Strings Album "Dhaani"

"Dhaani" songs are all fabulous and kool that the song "Najane Kyon" music was included in hollywood's film Spiderman.
Labels: , ,

Junoon's Album Deewar

All of the songs are very famous & have been the Hits of their time...
Garaj Baras was Rock-Hit song of these..while Taara Jala is one of my favourite..
You will surely enjoy them all.


Songs of Junoon's Album Deewar are below to download.
Click to download

About Junoon


Labels: , ,

Noori's "Suno K Mai Hoon Jawan"

Noori's First debut album "Suno K Mai Hoon Jawan".
Of these songs "Manwa Re" got very much fame.
Click to download.
Labels: , ,

Zeb & Haniya

Zeb and Haniya are a pop rock music group from Kohat, Pakistan. The group's songs are mostly in Urdu, but some lyrics are also in Pushto and Persian. Their music has been described at various times as alternative, art folk, ethnic blues and easy listening by international reviewer's and critics.

While their family is originally from Kohat, North-West Frontier Province, much of the band's work takes place in Lahore. Haniya is a native of Islamabad, and the act spend time working in Karachi too. Their itinerary for the global tour is being set in 2009. They have performed mostly in the Persian Gulf region, in some parts of Sindh and Punjab.

The band is a project started by two musicians, who are cousins, Zebunnisa Bangash and Haniya Aslam. Both are ethnic Pashtuns. They began writing music together when studying as undergraduates at Smith College and Mount Holyoke College in the United States, although have stated that music was always a part of their life at home.

Formation (2007-2008)

Zebunnisa Bangash and Haniya Aslam, a female duo who have evolved from two college kids experimenting with music as a hobby to artists who have created one of the most anticipated albums of 2007. Zeb and Haniya was conceived circa 2000-2003, the girls’ college days in the United States, where Zeb studied Economics and History of Art and Haniya studied Computer Science and Anthropology. Chup, their first song, came to life in sessions at an abandoned café in the basement of Zeb's dorm. After a tremendous response from the college community, Zeb and Haniya recorded a rough version of Chup and another song titled Yaad with Mekaal Hasan (of Mekaal Hasan Band). Once again, the response was remarkable. The songs were a hit. They spread on the internet and soon found their way onto Pakistan’s City FM 89 radio waves. Zeb has been singing since age eight and has been training as a vocalist since 1998 with acclaimed Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan. Her fellow musician and first cousin, Haniya, is a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter.

Chup! (2008-present)

Zeb and Haniya released their debut album in July, 2008. 9 of their debut album’s 10 songs are original compositions. Produced by Mekaal Hasan, the accompanying musicians on the album read like a ‘best of’ list in the national music scene: former Noori drummer, Louis 'Gumby' Pinto on percussion, Shallum Asher Xavier of Fuzon on lead guitar, and bass by Kamran 'Mannoo' Zafar. Mauj’s Omran Shafique contributes blues lead guitar on one song, and Co-Ven’s Hamza Jafri, Sikander Mufti and Sameer Ahmed feature on the album's closing number, a high-spirited fusion track. Finally, the accomplished Norwegian jazz trumpeter, Hildegunn Øiseth, makes an unforgettable appearance in five tracks.
After the success of Chup and Yaad, Zeb and Haniya’s climb up the music industry ladder began with live performances. The first was commissioned by the American Consulate in Islamabad. This was followed by the first full-length Zeb and Haniya concert in Lahore. In 2007, the girls began the process of recording their debut album, which was released in Pakistan in July 2008. In addition to recording the album and shooting for videos, 2007 and 2008 were marked by a rising tide of publicity and acclaim, including a multitude of appearances on many major Pakistani television networks, including Geo, Dawn, Aaj, CNBC, and many others. Since the album launch, Zeb and Haniya have been touring the major cities of Pakistan, promoting their album with live shows and media appearances. Zeb and Haniya have also graced print media, with multiple appearances in local Pakistani newspapers and magazines, including The News, Dawn News, The Friday Times, Newsline, and numerous others, including a feature in the cover story of The Herald's 2008 Annual Issue. Apart from this, the girls have also appeared in many renown international publications, including Newsweek International, BBC Online World Service, Rolling Stone India, Khaleej Times and The Hindu, to name a few. They were also recently featured in their respective alumnae magazine, Smith College and Mount Holyoke College, as well as on an NPR radio show, The World.

The band have said that they attempt to produce a diverse body of work, combining pop music with Pushto and Farsi folk music. They have been touted as the successors to Nazia Hassan, a Pakistani singer who achieved worldwide fame in the 1980s. Their debut album received positive reviews in most of Pakistan's major newspapers, and they have been hailed as one of the (if not the) first all-female bands from Pakistan. In 2009, they performed at Coke Studio Sessions along with artists like Noori, Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar, Strings and many other successful musicians. They performed "Paimana Bitte" and "Chal Diye" at the Coke Studio Sessions.

Music style and influences

Zeb and Haniya matured from the underground to the national scene, where their ascent continues today. Their songs bring a spectrum of style, instrumentation and influence. Some tracks ring with the cheeriness of pop while others capture the evocative richness of Pashto and Farsi folk traditions.

Their sound is not confined to one genre, and has been described as alternative, art folk, ethnic blues and World Music. Their influences are many, including pioneering pop and folk from Pakistan, 60s and 70s folk guitar-based music from the US and UK, classical South Asian music, classic jazz, delta blues. The artists skim across decades, genres and borders to produce a truly innovative sound. Their songs seamlessly mix blues grooves and jazzy rhythms into complex melodies grounded in local traditions. Finally, we have a sound that touches the brilliant kaleidoscope of language, history and culture that is Pakistan.

The band draws upon a diverse set of influences including Suzanne Vega, Turkish singer Barış Manço, and jazz and blues singers like Muddy Waters.

Awards
Labels: ,

Hadiqa Kiyani

Hadiqa Kiyani is a Pakistani Pop Singer. After working on a successful music project with Adnan Sami, Kiani released her successful debut album, Raaz. After a musical ban imposed on her from the government, Kiani successfully returned to the music scene with her second album, Roshni, which remains her best selling album to date and helped establish her icon as the country's leading female vocalist. Kiani followed up Roshni with a more mature album, Rung. In 2007, she became the first Pakistani mainstream artist to release a complete English album, Rough Cut.
Kiani is also set to be a judge on a Pakistani version of American Idol, and released her fifth album, Aasmaan in June 2009.

Kiani was born on August 17. She is the youngest of 3 siblings, her older brother and sister who. Her father died when she was 3 years old. Kiani recalls the experience of losing her father on an interview show called Heart to Heart on ARY. She said it was very difficult for a few years for her family as issues had risen after her father's death, but she also said her mother was very brave throughout their upbringing. Her mother Khawar was a principle of a government all girl school while Kiani and her older siblings were growing up right after her father's death the family had to move into the school. Kiani and both her brother and sister had a knack for music, and as such her mother and school enlisted her in the Pakistan National Council Of The Arts. Kiani then performed in front of a crowd of a thousand people, at Liaqat Memorial Hall Pindi.

She went on to study at Viqar-un-Nisa Noon Girls High School Pindi. She represented Pakistan in International children festivals in Turkey, Jordan, Bulgaria, and Greece, winning various medals along the way. She also used to be on Sohail Rana's "Rang Barangi Dunya"; a weekly musical.

As an eighth grader Kiani moved from birth place Rawalpindi to Lahore. She was then enrolled Naya Aligar Public School. She then went on to Kinnaird and Govt. College, due to her excellent academic performance, and earned a masters in Psychology.

