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“I can guarantee that whoever comes to our concerts will leave dancing,” said Overload drummer and band leader, Farhad Humayun once. One doesn’t find that hard to believe. Even when the Lahore-based band is performing in a city like Karachi where audiences in comparison tend to be a tad more inhibited, one has seen people get up and shake their backsides to Overload’s performances.
The band created its big bang when it came on our screens a couple of years ago with a music video for the track Cursed which featured the likes of Pappu Saieen and co. Since then, the largely percussion-based band has been making waves doing the kind of music they do (a fusion of eastern and western percussions supported by almost tranquil piano work by Sheraz) and have managed to amass quite a fan following. Back then Farhad once stated, “The people of this country are more attuned to songs with lyrical content in them, they need to have the song’s meaning spelled out to them. We’re out to change that notion.” And they did precisely that.
In an environment in which the sheer structure of the music industry is undergoing a change because of rapid digital online distribution of media and the world wide web making media not only instantly accessible to users but also providing them with a direct link to the artiste, Overload chose to go the way paved by Radiohead: they released their second album online on their website www.overloadbeats.com for free. The album titled Pichal Pairee has been downloaded by thousands of users not only from Pakistan but also from abroad. They’re perhaps one of the few mainstream artistes who completely own their material as well since they chose the riskier path of not signing up with a record label, relying on them for promotion or release. “Make music and just put it out there,” commented Farhad, “what are you waiting for? We’re already working on new material.”
The band has an additional member in the form of Meesha Shafi, model/actress/artist who has been exercising her vocal talents with the band in their performances both in India and in Pakistan. Hasan Mohyuddin, who used to play the tumkinari in the band, is currently pursuing a degree in the UK and had to make an exit although he contributed creatively to the title track. Meesha adds a whole new dimension to the band and her unique vocal tone at times reminds one of Amy Winehouse (especially in the song Pichal Pairee) and at times of the eccentric, but incredibly talented Icelandic-singer Björk, case in point, the track titled Amjad Khan.
Although some of the tracks still feature the popular dhol, it is not the main focus in the album. The band has fused their signature use of percussions with electronica in a majority of the tracks, and in some, has played around this new element with traditional western instruments, thereby adding a whole new dimension to their music.
After listening to the album several times, one believes that it was meant to be heard in one go, all at once. The mood of the album changes as you progress through it, beginning from being uplifting (Dig Dag, Dhol Bajay Ga – a song that is getting a lot of airplay on local radio channels, Pichal Pairee – which doesn’t even sound ‘desi’ and Amjad Khan). It moves to a more mellow, almost intimately thoughtful tone in Vichar Gaye and a track titled A Thousand Miracles (although when downloaded it displays the title as 50 Years). Mela Kariyay is basically the track Cursed from Overload’s first self-titled album with Meesha’s vocals over it. Kaykra and Saat Mein which close the album bring the pace of the album up again.
How do you articulate an almost abstract sense (in this case sound) accurately into words? That was the dilemma faced when reviewing the album since a most of it is largely focused on the music element of it. The album Pichal Pairee is a reinvention of the band although it does not serve to completely redefine it: we see the band experimenting with their music and are introduced to new facets of their work and abilities. The introduction of Meesha adds a whole new feel to the band as her tone and manner of singing is not only uniquely different from the rest of the female pop vocalists dominating the local music scene but also embodies a certain independence from them. One is looking forward to seeing what facets of her abilities are uncovered as she journeys with the band, but having said that, the rest of the band members embody a strong presence in the album as well.
– Illustration by Osman Hyder
Originally titled “Kiss, kiss, bang, bang”
I still remember the first time I heard about anything like it. I was at my A level tuition centre and was talking to one of the boys from the junior, AS level who was waiting for one of his female friends to arrive. When she arrived, I discovered that she was an extremely skinny person, with perfectly straight, short black hair, kohl-rimmed eyes and an unsmiling mouth. But what actually bothered me was that on one side of her face, barely hidden by her hair, one could see a small bruise. She was 17 years old and I was told that her boyfriend (an A-level drop-out from another school), was responsible for it.
“I don’t know why she’s with him,” said my junior, “I’ve told her several times that he’s bad news but she doesn’t listen.” Needless to say I was shocked at first, but then felt sorry for the girl. I found out that other than hitting her, he would often yell at her, call her names, was extremely controlling and would sometimes make fun of her in front of his guy friends. Despite all of that, she continued to be with him. None of it made sense to me, she wasn’t bound to the boy for any legal reasons or otherwise, so why be with someone who treats you so badly? “What’s wrong with her?!,” I couldn’t help asking. “I don’t know…” replied my junior, somewhat miserably, “she calls me in tears whenever they fight and he’s mean to her. I talk to her and try to calm her down. She promises me she’ll get out of it but the moment the guy begins to behave himself, she forgets everything and goes back to him!”
Just a couple of years later, I encountered an oddly similar situation closer to home. One of my very close friends, Ms Z and I were talking on the phone one day while she was visiting her boyfriend. In the middle of the conversation, the line dropped (or so I thought) and I tried calling her back but she wouldn’t pick up the phone. Several minutes later, I received a text message from her which read “he just hit me”. Something snapped inside me and I immediately took the ‘risk’ of telling my parents and we all went to where they were. I ‘rescued’ my friend and made her sit in the car with me while my parents gave the boy (who was incidentally a visiting foreign-exchange student) a piece of their mind – even threatening to report him to the embassy and have him deported for assaulting a local.
Ms Z would never, in a million years, tell her own parents what had happened. She came from a conservative but incredibly loving family that probably wouldn’t respond well to the notion that their daughter even had a boyfriend, let alone a gora boyfriend. My parents assured her that even if Ms Z’s family initially got upset over the fact that she involved in a relationship, their next instinct would be to protect her against such ‘crazy’ people. But telling them was her decision. She didn’t. In fact, after all this had happened, she went back to him.
“He was incredibly sorry for the way he behaved!,” Ms Z tried to justify her decision, “he was extremely stressed out, he just wasn’t thinking. But he really ‘loves’ me. I ‘love’ him too!” She hit me with the infamous L-word – something I don’t think should be accepted as an excuse. The gora was a strange character. No one would believe that he was capable of hurting a soul because he kept up a very amiable, very polite public appearance. But as it turned out, when it was just Ms Z and him, he was a very different character: he often lost his temper, was extremely controlling of who she talked to, what she did, even what she ate at times… he would even display these two sides simultaneously when at one point he would be laughing at another person’s jokes and at the same time he would turn and tell Ms Z that she wasn’t worth anything and that she was lucky he was even spending time with her. whenever she’d had enough and would threaten to leave, he would become tearful and extremely sorry for his behaviour and she would forgive him. It was almost like a never-ending vicious cycle. A year later when it was finally over, I asked my friend why she chose to stay with him so long? “I was… I’m still afraid no other boy would be attracted to me,” she said, “I thought he was the best I could ever find. Sometimes I still wonder that.”
