhan, Shazi and I are all so relived that it’s finally out. We had planned to release it in November but the political situation as well as problems with record labels pushed it but now it’s all settled.

Instep Today: Aadat was a huge success. You guys picked up awards everywhere and went onto become one of the biggest bands of the country. It is always hard to match a big debut record…

Gohar Mumtaz: We know the feeling! This is why it took us three years to release a new album. The expectations were huge. And at the same time, no one wants to listen to the same sound. With this record, there are some tunes that are totally experimental. We’ve worked very hard on the sound of the album. This entire record was produced for about a year at Mekaal Hasan’s studio. And it was a pleasure working with him.

Instep Today: You’ve done the major chunk of songwriting on this record. How different is it from Aadat?

Gohar Mumtaz: It’s always a challenge to create something new and yet not so eccentric that people can’t relate to it. When anyone who knows Jal’s music will listen to the album, they will instantly identify us but they will also hear that as musicians we’ve matured and that reflects on the record.

As far as lyrics go, I have tried to keep it simple. The best mode of communication between fans and an artist is the music itself. I have kept the words simple deliberately because when one gets too poetic, often it is hard for most people to understand or relate to it.

Instep Today: Your new video, ‘Sajni’ looks very slick. Who directed it?

Gohar Mumtaz: Bilal Lashari – ‘Islamabad’ and ‘Dhamaal’ fame – and he’s done a fabulous job. Part of the reason why the album has come out late is the video. We kept bugging him that make it fast but he took 3 months to finish it and in the end, I think the result is worth it. The DOP was from Hollywood and the video is unusual in many ways.

Instep Today: Is Boondh releasing in India anytime soon?

Gohar Mumtaz: The plan is to release the album there but in a few weeks. We’ve released it here and we’ll start Boondh Pakistan tour first. Once the album is out in India, we’ll tour India and then go for a world tour.

Instep Today: When does the Pakistan tour start?

Gohar Mumtaz: We start off with this tour right after Eid. The idea was to go to Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Faisalabad and if possible small cities as well. But we haven’t been able to get permission to perform in Karachi as yet. So we’ll perform in the rest of the cities for now and hopefully perform in Karachi at some point.

“I’ll quit making videos by the end of this year.” – Sohail Javed to retire

Sohail Javed has more than 100 videos to his credit and this year he picked up a Lux Style Award for Best Music video. The award came in the wake of his recovery from a deadly tumour. Instep caught up with the director to find out why he is adamant on quitting music videos in the coming months and a lot more.