Television and film
Kiani came onto TV to host a children music program from PTV called Angan Angan Taray. In the three and a half year long run, she had sung over a thousand songs for children. [1] She also appeared as a VJ for various musical shows.

Kiani appeared as a playback singer for a musical movie called Sargam in 1994. The same year, she received awards for her playback singing.

Raaz
Kiani released her debut album Raaz (Secret) in 1995. Kiani wrote the lyrics to her first single, "Jeevan" (Life). The album spawned a string of radio friendly tunes and generally had favorable reviews. One reason Kiani's album did well was because it was not common for female singers to release albums at the time. Also, she was the first female singer to release a pop album after a former pop singer, Nazia Hassan, gave up her musical career in 1993. Kiani's ability to sing in various dialects also helped the album gain momentum. She was however labeled as a "Nazia imitator", mostly due to the fact Nazia was the only female singer her before her to introduce pop music in the country.

Still, Raaz performed well. The album's success was highlighted by it being mentioned in an article which showed the major events in Pakistan's music history. The article stated "Hadiqa Kiani successfully releases debut album Raaz". She also won "NTM Viewer's choice award" for the best female Singer of Pakistan in 1995.

In 1996, Kiani's debut had sold over 700,000 thousand copies, a very impressive figure for Pakistan. This milestone came when piracy in Pakistan hit an all time high (and still persists, Pakistan is ranked in one of the top 3 leading countries of Piracy, alongside Malaysia and China), causing all international labels to leave the country in 1994 itself. She kept on releasing singles from the album, all of which were received well. These included "Yaad", "Tu Agar Mil Jaata", "Jaan E Jan", and "Manne Di Mauj".

Her increasing popularity was further highlighted in 1997 when Kiani became the first Asian singer ever to perform on the British National Lottery Live BBC1 (estimated viewership 16.6 million). Afterwards she worked on two more shows with Bally Sagoo for BBC 2 and ITV before moving to perform in the U.S. Her U.S. tour covered 15 states and a show in Canada too. The same year Kiani performed on several other international events such as "Celebration Hong Kong 97", alongside other singers like Lisa Stansfield, Wet Wet Wet, Michael Learns to Rock, All 4 One and The Brand New Heavies. By the end of the year she became the first Asian female singer ever to be signed by Pepsi Cola International. She is also the second female in the world to achieve this, with the first being Gloria Estefan.


Roshni
In 1998 Kiani began working on her second music album, Roshni (Light). The album was dedicated to her nephew Sonu, the son of her older sister, Kiani took care of her nephew and has considered him as a significant person in her life. The first single off the album, "Tu Nawa Tu Sada" was released before the album was released. Kiani then released a second single, "Inteha-e-Shauq". The song was the official song found for the Pakistani Cricket team for the Cricket World Cup that year. Both songs being patriotic gained favorable reviews, however "Inteha-e-Shauq" was a much better success for Kiani. On November 1, 1998 Kiani released Roshni. Initial album sales were powered mostly by "Inteha-e-Shauq", which made the final listing of the album along with "Tu Nawa Tu Sada".

Hadiqa's third single off the album, "Dupatta" was an instant success. Its video was inspired by the sci-fi film The Matrix, and was the highest budgeting video in Pakistan in the year 1999. "Dupatta" also gained more popularity than any single Kiani had released before from her debut single. To date it is considered one of Kiani's greatest songs ever. The song is also listed in the Twenty Best Pop Songs Ever for Pakistan, where it is positioned at #15. The success of the song was attributed to its quasi-bhangra rhythm with fat, funky techno beats, and Hadiqa’s "dreamy-meets-husky- vocals", which made the results "stunning." In wake of Dupatta's success, Kiani soon went on the be widely accepted as the country's leading female vocalist.

Capitalizing on "Dupatta's" success, Kiani went on to release two other moderate hits, "Roshni", and "Woh Kaun Hai". She then delivered once again by releasing a sixth single off the album, "Boohey Barian" which went on to become an even bigger hit for her than "Dupatta". To date, "Boohey Barian" is widely accepted as Kiani's best single ever. However, the song was copied from Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans' hit single, "Panj Baariyan".

Kiani's massive success in 1999 was highlighted when she won PTV World viewer's choice award for the best female singer in 2000.. She also released a seventh single off the album, "Intezaar".

Roshni sold over a million copies in Pakistan alone, an extremely impressive figure for a poor country which is still largely male dominant and has an extremely high rate of piracy in the world. Kiani's image also became a signature look in cities like Karachi. These included long coat-like sherwanis and snake printed trousers and Nabila's chic cuts and color. This style by Kiani was a standard to many women who looked up to her in Pakistani cities like Karachi and Defense Lahore. It is widely known as Kiani's best album to date. The album is listed in "The 20 Best Local Pop Albums Ever" for the country, positioned at #15.[4] In the entire list, Hadiqa is just one of two female singers listed, with the other being Nazia Hassan. The review stated

This is the album with which Hadiqa finally overcame her reputation of being a folksy Nazia Hassan imitator. Glided across various different genres in a single album, from millennium techno, to crisp FM-pop and the usual folk-pop thing. The brilliant production remains to be the highlight here.

In another list called "The 10 Best Local Pop Albums...ever" Roshni was placed at number 9.[6] The review also highlighted Hadiqa's status rise by stating

However, on the excellent and crisply produced "Roshni", not only did Hadiqa manage to ultimately become the next Nazia, but the way she so effortlessly glided through the many distinct genres she explores on "Roshni" (from Neo-Filmi-Pop to FM-Pop to Techno), elevated her status to being one of the post-modern Indo-Pak pop scene's leading "pop diva"

Kiani's success got her signed by "Uni Lever" for celebrity endorsement of Lipton Yellow Label in 2001. In 2002, she was signed again by "Uni Lever" for Sunsilk Shampoo. Throughout 2001 and 2002, she performed live concerts in USA , Canada , U.K, Middle East, Far East, Australia, Norway, Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey on multiple occasions.[2]

Rung
Hadiqa Kiani released her third album Rung (Colors) in September 2002, for which she'd chosen the album title herself. Prior to Rung's release, Kiani sang an OST for a drama called Cheray. The song also made the final listing on Rung.

The first single released from Rung was "Yaad Sajan". The song helped the album sales propel throughout September and August 2002 and was an instant hit. It didn't however make it as big as "Dupatta" or "Boohey Barian", but generally got great appreciation.

Where Kiani released multiple videos for her previous albums within months after the album release, she didn't do so with Rung because of a personal crisis in her life. Her marriage was seeing problems. Issues with her marriage saw her being removed from the spotlight for the rest of 2002, and early 2003. Rung's sales slowly declined since no other single had been released. Her divorce was finalized in March 2003. She decided to take a few months off from her music career then. As a result, Rung's sales seemed stalled.

She returned to promote the album in June 2003, almost 10 months after she'd released "Yaad Sajan" with a new single "Ranjhan" and several stage performances and tours around the country. She then released other singles off the album throughout 2003 and 2004. These included "Jogi Bun Kay Aa", "Mahi", and "Dholan".

Her newer singles saw her videos seeing a drastic improvement in standard and concept. In "Jogi Bun Kay Aa" Kiani plays various roles of women, including a traditional Japanese, an Arab, and a tribal woman. She played the role of a vampire in her video for "Mahi". The video was also sending the message to not judge people of different faiths and casts, and to not stereotype. It was the highest budgeting video of the year 2003. Despite the setback from her divorce, Kiani's album sales picked up through 2003 and 2004. In 2004, she received the Best Female Pop Singer Award by Indus Music, the first 24 hour music channel of Pakistan. Dr.Asim Raza won an award for best video for directing her video Mahi.