Out of curiosity and a need to makes sense of the abusive boyfriends mentioned above, I tried to do some research their behaviour and found out that where there are many reasons for it, simply speaking such individuals direly need both anger management and treatment for acute depression. Personally, I also feel they need to be taught how to respect another individual and the knowledge that their behaviour is not without consequence. Women on the other hand need to recognize their self worth and when to firmly say no to accepting such behaviour. The fact that they, despite receiving support from family and friends, continued to let themselves be treated the way they did, makes them just as responsible for it. “It’s not the physical scars that we’re afraid of, they heal with time” my parents had said to Ms Z, “it’s the emotional ones. They inflict more damage and take much longer.”
Note: This is the raw version since I haven’t been able to access the edited version from the website.
School can be a strange, strange place. While in school, parents and faculty members can seem like even stranger people. I don’t remember exactly when it happened, but I do remember experiencing that period of time when our principal decided to implement a rule that all of us students found incredibly amusing. In the middle of the final year of my A levels, our principal announced that she was going to implement a “three-foot rule”. That basically meant that students of different genders could not sit/walk/interact with one another if they weren’t maintaining a distance of at least three feet. Yeah, right.
What had happened was that our A level was right in the middle of the junior and O level block in school. Apparently a couple from the first year of A-levels had been sitting together “somewhat inappropriately” and had offended the sentiments of a parent who had been visiting the junior block. That parent was adamant that she did not want her offspring exposed to such ‘vulgarity’ and complained to the principal. The principal then decided to implement the three-foot rule.
How the rule could be implement effectively was another thing altogether. No one really took it very seriously, even the sports teacher who was responsible for monitoring on-campus behaviour seemed very amused by the idea, but as a part of the faculty member had to support it. Whenever we’d see him approaching us, we’d laugh and extend our arms to indicate the distance. If he caught two opposite gender students interacting at a distance closer than three feet, he’d quietly stand behind them, extend his hands and slowly separate them to the approximate distance. The students would all roll their eyes at this and the sports instructor could be seen chuckling every time he ‘implemented the law’. Eventually though, the school grew out of the rule and life returned to normal.
Recently a huge issue had been created in among the student body of a popular business school in Lahore where a student had raised an objection to the public displays of affection (PDA’s) that other students were engaging in on campus. She had complained that the PDAs were a little too ‘graphic’ and made other students at the campus that had to witness such displays, a little uncomfortable. Eventually, among the student body it turned into a question of freedom of expression vs. censorship of behaviour, personal freedom against a rigid, conservative, ‘mullah-istic’ point-of-view towards behaviour. The administration took notice and, as has been rumoured, decided to see what they could do about it. members of the student body were a little taken aback that the administration should chose to pick such an issue to attempt to fix, whereas there were other issues (pertaining to facilities etc) that the students had been complaining about a very long time that they had chosen to quietly ignore. Even today, no two people have the same perspective on the same issue.
I have come across school teachers who complain that when they chastise students who engage in behaviour that borders on vulgarity, they are accused of being ‘narrow-minded’ and in some cases, even jealous! Students on the other hand complain that faculty members and parents are a little paranoid and that for them, two members of the opposite gender sitting a little close is considered ‘vulger’, and what exaggerated behaviour did the parents/faculty members ‘imagine’ the students might be engaging in when seeing that? They also claim that they have a right to behave as they please with their fellow students and that faculty should limit their attention and focus on what they’re ‘supposed’ to do: teach. Whereas one personally does not feel that another persons’ parent, other students or faculty members have a right to dictate what another student does in their private space; the student should also be sensitive to the sentiments of those around him/her and maintain a certain level of decorum in their behaviour. If they don’t want to be chastised for a ‘personal’ matter, then don’t make it available for public viewership.
Take a chance on me
Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much I’ve missed you….
After wowing us with Chicago, Nida Butt and Made for Stage is back with yet another musical, Mamma Mia. It comes under the genre of being a jukebox musical (one which uses previously released songs in its musical score) and was written by Catherine Johnson.
Both the play and the score of the musical are based on the songs of the hugely popular Swedish pop band Abba (active from 1972-1983), and although the story is fictional the title of the play has been borrowed from one of Abba’s 1975 hit songs. When it comes to the original Mamma Mia the musical, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson (band members and main composers in Abba) were involved in its development. One of the female band members, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, had contributed financially. The last band member, Agnetha Fältskog, did not actively contribute to it but was present at its Swedish premiere and final show. According to statistics, Mamma Mia the musical (at least till 2007) had been seen by over 30 million people worldwide.
The story in itself is simple enough. Sophie Sheradon (played by Rachel Viccaji) is about to get married to Skye (Omar Bilal Akhtar) and wants her father to be present at her wedding. The only catch is that she doesn’t know who her father is since her mother, Donna Sheradon (Kiran Arshad Chaudhry), was intimately involved with three different men around the time Sophie was supposed to have been conceived. She chances upon her mom’s private diary and discovering the identity of the three men [Sam Carmichael (Aly Mustansir), Bill Anderson (Saad Rahim Zubair) and Harry Bright (Akbar Merchant)], she invites them to her wedding.
They arrive at the little Greek island where she lives simultaneously and promise Sophie that they won’t tell her mom that they’re here or why (cue song: Thank You for the Music). Donna discovers them anyway and is visibly shaken by their presence. Also attending the wedding are Donna’s old friends one of which is Tanya (Zoe Viccaji), a vivacious, high-maintenance, rich woman who has been married and divorced three times — and seems proud of it. The other is Rosie (Sanam Saeed), a carefree soul, unmarried and with a somewhat kooky sense of humour.
The play centres around Sophie — who has 24 hours before her wedding —trying to find out who her father is, dodging her mother, confessing what she did to her fiancé and getting ready for the wedding. It also focuses on Donna and the emotions she’s going through seeing her three old lovers back after 20 years all at once (cue song:
Mamma Mia), while trying to let go of Sophie as her only daughter is about to enter into the ‘second phase’ of her life (cue song Slipping through my Fingers). Tanya and Rosie are also focused on as the two friends who’re trying to be just that — good friends to Donna, provide her with support, cheer her up and try and adjust to the single bedroom that they’ve been given. They also have their own set of romantic interests, with one Skye’s friends actively making a move on Tanya (she brushes him off, singing Does your Mother Know?) and Rosie discovering that she’s attracted to Bill Anderson and tries to seduce him (Take a Chance on Me).
At the end of the story, Sophie decides it isn’t important for her to know who her father is after all. All three men are happy being one-third of her father for her. She also decides it isn’t important for her to get married to Skye at that time and Sam Carmichael seizes the opportunity to propose to Donna (cue song: I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do) since both of them are quite not over each other.