By Maheen Sabeeh

Instep: You picked up two nominations for Best Music Video – Sajjad Ali’s ‘Chal Rein Day’ and Manjeet Singh’s ‘Ishq’ – at the Lux Style Awards this year. How did it feel? Sohail Javed: I’ve been nominated many times. Winning doesn’t mean more money but people look at you different. It felt great. The time before that was a low period. So it was a pleasant surprise. I am happy that ‘Chal Rein Day’ won because I put a lot of hard work in it .Instep: How is your health nowadays? SJ: I’m in recovery. I have my good days and bad days.
Instep: What happened to you? SJ: I had a large tumour in my chest. I got chemotherapy and a surgery that lasted for ten hours. It was like a big car accident. I’m still recovering from the aftershock. So from last July to this July, it has been one difficult journey. And it’s things like this that make you realize what’s really important. I almost died. I re-discovered my faith in God. He brought me back. And there were very few actual friends around at that time. But the industry I belong to… it is unforgiving. It is upsetting. They don’t forgive you even when you’re ill. And if you survive, there is shock as to how you survived.
Instep: When you say industry, do you mean other video directors? SJ:Them and others. The shock is: why are you working? I mean I have a family, I have two children. I have to earn a living. That is why I stay away from all that hoo-ha. I’m a simple man. One car is fine. One house is fine. I believe it is all pre-decided. If I’m supposed to get a video, I’ll get it. I have decided that by the end of this year – after wrapping up all prior commitments – I’ll quit making videos.Instep: Are you quitting because the industry has turned vicious? SJ: I’m bored, the scene is saturated. As far as music videos go, there are only so many favours one can do. You can’t do 10,000 favours. Musicians know that, ‘Hey, let’s go to Sohail, he’ll get excited and do the video’. I’m done with favours. There is too much stress and even when I say no, I end up doing five videos, which means I’m working all the time.
Everyone wants to be a director so they pick up a camera and that is it! I can tell you ten videos where the boys are sitting in a certain manner. We lack in originality and then hard work.Respect is also important to me. What used to happen before is that if somebody wanted an Asim Raza video, he would simply go to Asim. If Asim was out of the country, he’d wait. Now he’ll talk to me and to Asim, Jalal, Saqib, everyone at the same time without realizing that different directors have different styles and work in a certain manner. The professionalism is gone.Instep: Is the industry less professional than it used to be? SJ: Yes. It depends on one’s upbringing. People are lacking in ethics. The industry itself has turned into a dhanda. You look at models with this strange, disrespectful eye. It’s wrong and unprofessional. It is easier to make it as a director now but the quality is suffering. It was better in our time because you had to go through the grind.
Instep: So what’ll you do after quitting music videos? SJ: I’m thinking of getting back into commercials. I’m writing my fifth and sixth story. I’ve written four stories already. I do a story every year and then I think it’s dated so I trash it. I’m doing two more stories right now and then I’ll shop for a financer. I have a couple of people interested. There is a commercial story and not-so-commercial story. I’ll see how people react to both stories and take it from there. I want to make a film on my own terms. I’m not tensed about it. If it happens good, if not so be it. I’m doing a pictorial book with Zain Haleem for a client. All the text will be done by me.I’m planning to take a vacation. In just the beginning of my recovery I started working. There was depression from last year that I sort of got over, anxiety, and I hardly spent time with my family. I’m not a rich man. Whatever I have to do, I have to do for my family. I want to look at options. I have many offers to do lots of different things. But I want to do something that is extremely low stress. In fact, I want to do no-stress job that I enjoy doing.
Instep: Is it financially viable to be just a video director? SJ: Impossible! Instep: Why? SJ: Making music videos is a dead business. There is no money in it yaar! People want to look at videos and say, ‘oh that video is good’ but no one wants to remember that Pantene ad that was shot in Paris. In reality that Pantene ad gave the director 25 lakh rupees just as his fees.Instep: Your videos reflect simplicity. But what do you have to say about the plethora of dark videos that seem to be coming out of nowhere? SJ: As a director my last attempt at darkness was with Call’s ‘Kuch Naheen’ and people didn’t get it. There can be a problem with concepts too but usually it’s the people who have issues. For instance, when you make happy-goody videos, you’re criticized because of it. If you attempt dark themes, it’s still the same response. And sometimes it is out of spite that people make vague videos. But to make a video dark simply because it is trendy is a no-no. There are ways to do it. Instep: The big guns of the music industry can still pull off big budget videos because of sponsorships. But if a young band is looking to make a decent video, what would that cost? SJ: It’s not about money. It is about using a small budget intelligently and planning. Cutting costs is not a big deal. I’ve made videos in very strange amounts that I can’t even disclose. You just have to use your brain.Instep: Musicians tend to go to India to get their videos made. Directors go to India and shoot videos there. Instep: Why is that? SJ: It is more professional, organized and technically they are superior. Yaha camera nahie hai, cameraman nahie hai. If I want to shoot a war scene and I need a DOP who has shot a war scene, I’ll get a list of so many people from India in a jiff. And these people are extremely proficient. Instep: Why are we lacking in the technical department after so many years of progress? With media spreading like fire, we are still struggling technically SJ: That is because people here like to make money off everything. I mean people make money on processing, traveling etc. I don’t think anyone will put up a lab. It is a lot of investment. I use this guy called Nick because he is so fast. It is a pain to go out all the time to Bangkok or India or Malaysia but the quality is worth it.Instep: Can’t directors or companies invest together? SJ: There is a confidentiality issue. No matter what you do – even if you pay 5000 dollars and say, ‘let me see someone else’s work’, it won’t happen – your work will never be leaked in Bangkok. They’ll never spill the beans of your work to someone else. There is no animosity but we all want to keep our work to ourselves until it is released. I don’t even share it with the artist. Instep: How do you decide on a video? SJ: I need to like the song. The second thing is budget. The third is ‘favour’ category where people call and say ‘yaar please’ and I say ‘fine’. I have made mistakes. By accommodating favours, I have made videos that are not up to the mark. People need to realize that music video is about the music first. Often what happens is directors get carried away with making a statement. I do try to control myself in that sense. Instep: Out of the new lot of directors, who do you think has potential? SJ: Zeeshan Parwez has an interesting approach. Bilal Lashari is good. I was blown away by ‘Aadat’. I was scared by it. And then Umar (Anwar) lost it I suppose. His last few videos have been disappointing and I take him a part of the industry and I know he can do better. Sohail Akhtar did ‘Ujalon Mein’ for Mizraab and it was fabulous and then he’s made a plethora of videos that have failed to impress me.