Rung got mixed reviews from experts. Overall it didn't capitalize on the momentum she generated by Roshni. Many argue that this is due to the fact that Rung has more mature slow paced ballads than Roshni, while some say the turmoils of her personal life, along with the increase of piracy in the country caused its sales to decline. Album official sales tally have not been mentioned anywhere.

However Kiani still remained a strong figure in the industry, despite the setback. Her name was mentioned in a list called "Pakistani Pop's 10 most Influential Acts Ever", where she positioned at number 9. She is also one of just 2 female singers in the list, with the other being Nazia Hassan. A UK based Magazine declared Hadiqa as the 22nd greatest music maker of South Asia out of Top 50, also mentioning on how she raised the standard of music videos in the country.


2005-2006 worldwide performances
Kiani didn't release any single to promote Rung sales in 2005 and 2006. However, she continued to build on her success by touring heavily these years. Most of the time she was the official representative of Pakistan appointed by the government.

On August 11, 2005, Kiani performed in Nagoya for the Prime Minister of Japan Mr.Junichiro Koizumi. Kiani was invited to perform in Toronto on 14 Aug, 2005 by The Pakistani Consulate. She performed in Houston on 13th August 2005. The show was at Sam Houston Race Park, and it was attended by over 15000 people. Chief guest of the show was Sheila Jackson Lee who is a member of the US House of Representatives. Kiani was asked to take out the lucky draws of PIA and she announced the names of the lucky winners. She then performed at the "Mets" in "Shea Stadium" New York on August 18, 2005. She also performed at the Pakistan Day Parade in New York on August 28, 2005.

She performed in Malaysia on the 2nd October 2005 at the newly built Convention Centre in Kualalampur downtown. The Honorary Prime Minister of Pakistan Mr.Shaukat Aziz was the chief guest of the show. The show was part of Expo 2005 in Malaysia. Important business and political personalities from both countries attended the show. She sang a Malay song, not a Pakistani song.

Kiani represented Pakistan on the 25th Anniversary of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) in Turkey. Islamic Countries such as Azerbaijan, U.A.E, Iran, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Turkey, Pakistan and Yemen took part in the celebrations. The event was organized by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. She performed at the AKM concert Hall on 23 November 2005. Among the audience were musicians from various countries. The biggest surprise for the audience was when Hadiqa sang "Sanalama" (Turkish song of Living Legend "Sezanaksu"). Hadiqa told the audience that as Turkey stood beside Pakistan in good and bad times, she wanted to convey the love of Pakistani people for the Turks. She also told that she visited Turkey as a child star in 80s and represented Pakistan in the International Children's Festival in Turkey so had beautiful childhood memories associated with Turkey. The audience gave her a standing ovation. At the end of her performance, The Mayor of Istanbul presented a bouquet of flowers to her. After her performance she received invitations for Pakistan to participate in the upcoming Art festivals in various countries such as Iran, Syria, Qatar and Lebanon. During her stay in Istanbul she officially visited various historical sites in Turkey and conveyed the love of Pakistan for Turkey. Her performance in Istanbul was important news in various Turkish News papers.

Kiani performed in China for the Chinese 2nd Premier on 21st Feb, 2006. She performed for President George W.Bush on 4 March, 2006. Commenting on her performance, Bush said he liked her accent and wanted her to perform in USA. She performed for the Crown Prince of Brunei Al-Muhtadee Billah Bolkiah on 29 May, 2006.

Kiani performed for Mrs.Laura Bush on September 21, 2006 at The Kennedy Convention Centre, Washington DC. She closed the year by performing for HRH Prince Charles on October 30, 2006, and the Chinese President on November 23, 2006.

2005-2006 music contributions
Though Kiani couldn't release music and didn't promote sales for Rung due to her touring in these years, she still remained a strong figure in the industry due to her contributions and experiments. She also won an Indus Music Award for the Best Female singer for the second time in 2005.

Throughout 2005, Kiani did not release any video to promote Rung. She did however sing in various collaborations with other male singers. She sang the OST for a drama on HUM TV called "Aas Paas" with singer Atif Aslam. She sang 2 more OST's for the same channel, one being "Koi Lamha Gulab Sa" with Ahmed Jehanzeb, and another solo OST for a drama called "Tum Meray Ho". She also was featured in Najam Sheraz's single "In Say Nain" alongside many other featured artists. She was the only female artist in that song. She also performed for a special show on ARY's The Musik called "Re-Mastered", where she sang her songs and covered popular band Fuzon's song Teray Bina. In the same show, Fuzon covered her song Boohey Barian, and asked her to sing with them on their closing number, Aankhon Ke Sagar.

Kiani also performed for Geo TV in May 2005 for their show called "Geo Applause". The show was held at Sailing Club Karachi, and it was attended by large number of important personalities of the pop industry. Hadiqa sang songs that were mostly slow in tempo. Hadiqa told the audience in the beginning of the show that she would sing songs that she personally liked and those might not be people's choice. It was also her return to hosting a show after over a decade. In the show, she gave a tribute to The Carpenters by singing their song I Need to Be in Love. According to the producer of the show (Nadeem J), it was the best "applause" ever recorded for Geo.

In January 2006, Kiani released a single, "Iss Bar Milo". Although the song was off her album Rung, it was used instead to promote a recently formed duo between her and Aamir Zaki. They both had planned to release an English album soon. The song became a huge success, and its video continue to build on the trend of videos Hadiqa had released. In the video Kiani plays a schizophrenic patient at a mental institution for women. Reviews for the rock song were extremely favorable, with people appreciating her acting and her decision to sing different genres.

Kiani had released another video in 2006. She was featured on UK based producer Khiza's album Loyal To The Game. The album's lead single, "Mehr Ma" featured Hadiqa. The song was a massive success in Pakistan, and was seen as a great return for Hadiqa after her ballads in Rung. This was highlighted by the fact that Khiza's same album in Pakistan was titled Mehr Ma and not Loyal to the Game. Also, the album cover in Pakistan only has Kiani on it, not Khiza. In the video, Kiani is seen with different hairstyles and outfits. Kiani also cut her hair short and dyed it red for the video. Its reviews have been extremely favorable. One source says "'Mehr Ma', which starts off the album is easily the best track on it. With Kiani showcasing her top-notch vocals and the music, which remains hip-hopish yet very desi, thanks to the usage of sitar, tabla makes it an excellent number." Hadiqa also performed the song at the 2006 Lux Style Awards, and was called the best performer of the night in reviews. To date, Mehr Ma has the second highest hits of all of Hadiqa's videos on Youtube, only trailing Boohey Barian.

Adoption
In late October, 2005, Kiani became the first person to adopt a baby from the earthquake. She has named the baby boy "Naad-e-Ali" (though she spells his name Naaday Ali) and officially announced her adoption decision on Geo TV the same night she adopted him on a live show. She then proceeded to announce it in an official press release.

There have been some conflicting opinions with Kiani adopting a baby. Some people argued as to why she was allowed to adopt when there were laws passed against adoption to prevent human trafficking. This however wasn't a strong basis of argument, others said, since the baby was given to her, and it was not she who applied for him. Hadiqa has applied for official adoption of the baby ever since the law against adoption were released. Since the adoption she has married again. She claims the reason to be "wanting to give [her son] Naad-e-Ali the love of a father".