The local version of Mamma Mia has its moments. Other than the obvious play on nostalgia by featuring and being entirely focused on Abba’s music, the highlights of the musical are definitely the characters of Tanya and Rosie who invited laughter and applause from the audience for their cleverly delivered antics, and Sanam and Zoe’s chemistry as actors. Kiran Arshad Chaudhry, who has her own band Caramal, debuted in the musical as an actor, was natural in the delivery of her role and seemed to stand out as a vocalist during the singing sections.
Her rendition of the song, The Winner takes it All, was a testament to her powerhouse vocals that were heard loud and clear especially considering that there were numerous technical glitches in the sound on the opening day, with the music often seeming louder than the vocals. Rachel’s role as Sophie was completely different from the femme fatale Velma Kelly she plays in the second installment (and as the Hungarian inmate in the first installment) of Chicago. One can see she’s made a definite effort to try and embody the role of a sweet, innocent 20-year old who realises at times that she’s taken on more than she can handle.
At the end of it, Mamma Mia the musical isn’t the best production that Made for Stage has come out with, especially considering that there isn’t much depth to the story line — not visually as ‘happening’ as their previous showings. The interchangeable set designed by Barry was almost genius but the costumes at times became downright gaudy, perhaps intentionally. Having said that, Mamma Mia still has its moments — though they are few and far between — and will appeal to those who have even a slight interest or knowledge of Abba songs.
Mamma mia, here I go again
My my, how can I resist you?
Mamma mia, does it show again?
My my, just how much I’ve missed you…
After wowing us with Chicago, Nida Butt and Made for Stage is back with yet another musical, Mamma Mia. It comes under the genre of being a jukebox musical (one which uses previously released songs in its musical score) and was written by Catherine Johnson.
Both the play and the score of the musical are based on the songs of the hugely popular Swedish pop band Abba (active from 1972-1983), and although the story is fictional the title of the play has been borrowed from one of Abba’s 1975 hit songs. When it comes to the original Mamma Mia the musical, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson (band members and main composers in Abba) were involved in its development. One of the female band members, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, had contributed financially. The last band member, Agnetha Fältskog, did not actively contribute to it but was present at its Swedish premiere and final show. According to statistics, Mamma Mia the musical (at least till 2007) had been seen by over 30 million people worldwide.
The story in itself is simple enough. Sophie Sheradon (played by Rachel Viccaji) is about to get married to Skye (Omar Bilal Akhtar) and wants her father to be present at her wedding. The only catch is that she doesn’t know who her father is since her mother, Donna Sheradon (Kiran Arshad Chaudhry), was intimately involved with three different men around the time Sophie was supposed to have been conceived. She chances upon her mom’s private diary and discovering the identity of the three men [Sam Carmichael (Aly Mustansir), Bill Anderson (Saad Rahim Zubair) and Harry Bright (Akbar Merchant)], she invites them to her wedding.
They arrive at the little Greek island where she lives simultaneously and promise Sophie that they won’t tell her mom that they’re here or why (cue song: Thank You for the Music). Donna discovers them anyway and is visibly shaken by their presence. Also attending the wedding are Donna’s old friends one of which is Tanya (Zoe Viccaji), a vivacious, high-maintenance, rich woman who has been married and divorced three times — and seems proud of it. The other is Rosie (Sanam Saeed), a carefree soul, unmarried and with a somewhat kooky sense of humour.
The play centres around Sophie — who has 24 hours before her wedding —trying to find out who her father is, dodging her mother, confessing what she did to her fiancé and getting ready for the wedding. It also focuses on Donna and the emotions she’s going through seeing her three old lovers back after 20 years all at once (cue song: Mamma Mia), while trying to let go of Sophie as her only daughter is about to enter into the ‘second phase’ of her life (cue song Slipping through my Fingers). Tanya and Rosie are also focused on as the two friends who’re trying to be just that — good friends to Donna, provide her with support, cheer her up and try and adjust to the single bedroom that they’ve been given. They also have their own set of romantic interests, with one Skye’s friends actively making a move on Tanya (she brushes him off, singing Does your Mother Know?) and Rosie discovering that she’s attracted to Bill Anderson and tries to seduce him (Take a Chance on Me).
At the end of the story, Sophie decides it isn’t important for her to know who her father is after all. All three men are happy being one-third of her father for her. She also decides it isn’t important for her to get married to Skye at that time and Sam Carmichael seizes the opportunity to propose to Donna (cue song: I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do) since both of them are quite not over each other.
The local version of Mamma Mia has its moments. Other than the obvious play on nostalgia by featuring and being entirely focused on Abba’s music, the highlights of the musical are definitely the characters of Tanya and Rosie who invited laughter and applause from the audience for their cleverly delivered antics, and Sanam and Zoe’s chemistry as actors. Kiran Arshad Chaudhry, who has her own band Caramal, debuted in the musical as an actor, was natural in the delivery of her role and seemed to stand out as a vocalist during the singing sections.
Her rendition of the song, The Winner takes it All, was a testament to her powerhouse vocals that were heard loud and clear especially considering that there were numerous technical glitches in the sound on the opening day, with the music often seeming louder than the vocals. Rachel’s role as Sophie was completely different from the femme fatale Velma Kelly she plays in the second installment (and as the Hungarian inmate in the first installment) of Chicago. One can see she’s made a definite effort to try and embody the role of a sweet, innocent 20-year old who realises at times that she’s taken on more than she can handle.
At the end of it, Mamma Mia the musical isn’t the best production that Made for Stage has come out with, especially considering that there isn’t much depth to the story line — and it’s not visually as ‘happening’ as their previous showings. The interchangeable set designed by Barry was almost genius but the costumes at times became downright gaudy, perhaps intentionally. Having said that, Mamma Mia still has its moments — though they are few and far between — and will appeal to those who have even a slight interest or knowledge of Abba songs.
Abba songs featured in Mamma Mia, the musical:
I have a dream
Honey, Honey
Money, Money, Money
Thank You for the Music
Chiquitita
Dancing Queen
Lay All Your Love on Me
Super Trouper
Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
The Name of the Game
Voulez-Vous
Under Attack
One of Us
SOS
Does Your Mother Know?
Knowing Me, Knowing You
Our Last Summer
Slipping Through My Fingers
The Winner Takes It All
Take a Chance on Me
I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
— Photo by FurSid
The much-anticipated Karachi Fashion Week (KFW), which was supposed to have taken place last week, has been postponed till the first week of November, informed Ayesha Tammy Haq, the spokesperson, at a press conference held recently. Those present at the press conference included participating designers Adnan Pardesy, Deepak Perwani, Feeha Jamshed, Kash Hussain, Maheen Khan, Nomi Ansari, Rizwan Beyg, Rizwanullah, Samar Mehdi, Sanam Agha, Shamael Ansari, upcoming menswear designer Tayyab Bombal and stylist Saba Ansari of Sabs Salon. Arshad Siddiqui, responsible for organising the event, was also present.
Ayesha Tammy Haq explained that one of the main reasons for postponing the event was the socio-political conditions of the country, especially in light of the recent terrorist attacks. “There are 32 designers who are showing at the event with four international ones,” she said, adding that security concerns for the international media that had shown an interest in the event was also one of the reasons. “The good thing is that our sponsors have not backed out. We’re ready to go now, and we’re ready to go in November. The event will go ahead as scheduled,” she said. According to her, one of the most exciting things about KFW is going to be the debut of seven new designers who will be showing their collections on the catwalk for the very first time.
“One of the directors of Miami Fashion Week was coming to Karachi for the Fashion Week,” she announced, “but if for some reason we can’t have her present, we will be doing a video link with her in which she’ll be seeing all the collections once they show on the catwalk. She will announce a winner who will then show his/her collection in Miami for free in March (2010).”
Getting to show at an international fashion week without having to incur the added expenses of registration and what not (the cost can go into millions of rupees) should provide any designer with an incentive to show their best at the event.
Saba Ansari will do the hair and make-up for the event. Originally, KFW hired Depilex but Nighat Misbah had some other commitments because of which she couldn’t participate, according to Ayesha T. Haq. She also congratulated Deepak Perwani, Maheen Khan and Rizwan Beyg for showing at Milan Fashion Week.
One of the outcomes of that event, Maheen went on to explain, was that fashion publications such as Vogue Italia, Velvet Magazine and Elle magazine had expressed an interest in attending the fashion week and providing coverage to the event. “A lot of the foreign media have begun asking for visas to come to this country,” she added.
In terms of bringing their learning from having attended an international fashion week such as Milan, Rizwan Beyg said, “We tweaked everything with Tammy in terms of ramp, choreography, lighting, etc, after we came back.”
“But the focus will remain on the designer and his/her collection,” added Maheen.
“We have a 100-ft ramp for the event which is the international standard for all such shows,” said Ayesha Tammy Haq.
“When we were going to Milan we had to show our Spring/Summer 2010 collection. Trends were predicted Trends were predicted in advance and they were followed in the collections that we showed. In Pakistan, the autumn/winter collection is shown right before the actual season. So it was a learning curve for us and we will implement this international standard from next year onwards,” said Deepak. “Trends, cut, style, fit… everything will be shown six months in advance. KFW is not just for the international media but also for new designers. This platform is for them. As senior designers, we already have had our platforms. Fashion is not just about designs, but serious business as well,” he added.
“And this business has to come and start from Pakistan,” said Maheen on a concluding note.
The much-anticipated Karachi Fashion Week (KFW), which was supposed to have taken place last week, has been postponed till the first week of November, informed Ayesha Tammy Haq, the spokesperson, at a press conference held recently. Those present at the press conference included participating designers Adnan Pardesy, Deepak Perwani, Feeha Jamshed, Kash Hussain, Maheen Khan, Nomi Ansari, Rizwan Beyg, Rizwanullah, Samar Mehdi, Sanam Agha, Shamael Ansari, upcoming menswear designer Tayyab Bombal and stylist Saba Ansari of Sabs Salon. Arshad Siddiqui, responsible for organising the event, was also present.
Ayesha Tammy Haq explained that one of the main reasons for postponing the event was the socio-political conditions of the country, especially in light of the recent terrorist attacks. “There are 32 designers who are showing at the event with four international ones,” she said, adding that security concerns for the international media that had shown an interest in the event was also one of the reasons. “The good thing is that our sponsors have not backed out. We’re ready to go now, and we’re ready to go in November. The event will go ahead as scheduled,” she said. According to her, one of the most exciting things about KFW is going to be the debut of seven new designers who will be showing their collections on the catwalk for the very first time.
“One of the directors of Miami Fashion Week was coming to Karachi for the Fashion Week,” she announced, “but if for some reason we can’t have her present, we will be doing a video link with her in which she’ll be seeing all the collections once they show on the catwalk. She will announce a winner who will then show his/her collection in Miami for free in March (2010).”
Getting to show at an international fashion week without having to incur the added expenses of registration and what not (the cost can go into millions of rupees) should provide any designer with an incentive to show their best at the event.
Saba Ansari will do the hair and make-up for the event. Originally, KFW hired Depilex but Nighat Misbah had some other commitments because of which she couldn’t participate, according to Ayesha T. Haq. She also congratulated Deepak Perwani, Maheen Khan and Rizwan Beyg for showing at Milan Fashion Week.
One of the outcomes of that event, Maheen went on to explain, was that fashion publications such as Vogue Italia, Velvet Magazine and Elle magazine had expressed an interest in attending the fashion week and providing coverage to the event. “A lot of the foreign media have begun asking for visas to come to this country,” she added.
In terms of bringing their learning from having attended an international fashion week such as Milan, Rizwan Beyg said, “We tweaked everything with Tammy in terms of ramp, choreography, lighting, etc, after we came back.”
“But the focus will remain on the designer and his/her collection,” added Maheen.
“We have a 100-ft ramp for the event which is the international standard for all such shows,” said Ayesha Tammy Haq.
“When we were going to Milan we had to show our Spring/Summer 2010 collection. Trends were predicted Trends were predicted in advance and they were followed in the collections that we showed. In Pakistan, the autumn/winter collection is shown right before the actual season. So it was a learning curve for us and we will implement this international standard from next year onwards,” said Deepak. “Trends, cut, style, fit… everything will be shown six months in advance. KFW is not just for the international media but also for new designers. This platform is for them. As senior designers, we already have had our platforms. Fashion is not just about designs, but serious business as well,” he added.
“And this business has to come and start from Pakistan,” said Maheen on a concluding note.
Beauty tricks and more
Stylist Nabila is always full of surprises. Recently, she was seen conducting a hair show at Park Towers, but before that there needs to be a little introduction to the event.
A fashion cosmetics giant introduced four of its Pakistani ambassadors to the local audience. These included hair and make-up artiste and entrepreneur Anoushey Asad, who has started the salon Studio 51. Model, TV actress, artist and lead singer for the band Overload, Meesha Shafi was another. Model and mom Sabina Pasha also walked down the ramp as an ambassador. The fourth spokesperson turned out to be actress, comedian, TV host, model Sanam Saeed. The idea was to select individuals who had multi-faceted careers, in an attempt to project their personality and not just their outward appearances. The spokespeople were dressed in black and gold Nida Azwer ensembles. The event began with model/film-maker Adnan Malik giving a small talk and showing a small presentation. Stylist Peng also came up on the podium and spoke about the essentials of skin care.
It was then that Nabila started the hair (read wig) show on two plainclothes models. She fitted them with wigs and attached coloured extensions to them. She then went on to style the wigs and gave them a razor cut. All the while she was helped by her assistants who in the end put very large necklaces on them.
Once the stylist was satisfied with the look, the spa gowns were taken off the models to reveal glittering black party wear outfits. The models had managed to change right in the middle of the mall and the stunt was akin to a well-practiced magic trick.