Tamgha-e-Imtiaz
On March 23, 2006, Kiani was awarded the "Tamgha-e-Imtiaz" by the Government of Pakistan, one of the highest civil awards of the country, for acknowledging her services of in the field of music and bringing good name to the country for over a decade. The award was announced on August 14, 2005, but the ceremony was on March 23 the next year.

Yeh Hum Naheen
In March 2007, Kiani was one of the many artists that were featured in a widely popular track called "Yeh Hum Naheen". In this song, various Pakistani artists joined to send out a message that people should stop blaming Muslims for the innocent killings of other Muslims. The song also sends out a anti-terrorism message. Other artists in the song are Haroon, Ali Haider, Ali Zafar, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Strings, and Shuja Haider. The song has been picked up by international stations like Fox News and BBC, and has received over 70,000 downloads.

Rough Cut

In August, 2007, Kiani was one of the performers for the Londay Day Parade at Trafalgar Square, London which was broad casted by Geo TV to celebrate 60 years of Independence for the country. Hadiqa was the only singer who sang completely live that day. She was also part of closing the show with the popular patriotic song "Jeevay Pakistan" alongside Ali Zafar.

She also released an Urdu single titled "Zindagi" which is a rock themed song about the life (Zindagi) of Pakistani children. The song was released after a few weeks after the London Day Parade, and is also her latest video. She also stated in an interview that she plans to release an Urdu album and concentrate on its production shortly after Rough Cut's release, and that she's already done with 4 tracks for it. However it is not clear if Zindagi will be a track on that album.

Kiani did not perform much internationally as she did in years before, and even toured around Pakistan less frequently towards the end of the year 2007 (primarily due to the state of emergency and the turmoils the country went through). However earlier in 2007 (May 19) Hadiqa performed at Dead Sea Marriott Jordan at the World Economic Conference. Hadiqa’s performance was on the 2nd day of the 3 day event, while American singer Lionel Richie performed on the 1st Day at the same venue. During her performance Hadiqa performed an Arabic song “Aa We Nos” (originally sung by Nancy Ajram). Jordanian performers performed with Hadiqa during that song.

Pakistan Idol
Hadiqa Kiani will appear as a judge on an upcoming TV show on Geo TV called Pakistan Idol. The show itself has seen airing date delays due to the emergency in the country in Winter 2007. However the TV channel plans to release it soon. Hadiqa will also do an interview regarding Pakistan Idol soon. However it hasn't been announced when the interview will happen.

As of August 1, 2008, Geo TV announced that the show and its auditions are put on hold until further notice.

2008-2009
Kiani has been relatively inactive so far in 2008, performing only at a few non televised concerts. The reason for her sudden absence is claimed to be her mother's paralysis in 2006 since then Hadiqa has been taking care of her mother. More information on the matter has not been disclosed.

Despite her absence Kiani recently performed at a cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh on April 20, 2008. More information on the performance is yet to be updated.

Kiani released a statement on her Facebook and to the press to announce that she's divorced from her second husband, citing a long distance relationship as the main cause of the breakup.

Aasmaan
In June 2009, Kiani switched record labels to Fire Records and released a new album titled "Aasmaan" (translated: sky) on June 17, 2009. It is Kiani's first album in local languages since her release of "Rung" back in 2002. In the album, she sings in Urdu, Punjabi, Hindko, Pashto, and many other dialects. Two songs in the album have vocals featured on them by her older brother (and manager) Irfan Kiani. She has also collaborated with UK producer NAT-Z on two tracks of the album, "Sohnya" and "Dil Mera".

The first single of the album is "Sohnya". The official video of "Sohnya" was premiered a day before Kiani released the album.

The album has seen great reception by the public and has been slated as many as one of her best works to date. Kiani also relaunched her website the same date the album was released, though not completely.



Labels: ,

Coke Studio Season 2 All downloads.

Below are all videos and audios for download of all episodes of Coke Studio Season 2.


Episode 01: Individuality

Videos
Audios
Episode 02: Harmony

Videos

Audios

Episode 03: Equality

Videos
Audios
Episode 04: Spirit

Videos

Audios

Episode 05: Unity
Videos:

Other Links:

Labels: , , ,

About Coke Studio

Coke Studio embodies a musical fusion of exciting elements and diverse influences, ranging from traditional eastern, modern western and regionally inspired music. Bringing alive the magic of live recordings and performances, Coke Studio prides itself on providing a musical platform which bridges barriers, celebrates diversity, encourages unity and instils a sense of Pakistani pride. Coke Studio is an inspired step by Coca-Cola for having created a platform where renowned as well as upcoming and less mainstream musicians from various genres can collaborate musically.
This year, after the unprecedented critical acclaim and huge popularity of Season 1, Coke Studio reignites our passion and returns to the heart of the live recording studio with a new artist line up, a different sound, an innovative house band and a brand new set of performances and episodes. This season, Rohail Hyatt’s musical genius draws together the fundamentals of collaborative music that will showcase Pakistan’s rich music culture by stitching into its fabric, traditional artists, folk music influences and regional instruments in collaboration with Pakistan’s contemporary mainstream artists.
With Season 1, Pakistan witnessed fusion in its natural essence and form combining not only classical eastern and contemporary western style vocals but instruments and musicians. Live collaborations were staged all summer aired every fortnight, on every television screen, simultaneously, across Pakistan.
At Coke Studio’s Season 2, expect electrifying performances, surprise collaborations between artists and be part of their interpretation of Pakistani music on a reinvented signature Coke Studio set. Season 2 demonstrates how creative boundaries can be defined, redefined and bridged through musical improvisation reflecting the vibrancy and artistic harmony of Pakistan’s artists. Listen to the plaintive sounds emanating from the mountains and valleys of the Frontier and Baluchistan, reverberating through the rivers of the Punjab and breaking out triumphantly into the sands of Sindh and out across the open seas.
Join us and experience Coke Studio’s magical musical journey this 2009.
Labels: ,

Shehzad Roy



Shehzad Roy (Urdu: شہزاد رائے) is pop singer and humanitarian from Karachi, Pakistan. Since his first album debuted in 1995, with a revolutionary approach to fusing his lyrics with music of different genres, he has been a successful and popular singer in Pakistan. He says that, “the authenticity of the message in a song produces meaningful music.”

With five hit albums under his belt, including the 2008 ‘Qismat App Kay Haath Main Hai,’ (Fate Lies in One’s Own Hands) he is also the President and founder of Zindagi Trust, a non-for-profit charitable organization, that seeks to educate the underprivileged children of Pakistan. In June 2004, Roy was honored as one of the youngest ever recipient of the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, which is one of the highest Civil Honors awarded in Pakistan for excellence in serving humanity. For his organization’s earthquake rehabilitation in Kashmir, he was awarded with the Sitara-e-Eisaar.

He was also selected to be a torch bearer for the 2008 Olympic Torch relay as the pride of Pakistan.

Biography


Roy was born on February 16, 1977 in Karachi His father Kabir Roy is a successful businessman and his mother Nazli Qamar is a housewife. His older sister is married and resides in the US. When in 5th grade, Roy moved with his family to the USA and lived there for several years. Even at that tender age, he was struck by the discrepancy between quality public schools in America and Pakistan. He yearned to make a difference in his native country. Roy came back and settled in Karachi, where after finishing his Bachelors his passion for music launched his successful career and he became a performer and musician.