Other notable attendees at the L’Oreal Paris launch show included VJ Anoushey Ashraf, VJ/actress/singer Ayesha Omar, designer Feeha Jamshed, jewellery designer Kiran Aman, actress Mariam Azmi, designer Rizwanullah, model Rubya Chaudry and model/actress/entrepreneur Vaneeza Ahmed along with Musharraf Hai.
With innovations in the haircare and beauty industry, here’s hoping that launch events such as these will help cushion the blow caused by recession to the country’s economy and bringing it back on track in the soonest possible time. — MS
Stylist Nabila is always full of surprises. Recently, she was seen conducting a hair show at Park Towers, but before that there needs to be a little introduction to the event.
A fashion cosmetics giant introduced four of its Pakistani ambassadors to the local audience. These included hair and make-up artiste and entrepreneur Anoushey Asad, who has started the salon Studio 51. Model, TV actress, artist and lead singer for the band Overload, Meesha Shafi was another. Model and mom Sabina Pasha also walked down the ramp as an ambassador. The fourth spokesperson turned out to be actress, comedian, TV host, model Sanam Saeed. The idea was to select individuals who had multi-faceted careers, in an attempt to project their personality and not just their outward appearances. The spokespeople were dressed in black and gold Nida Azwer ensembles. The event began with model/film-maker Adnan Malik giving a small talk and showing a small presentation. Stylist Peng also came up on the podium and spoke about the essentials of skin care.
It was then that Nabila started the hair (read wig) show on two plainclothes models. She fitted them with wigs and attached coloured extensions to them. She then went on to style the wigs and gave them a razor cut. All the while she was helped by her assistants who in the end put very large necklaces on them.
Once the stylist was satisfied with the look, the spa gowns were taken off the models to reveal glittering black party wear outfits. The models had managed to change right in the middle of the mall and the stunt was akin to a well-practiced magic trick.
Other notable attendees at the L’Oreal Paris launch show included VJ Anoushey Ashraf, VJ/actress/singer Ayesha Omar, designer Feeha Jamshed, jewellery designer Kiran Aman, actress Mariam Azmi, designer Rizwanullah, model Rubya Chaudry and model/actress/entrepreneur Vaneeza Ahmed along with Musharraf Hai.
With innovations in the haircare and beauty industry, here’s hoping that launch events such as these will help cushion the blow caused by recession to the country’s economy and bringing it back on track in the soonest possible time. — MS
Printed as “Birthday blasts”
Growing up is hard to do. As clichéd as it may sound, we go from the warm loveliness embodied by our families who make us believe we’re the most beautiful, unique, smart and loveable people to ever set foot on earth, to actually going out into the real world and discovering that with the good, there is also the bad and the ugly as well.
I often see people host elaborate events on their birthdays, they’re genuinely happy about that particular day because they believe that that day is not only unique to them but also symbolic of what they are essentially – so deeply rooted is the concept of celebrating their birthday to their own personal identity. Having said that, what happens when a birthday doesn’t go as planned? Contrary to popular belief, birthday’s going badly happen quite a lot. This post is dedicated to stories about a series of unfortunate birthdays.
I once met a person who, during her early teens, had three consecutive birthdays in which none of her school friends showed up for the party she’d prepared for. As it turns out, her best friend at that time was partly to blame. She would host a get-together at her place on the exact same day. It was easier for classmates to reach her place since she lived close to everyone and at 13, your major concern is not only getting a ride, but making sure you don’t anger your parents by making them drive too far out for you to go and have fun. When the hapless birthday girl confronted her best friend (?), her best friend would act surprised and say something along the lines of “but I didn’t think it was that important!” and then promise never to do it again. But she did. Time and time again. “I was still friends with her because the idea of breaking our friendship over a birthday event seemed a little stupid. But things were never the same again. I was always suspecting her motives… in everything,” she says, adding that, “I think twice about inviting people over now. At the back of my head, I do wonder whether they’ll show up or not; even when they’ve confirmed their attendance.”
A birthday can go terribly wrong when too many people try to make it special for you as well! A certain Ms X suffered a true ‘series of unfortunate events’ on her birthday when everyone from her family to her friends set up a series of surprises that just went all wrong. With her birthday falling on a holiday, Ms X decided to sleep in late, because of which she ended up missing going to a small picnic with her friends that they had planned. Thinking that she could another time, she messaged in her apology. As it turned out, her friends had planned a surprise birthday bash for her at the venue which was ruined with her cancellation.
With having done nothing all day, Ms X decided to go have coffee with a close friend in the evening. She ended up having a small argument with her parents who wanted her to stay at home and somehow could not give her a good reason as to why they were so (strangely) adamant that she stay. She ended up leaving for coffee. Only when she arrived at the venue was she told by one of her siblings that her parents had planned a surprise birthday bash and were just waiting for the cake to be delivered. There was no point in turning back from the café; the mood at home had been ruined.
At night, Ms X had been invited by a restaurant-owning couple to their restaurant’s anniversary celebration which fell on the same day as her birthday. Feeling incredibly guilty for ruining her parents’ plans for her birthday and thinking that her attending the event would aggravate the situation at home, she decided not to go. Several hours later, she got a phone call from the couple who told her that they had had a special cake made for her as well since it was also her birthday and they had been hoping to surprise her with it. “From that day onwards,” says Ms X, “I keep telling people: I know you love me, but if you really want to show it, then don’t try to surprise me on my birthday!”
Growing up is hard to do. As clichéd as it may sound, we go from the warm loveliness embodied by our families who make us believe we’re the most beautiful, unique, smart and loveable people to ever set foot on earth, to actually going out into the real world and discovering that with the good, there is also the bad and the ugly as well.
I often see people host elaborate events on their birthdays, they’re genuinely happy about that particular day because they believe that that day is not only unique to them but also symbolic of what they are essentially – so deeply rooted is the concept of celebrating their birthday to their own personal identity. Having said that, what happens when a birthday doesn’t go as planned? Contrary to popular belief, birthday’s going badly happen quite a lot. This post is dedicated to stories about a series of unfortunate birthdays.
I once met a person who, during her early teens, had three consecutive birthdays in which none of her school friends showed up for the party she’d prepared for. As it turns out, her best friend at that time was partly to blame. She would host a get-together at her place on the exact same day. It was easier for classmates to reach her place since she lived close to everyone and at 13, your major concern is not only getting a ride, but making sure you don’t anger your parents by making them drive too far out for you to go and have fun. When the hapless birthday girl confronted her best friend (?), her best friend would act surprised and say something along the lines of “but I didn’t think it was that important!” and then promise never to do it again. But she did. Time and time again. “I was still friends with her because the idea of breaking our friendship over a birthday event seemed a little stupid. But things were never the same again. I was always suspecting her motives… in everything,” she says, adding that, “I think twice about inviting people over now. At the back of my head, I do wonder whether they’ll show up or not; even when they’ve confirmed their attendance.”
A birthday can go terribly wrong when too many people try to make it special for you as well! A certain Ms X suffered a true ‘series of unfortunate events’ on her birthday when everyone from her family to her friends set up a series of surprises that just went all wrong. With her birthday falling on a holiday, Ms X decided to sleep in late, because of which she ended up missing going to a small picnic with her friends that they had planned. Thinking that she could another time, she messaged in her apology. As it turned out, her friends had planned a surprise birthday bash for her at the venue which was ruined with her cancellation.
With having done nothing all day, Ms X decided to go have coffee with a close friend in the evening. She ended up having a small argument with her parents who wanted her to stay at home and somehow could not give her a good reason as to why they were so (strangely) adamant that she stay. She ended up leaving for coffee. Only when she arrived at the venue was she told by one of her siblings that her parents had planned a surprise birthday bash and were just waiting for the cake to be delivered. There was no point in turning back from the café; the mood at home had been ruined.
At night, Ms X had been invited by a restaurant-owning couple to their restaurant’s anniversary celebration which fell on the same day as her birthday. Feeling incredibly guilty for ruining her parents’ plans for her birthday and thinking that her attending the event would aggravate the situation at home, she decided not to go. Several hours later, she got a phone call from the couple who told her that they had had a special cake made for her as well since it was also her birthday and they had been hoping to surprise her with it. “From that day onwards,” says Ms X, “I keep telling people: I know you love me, but if you really want to show it, then don’t try to surprise me on my birthday!”
Where birthdays can be made into a special event, it is important to remember that they’re not the end-all when it comes to defining you or your identity. If you’ve a bad birthday, that doesn’t mean that the heavens conspired to put you down on a personal basis. Be happy about it, but also treat it like any other day – what makes a birthday special is not how big a hoopla you create while celebrating it, but realizing how much you’ve grown as a person and how far you’ve come in your relationships with people, your understanding of life.
It was a proud moment for Pakistan’s fashion when the country was recently represented at one of the biggest fashion platforms in the world — Milan Fashion Week. Of the designers who participated, each showed a fabulous collection and they did so in the New Upcoming Designers (N-U-De) category.
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Everything else aside, Pakistan has finally made it to one of the major fashion weeks in the world — a fact that we should applaud and be proud of.
Fashion gurus Maheen Khan, Rizwan Beyg and Deepak Perwani showcased their collections at the Milano Moda Donna (women’s) Spring/Summer 2010 season, organised by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. The buzz surrounding them showing at MFW had been going on for the past year, and to see it finally happen was indeed heartwarming. According to All Eyes on Asia by Francesca Fearon (published earlier in the Abu Dhabi-based daily, The National), Maheen Khan told her, “A year ago, I was approached by our ambassador in Rome to send her as many portfolios of designers as I could within a week. I did and here we are, unbelievably, heading for Milan!”
The collections were well-put together, were uniquely different and strongly reminiscent of each designer’s signature style. Maheen’s prêt collection was an amalgamation of solid colours ranging from white, orange, grey, red and yellow and contained her love for sleek, pleated shalwars. “I had been advised many years ago, ‘Look, we have a Dolce & Gabanna, Valentino and Armani. We don’t want one more. Give us something new’. We must represent Pakistan because that’s what it’s all about,” said Maheen. “I call my collection The Khyber Mail, based on the Khyber. I just thought I’d take all the embroidery from that area, the little kotis and shalwars that run through Pakistan. My focus was on the mountainous areas.
“Shu is the wool from the mountain goat which is spun on the yarn and they make woolen fabric from it. That’s what these traditional hats (pukhkol) are made of. I went to Bohri Bazaar and I was told that it couldn’t be done, and then I found one guy who could make it for me in khaddar, satin, etc. I used these hats throughout the show. I personally think that all of us got an amazing response from Milan.”
Beyg’s collection carried his signature use of white and was perhaps the most ‘western’ in sensibility as the outfits, in essence, left the torso of the models bare with most of the skirts sporting a large bow in the front.
“Deepak, myself and Maheen met and we talked about it,” said Rizwan Beyg about coming up with the collection. “I think we kind of wanted to show the different faces of Pakistan. We all have our strengths—my strength is couture, so I decided to do a demi-couture line. Deepak did a very young, colourful hip line and Maheen did very understated-elegance.
“I decided that since Deepak and Maheen were going to do colour, I was going to do monochromatic because it’s very much my style. After my last Ensemble show which was in ivory, I decided I was going to do something in white because it was for Spring/Summer 2010, if not then I would have done it in black because I’m a very black-and-white kind of a person.
“My entire collection was done out of a bedding material called niwar, and I used that to create texture. I worked with the women of Haripur Hazara to do the crochet because the whole collection was based on these two things, and then we embellished it with pearls. The concept was ‘from the rural to the runway’.”
Perwani’s collection stemmed from his D Philosophy line and featured the designer’s use of local dastarkhwan and ajrak prints over white fabric, tastefully put together over western-styled outfits. The almost mid-thigh, voluminous pleated dress and the heavily embroidered black jacket over a pair of red shorts stood out in the collection. Deepak seemed to have made an impact with his collection being repeatedly mentioned in international fashion blogs.
“There were design guidelines that you had to follow in terms of trends for Spring/Summer 2010,” he said. “You had to be practical as well in what you were making as Milan is all about serious business. So the outfits had to be according to trends predicted for 2010, such as colours, etc. There was brilliant work and a lot of cutting-edge design, and at the same time there were lot of shows that were all about making a splash on the ramp.”
However, the thing that struck as odd to many in the local fashion circles was that these well-established designers chose to show their collections in the New Upcoming Designers (N-U-De) category at Milan Fashion Week. It was suggested that the ‘new’ in the category referred to those who are new to the international market. Even if that was the case, all three designers had shown at various international fashion weeks ranging from Bosnia, Colombo, Dubai, etc.
Francesca Fearon stated in her article (All Eyes on Asia) the reason for establishing the category as: “Mario Boselli, the chairman of Camera della Moda Italiana, explaining the reasons for establishing N-U-De, said that the body was looking for creative designers who are not widely known in the outside world but who have a lot to express. The initiative was launched in 2005 to help new Italian and international designers and young fashion brands: ‘The initiative reflects the search for renewal of the whole fashion system helping the new generation in their professional path. The designers who will be participating are leading ones who we think are worthy of being supported in their jobs — in particular now that Italy and the international market are ready to welcome the innovations coming from apparently far-away cultures’.”
If one investigates the entrants in this category, including those who participated from India — namely Atsu Sekhose and Azara (Alpana & Meeraj Chauhan) — one finds that each designer brand was not older than three to five years. Rizwan Beyg and Maheen Khan are pioneers in the Pakistan fashion industry, having launched themselves in the late ’80s, with Deepak Perwani breaking into the local fashion scene in the mid-90s. With all three also the board members of the Karachi-based fashion council, Fashion Pakistan (FP), some in the industry feel that they should have used this opportunity to nurture and promote the many new designers who are also FP members and eligible for the N-U-De category at MFW.