In 2002 he established a charitable foundation-Zindagi Trust- to alleviate the condition of working children that strayed on the streets of urban Pakistan. In 2006 he was fortunate enough to pay homage to his faith, by performing Umrah with his manager Arif Roy and guitarist Imran Akhoond. Roy spends his time recording music and fundraising for his Trust. He uses the proceeds from his concerts to support Zindagi Trust.

Before tying the knot with Ms Salma, Roy fell madly in love with a pathan Pakistani girl Samar Adam. Despite Samar being in another relationship, Roy forced Samar into having a relationship with him. This secret affair was revealed to all of Roy and Samar's circle of friends at a birthday party by Roy's friends. Humiliated, Samar left Pakistan to the UK to study a LLM in law. Still Roy persisted with Samar and travelled to the UK many times in attempts to win her heart. After 6 months, the pressure on Samar resulted in her mental breakdown and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital.

Zindagi Trust


Roy has dedicated his life to the establishment of Zindagi Trust, the non-for-profit charity helping impoverished and uneducated children of Pakistan. Roy says, “Statistics show than 10.5 million children under the age of 15 in Pakistan are currently employed in factories, cottage industries, on the streets as vendors, in menial jobs in order to support their families, deprived of childhood and education.” Seeing vagrant children on the street, not going to school he says was heartbreaking for him and led to the formation of the 501(c)3 organization in 2002.
With over 2800 children being educated with 34 operational schools currently open across Pakistan, Zindagi Trust’s core mission is to provide education and vocational skills to the working children of Pakistan and making them productive future citizens. He also strives to make his charitable venture a self-sustaining model that is dynamic and continually evolving to match the progress of modern education.

His Trust pioneered the concept of ‘I-am-paid-to-learn’ geared towards urban working children that provides them with monetary compensation for going to school. The fixed stipend of Rs 20 (25 cents) daily can make a significant change in the life of a children bound by labor. And the unique teaching methods along with incentives for children to attend make it a successful solution to Pakistan’s illiteracy problem.

However Roy did not stop there and now has launched an ambitious project to reform the standard of Government schools in Pakistan, “Quality education is every citizen’s right and its responsibility lies with the state. A paradigm shift is required in the mindset of state authorities, the people and the education system to save our future generations from destruction,” he states.
Zindagi Trust received authorization from the Sindh Education Department of Pakistan to manage the Fatima Jinnah Govt. Girls School with 2600 students and 140 school teachers. Zindagi Trust’s administration successfully overhauled the physical infrastructure, academics, educational methodology and quality of books. Significant turnaround has been seen in students’ test results and improving their critical thinking skills. Zindagi Trust was able to implement outstanding architectural renovations that include a fully functional library, gym, science and computer lab. The amelioration of the school has helped influence the Sindh Government to replicate this model on a larger scale. Its success has led many in Pakistan to speculate that the future of Pakistan lies in the capable hands of the young breed of philanthropists like Roy.

Music Career

As Roys’s humanitarian reach grew, so did the tone of his songs. He went from mainly singing bubble-gum pop romantic songs to a socio-political defiant album, ‘Qismat Apnay Haat Mein,’ (Fate Lies in One’s Own Hands) that he launched at the Karachi Juvenile Prison at Central Jail, in July 2008. He underscored the need to rehabilitate Pakistan’s justice system that ignores the pitiable conditions of many prisoners

To promote cultural awareness through music, Shehzad Roy brought Bryan Adams to Pakistan for a charity concert to aid the victims of the tragic October 2005 earthquake. Bryan Adams commended Shehzad Roy for his ‘I Am Paid To Learn’ campaign. In order to promote cross-border cultural exchange with India, he sang a hit duet with Indian singer Sukhbir.

Something more than musicIn 2007 Shehzad Roy had been known to have a knack for working on projects that create somewhat of a bang. His latest offering came in the form of a musical collaboration between him and queen of Sufi soul, Abida Parveen, rooted on his latest venture — Equality in Education.Roy spoke about how he approached Abida for lending her vocals to the song after he had composed the music for it. When it first begins, the song seems to be somewhat of an instrumental with soft guitar riffs that build up momentum gradually, however, not too much. Shehzad Roy isn’t the primary vocalist, leaving that to Abida, and prefers to sing only the title throughout the composition: Aao de dein inhain zindagi (Let’s give them life).
Abida apa, as Shehzad is prone to calling her, listened to the composition and consented to sing for the song. Previously before this, she has never collaborated with any other musician on any project and this is also her first proper music video to date. The introduction of her vocals comes as a burst of energy into Aao De Dein Inhain Zindagi and the overall effect may be considered to be somewhat brilliant. According to Roy, she’s added an amazing spiritual element to the song.He also spoke about a conversation between him and Bryan Adams during the latter’s last visit to Pakistan, in which Adams pointed out that one need not look for inspiration elsewhere when it came to material for music, as there was so much to write and sing about right here.
Directed by Sohaib, the Aao De Dein Inhain Zindagi video is simply done with Roy in front of a chalk board and Abida somewhere near him, in other frames books, children and an abacus also make their appearance in the midst of text scrolling across the screen with messages in them. The video is expected to be released on the airwaves shortly.

But this is not the only thing that Shehzad Roy has up his sleeve as according to him the heir to the English throne, Prince Charles, has offered to send representatives from the Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO) to help train teachers working for Zindagi Trust as well. A workable plan is being formulated currently to help get this in process. Also joining in the ZT team is Sami Mustafa, the principle of the Centre of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Karachi. Roy acknowledges his contribution and is pretty excited about having him on board.

Shehzad speaks very strongly about education and how it can help to not only change a person's life but also their overall civic sense. At the end of it all, it can be said that he not only has the vision but also the focus, determination and most importantly, the heart, to try and realise it. And this, his latest collaboration with Abida Parveen might just be a little peek into how he plans to go about it.

Qismet Apnay Haath Mein In 2008


While too many musicians in Pakistan seem content to skirt over issues of socio-political importance, treading the same dregs of human emotion again and again. However, after the boisterous Saali, Shehzad Roy has decided to pen an album of tracks that has more than its fair share of swipes at the current elites in charge of the nation (peppered, of course, in between the usual fare of radio-friendly ballads and songs leering over the edge with catchy — if not cheesy — riffs).
Qismet Apnay Haath Mein has generated a substantial amount of hype and fanfare for the seemingly controversial material embedded within the album. Of the songs on the album, Laga Reh, has been prompted to the fore with its polemic nature. It starts off with Roy going “Mein jab dus saal ka tha, toh maine nine o’clock news par suna kay Pakistan tareekh kay aik nazuk morh se guzar raha hai.” One rather jumpy guitar riff later, he pronounces, “Mein phir 20 saal ka huwa, maine phir nine o’clock news par suna kay Pakistan tareekh kay aik nazuk morh se guzar raha hai.” A stark commentary on the way our nation is run is juxtaposed here, in a rather surreal manner, with the usual Shehzad Roy manner of song; lots of jovial guitar riffs running around coupled with bhangra-esque percussion.

Shehzad Roy’s method of tackling issues of political and social importance in his music differs however from those of, say, Rage Against the Machine. Surprisingly, his commentary is deft and full of sarcastic quips, rather than an outright attack on the institutions in our country. This is evidenced in the other significant politically-charged track on the album, the title track, Qismet Apnay Haath Mein. Throughout the album Roy is lyrically in fine form, chucking interesting turns of phrase left, right and centre with aplomb.
Musically, the album is rather scattershot. On occasions, it has some wonderful moments of balladry and sheer hook-laden pop, with wonderful melodies floating all over the songs (post chorus in Qismet Apnay Haath Mein). There’s also some fantastic guitar work on the album; as mellow and emotive as it is often enamored with ‘funk.’ Janay Kahan opens up with a brilliant harmonised riff that settles easily into the song, while Aankhen has guitar work that at times acutely resembles Incubus.


Labels: ,

Akash

Inspired by Junoon- Akash always wanted to pursue singing as a career, thus wanting to create his own band. Talking about the formation of the band Akash said “Miki - my childhood friend, Kenny - was my neighbour and Fiz joined us later. Music has been my interest and I would like to focus on it.”
Recently, The Ryan Foundation and Indian council for cultural relations organized a tour to India where they performed four concerts (3 in Delhi and 1 in Punjab) that consisted of an audience above 3500 in each show. They organized their tour for the youth and people of different age groups who had listened to Akash through different means such as the television, internet, radio, etc. All of their shows were performed solo except for one, which they played with a Delhi based band ‘Rock for Peace.’ As they set the ball rolling with their popular hit, Ji Liya, Aaj Phir, and Armaan followed by The Teen Char Song, and My last Breath. Apart from the songs from their own album Akash performed We will rock you, Dosti, Lal meri, Pal, Rock on, Boom Boom and Dil se - Rock Version. The audience found themselves getting into the swing of things. Live rendition of songs with great drumming and guitar work, Akash was at its best, wooing the crowds effectively. Akash, it seems, knows how to strike the right cords with the audience. The best performance was at the 9th International Children’s Festival of Performing Arts. The crowd response was incredible.
The band could not perform much in Pakistan because of deplorable security situation throughout the year. “We had 2 shows in December for MUMBAI but because of the situation between both the countries, we didn’t think it would have been possible to perform. I believe we all are one and if music can bring us both countries together then, we can rock, ” Akash said.
For Akash being passionate and loyal to the music is more important than to get popularity. The band currently is working on four new videos. ‘Wait and watch’ is all Akash has to say about the upcoming videos. Their second album contains 14 tracks; it is under the procedure of recordings. Though 70% of the work has been completed, yet the album is due within a couple of months. Koi Tou Ho, Nindiya, Thunda kar yar and Ronay do are the tracks to watch out for in this album.
In addition to being a vocalist, Akash has his hands dipped in direction as well as the productions of other bands. Another thing that Akash is credited for is his dedication to create music for various subjects, e.g. Akash has also composed music for Waqt News Channel for its main theme, headlines, promos etc.
Akash’s music is also legally available on some of the biggest music networks like I-tune, YouTube and many others.
“I don’t really think about my achievements because this makes the person weaker. As you keep thinking about it, you can never proceed further. For this reason I would want all my fans to love Akash – The Band as they have always because we will keep our music Loud and Clear!” Akash said

Labels: ,

Strings

Strings is an internationally acclaimed Pakistani pop band comprising two members. The band was formed when four college students—Bilal Maqsood, Faisal Kapadia, Rafiq Wazir Ali and Kareem Bashir Bhoy—decided to form a band in 1988 in Karachi. In 1992, the quartet disbanded only to make a comeback with two of its members, Bilal and Faisal later in 2000. While the initial band was riding on the new wave of Pakistani pop music, the later formation ushered a new revival in the music industry of Pakistan.

Kapadia and Maqsood followed in the footsteps of Junoon and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and took their act across the border to India only to realise they already were a recognised band in the country as remixes of one of their earliest songs were played in clubs. As ambassadors for Pakistani pop music, the duo set out to conduct concerts all over the world thenceforth.
Acclaimed world over for their stringed rhythms, their songs are praised not only for being melodious but having a strong poetic sense to them. Penned by Anwar Maqsood, Bilal's father, the lyrics of their songs always carry a deep meaning with them. Anwar has been writing lyrics for the band since its re-formation.


Where Kapadia is the lead vocalist for the band, Maqsood acts as the composer, guitarist and at times does vocals for a few songs. To play live at concerts, both the members have hired Adeel on the lead guitar, Shakir on the bass guitar, Haider on keyboards and Qaiser on drums, an entourage ensemble that travels with them to various international concerts at times.
Strings is an internationally acclaimed Pakistani pop band comprising two members. The band was formed when four college students—Bilal Maqsood, Faisal Kapadia, Rafiq Wazir Ali and Kareem Bashir Bhoy—decided to form a band in 1988 in Karachi. In 1992, the quartet disbanded only to make a comeback with two of its members, Bilal and Faisal later in 2000. While the initial band was riding on the new wave of Pakistani pop music, the later formation ushered a new revival in the music industry of Pakistan.


The initial quartet (1988 – 1992)


The late-1980s saw pop music in Pakistan grow by folds and newer artists began emerging on the scene. Shalimar Television Network (STN), the only channel in the country, other than Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), launched a show titled Music Channel Charts to highlight new talent. In Karachi however, things were shaping up rapidly and people idolising veteran singers like Nazia and Zoheb, Alamgir and Muhammad Ali Shehki were keen to ride the new wave of Pakistani pop music.


At the Government Commerce College in Karachi, Maqsood, Kapadia, Rafiq and Kareem, four classmates formed a band. With influence from Maqsood's father, the well-renowned Anwar Maqsood's pen, the band performed songs on his lyrics. By the mid-1990, with help from Mansoor Bukhari, head of EMI Group in Pakistan, the band had come up with a self-titled album Strings under the EMI label. Their initial effort experimenting with synthesized sounds and rhythms was not recognised instantly although it is reported that their first album sold 20,000 copies in its first week on sale. The band however had other things on mind, and they fixated their focus on finishing their studies.


Maqsood joined an art school, while Kapadia travelled to the Houston, Texas to continue his business studies. Little is known of the other two members of the band but it is understood they continued their studies as well. The disbanding of the group came as a mutual decision amongst all the members. Two years later, the band members were to meet again and give their passion for music another try.


First breakthrough (early 1990s)


In 1990, the band came up with a follow-up album titled String 2. Maqsood realising that the band needed more exposure, advised that a music video be shot. He himself took charge of the direction of the video for the song, "Sar Kiye Yeh Pahaar" and handed it to the STN to be aired on their show. The video was played for a minute on the channel in their hour long show and with not many new videos from competing artists, Maqsood's directorial début was an instant success. This decision proved beneficial and Sar Kiye Yeh Pahaar became a nation-wide hit overnight. In its most primitive form, the video and the song created a phenomenon in the local music industry and the band scored hits after another, played shows and enjoyed the lifestyle of the post-80s pop stars. The hype was short-lived and the quartet soon disappeared from the face of the Pakistani pop. Kapadia returned to USA while Maqsood got himself a job in an advertising agency as the creative director.


Comeback and Duur (2000)


Strings' third album Duur was an instant hit in India where their reputation preceded them.It had almost been eight years since the band had last seen fame and their prolonged hibernation it seemed had erased the marks they had left on the music industry disappeared. Maqsood continued his work as a creative director at the advertising firm and had also involved Kapadia in the creative process as well. Kapadia served at marketing department for a production cell in the same company. Both had married and had children; they had forsaken music for family lives still sharing a passion for it.


The year 2000 saw another shake in the Pakistani music industry and the duo saw an interest in joining the bandwagon. Rafiq and Kareem weren't accessible and decided not to continue with the band not because of indifferences but because they had settled down in their new lives. Maqsood and Kapadia then decided on forming the band within themselves. Reforming the band meant they could not continue with their respective jobs. Upon counsel amongst each other, they placed their resignation in pursuit of music.