“It (N-U-De) was initially for a lot of young graduates that they promoted,” explained Rizwan. “This year they decided they were going to initiate this whole thing with Southeast Asia, and they had a lot of entries but they short-listed four nations which was Columbia, Russia, India and Pakistan.”
Deepak added, “The N-U-De category has been established for designers who are showing in Milan for the first time. You are only in this category for the first two years. If you look at it, you’re showing along with the likes of Giorgio Armani and they want designers who can do some serious business, and not just some bachchas.”
“The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana is a trade body registered with the government, and they’re not going to break their rules to accommodate Pakistan,” added Rizwan Beyg. “Actually, from India Tarun Tahiliani was showing. I met Sumeet (Verma) at MFW who was representing the Indian council, and he told me that Tarun feels that the Indian market is a better market than going international because their sales are so high. So, in that respect, there is no controversy because Camera Moda is not going to break their laws to accommodate Pakistan.”
One Karachi-based fashion designer Nomi Ansari who qualifies for N-U-De had this to say when approached by Images on Sunday, “Maheen (Khan) had approached me and she was very much interested in having me show at Milan but at that time I was caught up with Eid orders. I wanted to go, but I couldn’t. I think that now that these people have gone, others will get the opportunity… I think they’ve opened the doors for others to show as well.
“MFW is a serious platform. It’s not for people who want to become famous, it’s for those who want to do serious business. I think the people who went not only have great design sensibility — you can see that in their collections at MFW — but they also have operations to back orders up. A major problem with completely new designers would be that they might not be able to do that.”
“We had sent around 11-13 portfolios to Milan and apart from that, we never chose ourselves, the Camera Moda selected us. They had our entire profile and the year we started,” said Maheen.
“We submitted our portfolios and got selected,” said Deepak about going to Milan. “The response has been fantastic, Pakistan was very popular there, and we got a standing ovation. If you see international press and media and the kind of feedback we’ve been getting, it’s phenomenal.”
“Well, I think the hysteria was only when we found out that we were going. That was the time of jubilation. The portfolios were sent a year in advance and it’s a long, hard process,” said Rizwan, “I think we were all worried about Pakistan’s credibility in an international, important event such as MFW. We were very fortunate that the four of us got chosen. The fourth designer who didn’t go was Nilofer Shahid.”
Why didn’t she participate? “She’s preparing for Paris because she’s taking part in one of the events there. They have a major accessory show there and she was preparing for that. She had to prioritise,” explained Rizwan.
Veteran fashion designer Faiza Samee, a prominent name in the industry and one of the directors of the Karachi-based fashion council, when approached, said, “I received an email about this from India almost a week ago, because they also had designers participating in the N-U-De category for new, upcoming designers. I have to admit I was a little surprised.”
However, careful not to take credit away from the collections that were shown at the MFW by the Pakistani designers, she added, “I believe they did very well at Milan and put forth a marvelous collection on the ramp, which makes us all proud of them as Pakistanis. Rizwan Beyg told me his collection was very well received over there.”
Considering that the designers who showed had gone through a ‘selection process’, Faiza sounded somewhat perturbed, “I was shifting though channels the other day and I chanced upon Maheen Khan’s interview to Ayeshah Alam. I was surprised when she mentioned that 12-13 designer portfolios were submitted for MFW and only Maheen, Rizwan and Deepak’s were selected. To be absolutely honest, I am also one of the directors of Fashion Pakistan and I certainly was not made aware of any such submission, or about participation in any category for MFW.”
“Well, I think it’s great,” said Andleeb Rana Farhan, fashion editor and a regular at fashion weeks abroad while commenting on the participation. “Whenever Pakistan is represented in a positive way, in whichever field, it’s obviously something we should be proud of.”
Regarding the participation of these established designers in the N-U-De category, she added, “An Indian fashion journalist friend of mine called me from Milan and asked me about it. In order to put a stop to this controversy, I obviously had to side with our designers, saying ‘Oh, but they are new to Milan’.
Fashion journalist and critic Zurain Imam commented, “For the last several months I’d been hearing that four of our senior designers, Maheen Khan, Rizwan Beyg, Nilofer Shahid and Deepak Perwani were trying to get a large media group to sponsor their participation at Milan Fashion Week 2009. Later, the name of Nilofer Shahid, who had already shown a collection alongside Balenciaga during the week of Haute Couture in 2005, was not linked to this earnest group. Then I also came across Tapu Javeri’s Facebook updates of the countdown to Milan Fashion Week. I saw a photograph of the category in which Maheen, Rizwan and Deepak showed: New Upcoming Designers (N-U-De) as part of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana initiative at Milan Fashion Week.
“On Ayeshah Alam’s show, Maheen said that 13 or so portfolios including those of ‘new talent’ and those of herself, Deepak and Rizwan’s were sent, and only these three of this group had been chosen. Tapu’s defence of the trio was that they were new to MFW. Federico Sangalli, Chicca Lualdi (Bee Queen) Andres Caballero and others who have recently shown under the N-U-De initiative at MFW are all relatively new designers in their own countries and internationally, having worked three to six years or less in fashion.”
Pakistani designers showing at MFW is again a big deal. There are enough controversies in the local fashion industry and having yet another one in the middle of such an accomplishment dampens its impact. But it serves everyone well to clarify such misconceptions. It should also serve as a wake-up call to new, upcoming designers who have to get their act and operations together because if they want to show abroad, they better be able to back it up not only in terms of design but also the business side of production.
“There is something I strongly believe in,” said Rizwan finally, “I think that at the end of the day we’ve opened the door for others to come in. Because we were articulate, we went and we put such a strong case for Pakistan. Mr Boselli came to us after the show and said ‘complimente! complimente! complimente!’ I think this is something that we, as founder members of Fashion Pakistan, would love to see all over and promote our younger members.”
“This has been a ground-breaking event in the Pakistan fashion world. I feel now doors will open for all of the designers. And next year, I’ve already spoken to Tasneem Aslam (Pakistan’s ambassador to Italy) who said ‘You guys have to come again’,” added Maheen. “But Mario Bocelli was very clear that whoever comes has to prove him or herself in the fashion world.
“MFW, in turn, has created an interest in Karachi Fashion Week. Beth Sobol emailed to tell us that she wants to come… and I also got a call from French National TV asking about it. I personally don’t know if I am going to go next year, this is about building your place in fashion and I think I’ve done my bit by opening the door. I would like to see somebody else go in my place. I would love to assist any designer who’s going, because this is going to be a collective effort for anyone who’s participating. Either we do it for our country or we don’t,” she said.
Photos:
1. Deepak Perwani’s collection
2. Maheen Khan’s “Khyber Mail” collection.
3. Rizwan Beyg’s “Rural to runway” collection.
From Sampooran (a set of five notes) to Saptak (a set of seven notes), we preview Mekaal Hasan Band’s latest album.
I’ll confess: the Mekaal Hasan Band (MHB) for me (and for quite a few people) has been an acquired taste; mostly brought upon by attending some of its live performances. The first album, Sampooran, featured artistes that are the best in their field, but has often been described as too ‘hard to digest’. It definitely wasn’t listener-friendly, and the worst critique that one can give it is that the sheer perfection sought in the technique employed in the musical and vocal arrangements had robbed it of its soul. Getting off to a slow start, the album picked up a couple of years later, once the style of music (an attempt at a type of eastern jazz, if you may) managed to penetrate the minds of local audiences. Sampooran is now one of the stronger music albums to come out from the local pop arena.
After a hiatus of five years, the band is now set to release the much-awaited second album, Saptak. The album is being released independently, without the support or affiliation of a record label, making the band some of the very few musicians in the pop industry that are free to promote their music on whatever medium that suits them.
The album launch song, Chall Bulleya, begins the album on a softer note. The lyrical content which is its prime focus, is a mixture of Bulleh Shah’s poetry (predominantly in the main chorus) fused with verses by Bhagat Kabir, focusing on bringing society up on a more positive note by eliminating the evils that exist in it.
The new additions in the musicians who contributed to the album include Aamir Azhar on bass, whose presence can be felt on tracks such as Bhageshwari which starts off with a funky bass-line. The song which has been written by vocalist Javed Bashir himself features a similar flute solo by Mohammad Ahsan Pappu. An upbeat energetic number, it’s one of the more listener-friendly tracks on the album and has the potential to be one of the album’s more popular numbers.
The multi-percussionist from the UK, Pete Lockett (with whom Mekaal collaborated and toured with in 2001) is also featured on the album on a track titled Albaella. Listeners unaccustomed to the nuances of classical or heritage music might relate it to the version (officially titled: Albela Sajan Ayo Re) from the Hindi film, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, as classical raags are often used in Bollywood productions. Based on Raag Ahir Bhairav, the composition in the album has been presented in its original form; in the Indian version, the structure of the composition had been changed from teen taal (common in the North Indian classical tradition) to a Kaherava (an eight-beat taal common in the North Indian non-classical tradition). Pete Lockett fuses in Arabic and Turkish beats into the composition, giving it a softer feel and bringing the deeply-rooted composition into the modern era. As with Late Moon Jam in the first album, Albella embodies the most ‘western’ feel with the music sounding very much spontaneous.
Bandeya is a track with embodies the most old-school MHB signature sound without sounding out-of-place in the overall composition of the album. It has Javed Bashir’s characteristic recitation of paltain interspersed with his consistent rendition of the main chorus lines, the guitar solos, etc. Perhaps the best way to describe the old MHB sound of the song would be to say that the numerous guitar solos exist, but only in moderation.
Perhaps the only song that really doesn’t belong in the album is Mohi. It starts off with Ahsan Pappu’s flute solo and the song progresses to sound like an attempt to shift from pop to a more film/soundtrack-oriented music, although the shift can only be felt slightly.
Almost half the album is already familiar to the band’s listeners. Sanwal and Waris Shah are tracks that have been picked up from the last album, although Sanwal is featured in a more reggae light. This version of Sanwal made one smile inadvertently, its light, its fun and a nice alternative to the original. But having grown accustomed to the original, I personally prefer that version in place of this one. Waris Shah, while retaining most of it in original form, has been ‘cleaned’ up of the additional instruments that seemed to dominate it in the first album. The song definitely belongs entirely to Javed Bashir’s vocal skills and Ahsan Pappu’s haunting virtuosity on the flute.
Three songs from the album have been making rounds on the airwaves for some time now. They are Jhok Ranjhan (the song single-handedly responsible for proving that the band can still do a lighter, more ‘pop’ sound and still sound good), Huns Dhun and Andholan (which goes back to the band’s more intense, ‘darker’ roots. Very much like the old MHB, it’s a little out of place in this album) and are therefore familiar to the local listener.
For listeners who were expecting more of the band’s signature listener-unfriendly, hard, intense music, they’re in for a disappointment, but only for that reason alone. The band may have shed some if its ‘darker’ sound, but they’ve retained their musical virtuosity. The songs have a very strong MHB touch to them, and as a whole, the album also plays largely on nostalgia since half of it has already been released in the form of music videos. The best from the album definitely include Chall Bulleya, Albaella, Jhok Ranjhan, Huns Dhun, Bandeya, Waris Shah, Bhageshwari.
Definitely one of the more ‘complete’ body of work to come out in the past two-three years in the music industry, the release of this album has been long overdue.
There are many different kinds of women to be found slogging away at the gym. They include the obese; those who need to tone down their abundant figures in order to live a healthy life. They are seemingly a tad self-conscious, look at every other member from the corner of their eye while working out, and look away the moment you catch them staring. Then there are the chubby ones, those who know that by loosing just a couple of kilos they’ll reach their image of the perfect body. They seem to possess the most determination and approach their workout routine as if they were training for the military.
Last, but not the least, there are the self-obsessed, made-up ones. These women are neither chubby nor obese, leave their hair open and wear full make up (I thought that was a big no-no; doesn’t it block your skin’s pores when you sweat, resulting in huge, horrendous pimples?) and are more interested in checking themselves working out in the mirror more than anything else. The gym seems to render little use to them other than another place where they’d like to be seen.
The pressure to look good (read: skinny) nowadays has increased in enormous proportions from the time I was in school. For us, it was mainly about keeping our hair neat, making sure we smelled good and getting rid of any unwanted facial hair. At 14, I had a friend who constantly fretted about her weight (she still does. She also conveniently blames her tendency to gain weight on her Arabic roots rather than on her voracious appetite), who constantly announced that she was going on a diet (I thought only adults were allowed to do that!) and then would proceed to drown her sorrows in a bottle of soda.
When I used to watch my sister prepare for school, I would get both amused and admittedly, a little scared. She would get up two hours before it was time for her to leave, spend 15-20 minutes taking a shower, 20-30 minutes of that time on her hair (straightening/curling/setting), 20-30 minutes on her make-up (a weird combination of facial powders and what not, plus the eyeliner had to be put on just right) and the rest of the time deciding whether her clothes – and the overall combination – looked good on her. The end result: she looked perfect, almost doll-like. Her friends are just like her. Collectively, they keep a close watch on what they’re eating all the time so they don’t pack on any unnecessary pounds. On the flip side, that’s the only measure they use against weight gain, what happened to healthy exercise? But then this is not just limited to my sister and her posse, go to the mall, take a good look around and you’ll discover that you’re surrounded by a multitude of “mini-models” who sport the same haircut and overall look (they could be clones) and most of them, are incredibly skinny.
Where one thinks that there is nothing wrong with presenting oneself beautifully, but it does raise some questions: to what lengths is the current generation of teenagers willing to go in order to fit into a certain stereotypical image of the perfect-looking person? Secondly, by concentrating so much on their outward appearance, are they forgetting their most important accessory, the one thing that is known to hook people better than any lipstick ever made: their personality?