They recorded a song, "Duur" and the duo asked their friend Jamshed Mehmood, known to them as Jami, to direct the video for the song. In the events to follow the later years, Pakistan banned channels from across the border broadcasting from India and only allowed the few Pakistani channels to be broadcast on the cable network. In the aftermath private television networks took on the task to fill the void and soon new music channels were introduced in the country. The video for "Duur" was distributed to all the stations that aired on the tube and became an instant hit hailing their comeback


Ushering a new revival (2001–2003) and Dhaani (2004-2007)


While Strings enjoyed huge success in Pakistan, they were oblivious to the fact that their earlier hit Sar Kiye Yeh Pahaar was being played in India in a remixed version in clubs and had gained them a repute over the years. When their new video was played on music channels in India, they were easily recognisable as the two who performed the earlier song and the song "Duur" became even more famous across the border. They launched Duur under the Magnasound label, who had previously launched pop stars like Baba Sehgal and Remo Fernandes.


The realisation that Pakistani pop songs had a cult following in India ushered a new sense of revival and encouragement for the now established artists in the country. The local Pakistani music channels boasted this appeal and soon singers from every corner of the nation stood up to participate in collaborating with their counterparts from the neighbouring nation.
"Dhaani" (2004) Problems listening to this file? See media help. Strings had been travelling to India for quite some time and playing gigs alongside established bands like the New Delhi-based band Euphoria. It was when after 14 years the Indian cricket team toured Pakistan that the electronics major Samsung invited Strings to record a song with Euphoria in India titled Jeet Lo Dil that they got their first major cross-border breakthrough. The song became the official anthem for the tournament. oured all over India with Channel V performing on songs from their album Duur and the new anthem with Euphoria. They were warmly received by the Indian crowds and in the course of their time in India, the band members got in touch with some of the most reputed singers of the nation to feature them on their next album. In the process, Strings affiliated with Hariharan and Sagarika daCosta to work on songs for their next album Dhaani. With their success in India, Columbia Records approached them to launch their new album and they accepted their offer.


In a show called "Jammin" on Channel V, the duo were invited to join alongside Sagarika to perform on a song called Pal. Just like the earlier venture Jeet Lo Dil, this song was written, composed, recorded in both audio and video formats in a matter of three days. The duo later recorded their song Bolo Bolo but thought it would be nice if they could invite Hariharan to sing on the track as well and they then rerecorded the song to include Hariharan. Both the collaborations were eagearly awaited for by their fans and were cheerfully received.
Their efforts payed off and they were invited to play at the Hard Rock Cafe in Dubai for an unplugged session which rose them to fame outside India and Pakistan. Their biggest endeavour was yet to come though.


From Spider-Man to ZindaIn June 2004, before they could record their next song, Najaney Kyun, Strings were approached by the heads at Columbia TriStar Films of India, a sister company to their record label company to include the song in the soundtrack of the Urdu version of the epic Hollywood blockbuster Spider-Man. With their massive presence in the Indian pop music scene, Strings were mistaken for an Indian band.


Soon afterwards, they were approached by an Indian director shooting Zinda, a remake of the classic South Korean film Oldboy to do a soundtrack. Maqsood composed a song titled Yeh Hai Meri Kahani for the movie. For the video, the duo had to act alongside two A-list actors from Bollywood. It was here that the duo became good friends with John Abraham and Sanjay Dutt and would later appear in more ventures together


Gibson deal (2007) and Koi Aanay Wala Hai (2008-present)


Late in 2007, Strings struck a deal with Gibson Guitar Corporation, becoming the first South Asian band in history to create a working relationship with the famed guitar manufacturers. According to the deal, Strings will exclusively use Gibson guitars during concerts, studio recordings and music videos. Furthermore, Strings will act as brand ambassadors to Gibson. In return, Gibson will sponsor the varied endeavours of the band and also provide concert halls and equipment as and when required.
In 2008, Strings come up with their fifth album "Koi Aanay Wala Hai" which was a huge hit in both Pakistan and India. This album was the most impeccable album in the markets and it was a turn of decade for Strings, the most consistent musical act of Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood. Their video, the gorgeous and thoroughly conceived video of their comeback single, of "Koi Aanay Wala Hai" featured Bollywood actor John Abraham, as an angel, was a sign of things to come.
Startling effects, cloudy skies, an innocent love and Strings looking suave, stylish and perfectly coordinated in black suits, singing and playing guitar in their element, and that too in the skyscraping surroundings of Kuala Lumpur in the single. Koi Aanay Wala Hai was a milestone for both Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood and the band retained thier signature.
The Pakistani version of the album also contained the soundtracks from "Shootout at Lokhandwala" and "Zinda", the two Bollywood movies, which were "Aakhri Alvida" and "Zinda Hoon".


Awards



  • Strings won "Best Band Award" - MTV Music Awards 2009.

  • Strings won "Best Album Award" - MTV Music Awards 2009.

  • Awarded Brand Ambassadors for Honda City 2009.

  • Strings from Pakistan have been nominated Torch Bearers for The Olympic Games, 2008.

  • Strings have become Motorola Brand Ambassadors for Pakistan.

  • Won an award for the "Best Live Act In Music " at Lux Style Awards 2008.

  • Won an award for the "Most Wanted Band" at The Musik Awards 2008.

  • Won an award for the "Best Lyrics AAKHARI ALVIDA" at The Musik Awards 2008.

  • Won the "Best Artist Award" at MTV Asia Awards.

  • They were nominated as an Indian band as they sang the title song "Zinda" for an Indian film Zinda.

  • Won "The Musik Icon of 2006" award.

  • Won an award for "Best Video" for their video of the song "Anjaane" at the Lux Style Awards 2003.

  • Won an award at the Lux Style Awards 2004.

  • Won an award for "Best Band" at the first Sangeet Awards ceremony held at Royal Albert Hall.

  • Won the Indus Music Award 2005 for extensive contribution to the pop music industry.

  • Won MTV Asia's "Most Favourite Band" award 2005.

  • Won an award for the "Best Band" at the Third Jazz Indus Music Awards.

  • Won an award for the "Best Lyrics'Zinda'" at the Third Jazz Indus Music Awards


Labels: ,

Ali Zafar


Ali Zafar (Urdu, Punjabi: علی ظفر) also known as Prince of Pop, is a Pakistani musician, actor, painter and model probably most noted around South Asia for his music, including his hit songs like "Channo", "Rangeen", "Chal Dil Merey", "Dekha", "Masty" and "Sajania". He started his singing career with his hit song "Jugnuon se bhar le aanchal" in the film Shararat directed by Pakistani actress and director Samina Peerzada.
Zafar recently won the "Youth Icon" award from the Lux Style Awards 2007, in Malaysia
Early life

Ali Zafar was born in Lahore, Pakistan to two professors who teach at Punjab University. He initially attended the C.A.A. Public School and later moved to the Beaconhouse School System from where he topped in his matric examinations. He later graduated from the National College of Arts as an artist in 2002 with honours. Ali Zafar has often spoken about his childhood battle with obesity and this is reflected in his song 'Pant-Shirt'.
Early career

Before entering the Pakistani musical scene, Ali Zafar worked as a model for several commercial advertisement besides acting in television. He worked in the Pakistani television serial Lunda-Bazar, Kanch Ke Par and in the teenage sitcom College Jeans (which was an immediate hit among youngsters). He was also in the music video of Preeto sung by Abrar-ul-Haq.

Music career

Ali Zafar made his debut as a musician with the album Huqa Pani, released in Pakistan in 2003 and worldwide in 2005. The album was an instant hit, selling over 600,000 worldwide and winning several major awards and nominations. It also put Ali into the league of the most popular artists ever to have come out of Pakistan with a massive fan following locally and internationally. It was described by [[Indians] as "take a Kishore Kumar-like voice, club it with yuppie Ibiza-ish electronic beats, and add a bit of nostalgic lyrics".

His comparison to Kishore Kumar has been frequently made; in one interview Zafar, asked about the vocal resemblance, remarked "you're the lucky hundredth person to tell me that".
Ali won award for "Best Album" category at the Lux Style Awards in 2004 for his massive hit album Huqa Pani. In addition to the album's popularity being reflected in the shops and by critics, it has been widely claimed that Himesh Reshammiya plagiarised one of the most well-known tracks from the album, Rangeen, for the song Dillagi Mein Jo .Soon Pritam too copied his track "Chhano" as "Choreen ki Baatein"(Fightclub).
Ali Zafar launched his second album "Masty" nationwide in Pakistan in November 2006. He has since released four tracks from the album called "Masty", "Sajania", "Dekha" and "Aasman". A press conference for the release of the album was held in Lahore. The album has been released by Fire Records.

Ali Zafar released his second album "Masty" in India in February 2007. The album contains two additional remix tracks and has been launched by "FrankFinn Records".

Ali recently released his third and long awaited single, "Dekha", off his second album, which was the most expensive music video of Pakistan costing more than seven million rupees but song was a failure on charts, video was shot in Malaysia, produced by the Lux Company, and has the famous Pakistani actresses/models, Reema Khan, Meera, and Amina Haq, starring in it.
Ali has a multitalented personality besides a singer, painter, model and an actor, he proved himself as a good music director and producer by directing and producing his music video "Ek Pal" from his first album Huqa Pani which was a big hit nationwide.

Awards
  • Indus Music Award 2005 - Best Pop Artist
  • Asian Bollywood Music Award 2005 - Best Pop Music Album in Pakistan
  • Indus Music Award 2004 - The Best Album
  • Indus Music Award 2004 - The Best Debut Artist
  • Lux Style Award 2004 - Best Music Album

"I had a dream. That dream became reality in 2003 with the huge success of my first album “Huqa Pani”. It was the fulfillment of that dream that made me realize that we only dream what is real. Nothing exists that can only be imagined and not achieved one day. It’s all about working hard and putting the right things at the right time in their right place. For this we’re nurtured with the appetite of hope. But I learned that it’s not only about working hard and putting the right things at the right time in their right place. It’s about Faith. The moment you lose it, it loses you. Your dreams start looking unreal, too big for you. In the course of working day and night on the album traveling to different studios in different countries working with all sorts of people, good and bad, nasty and nice, liars and honest ones, I sometimes almost dropped in disappointment and fatigue thinking to myself that it’s not worth it. But what kept me going was faith. Faith in God. This album is about that and the realization of our dreams that follows. If my music helps one single soul to accomplish his dream, my job is done. Love to all." - Ali Zafar

Labels: ,

Junoon


Junoon (Urdu: جنون) is South Asia's biggest and Pakistan's most popular Rock band from Lahore. It was formed in 1990 by guitarist, songwriter and medical doctor Salman Ahmad. They are also regarded as the pioneers of Sufi rock. Q magazine calls them "One of the biggest bands in the world". Billboard says Junoon is the Subcontinent's "biggest crossover successes after the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan".


They sing mostly in the language of Urdu, in a style blending Western hard rock with Sindhi and Punjabi folk and Qawwali. Junoon, in effect, had to create an audience for rock music in Pakistan. "The band's appeal reaches beyond the Westernised elite", says Newsweek.
The New York Times called Junoon as " the U2 of Pakistan". In a preview to Junoon's performance at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, the L.A. Times says Junoon's "ability to captivate audiences" is "inspiring Beatles-like reactions".


Early years (1990-1996)


The name Junoon came to lead guitarist Salman Ahmad in a dream where one of his teachers shook him and said "Tumhey mousiqui ka Junoon hai!" (You have an obsession for music!). He formed Junoon soon after with two friends, Ali Azmat and Brian O Connell.
Heavily influenced by rock bands like Led Zeppelin, Junoon aimed to combine loud guitar riffs with the tranquility of sufi poetry by the likes of Maulana Rumi, Allama Iqbal and Bulleh Shah. The band were one of the first bands in Pakistan to insist on playing live music where most music was sampled and programmed synthpop.
The band's first album, self titled released in 1990 "Junoon" barely made a dent in the Pakistani music industry, their second album "Talaash" began creating a cult following for Junoon.
Junoon was no overnight success. The band struggled financially for the first few years. Group members remember months of eating 'daal' and rice, the modest Pakistani's staple. It was only after their 1996 release of their third album "Inquilaab" (Revolution), that Junoon developed a nationwide fan following, blending rock guitars and bluesy vocals with eastern elements like the use of tablas (traditional south Asian hand drums), raga-inspired melodies, traditional Pakistani folk music, and Eastern inspired poetryIn the spring of 1996, Junoon scored its first big hit with the song "Jazba-e-Junoon", single from their album Inquilaab.


Mainstream success (1997-2003)


In 1997, Junoon recorded their fifth album, Azadi. Azadi, meaning freedom, was released by EMI/Virgin Records, and became Junoon's debut album in India. "Sayonee", the first single off Azadi, became an instant hit in South Asia and the Middle East, shooting to the top of all the Asian charts, and staying at #1 on both Channel V and MTV Asia for over 2 months. Azadi hit platinum sales status in a record of 4 weeks. Zee TV invited Junoon to perform at the star-studded Zee Cine Awards in Mumbai in March 1998, where the group received accolades from the creme de la creme of India's entertainment industry.


In 1998, Junoon won the "Best International Group" title at the Channel V Music Awards, where they performed along with world-wide icons Sting, The Prodigy and Def Leppard. Azadi was nominated for Best International Album, having achieved the prestigious honour of being the highest selling album in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India in 1998 and 1999.
Junoon headlined the BBC Mega Mela in 1998, which was the largest Asian festival outside of the Sub-Continent.


Junoon released their sixth studio album "Parvaaz", which was based mostly on the poetry of Bulleh Shah. "Parvaaz" was recorded and mixed at Abbey Road Studios in London and was hailed by critics as Junoon's finest work to date and was released by EMI and Lips Records.
Singles like "Bulleya", "Sajna", "Ghoom" and "Mitti" were a success and did well at the music charts.


UNESCO presented Junoon with an award for thei achievements towards Peace in South Asia. Junoon was invited to perform at UNESCO's "Music for Peace" concert held in Paris, along with Lionel Richie, Montserrat Caballe, Zubin Mehta,Yesudas and many other great artists from around the world. In London, BBC presented Junoon an award for their contribution towards Asian Culture.


Junoon closed 1999 with a tour of Bangladesh, where 45,000 ecstatic fans attended the concert in Dhaka's Army Stadium.


In 2000, Junoon released a compilation of their albums and videos, Junoon Millenium 1990-2000. The compilation album consisted of singles like "Azadi", "Muk gaye Nay" and "Allah Hu (live version)". The album was released by Lips Records.


Later on the same year Junoon performed in Japan and as well as at the Roskilde Festival outside Copenhagen, Denmark, which is the premier summer European Rock Festival, along with Pearl Jam, Iron Maiden, The Cure and many others. Junoon performed the largest ever concert in Dubai, UAE, with Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam, with nearly 20,000 in attendance.
In 2001, Junoon released their latest album, Andaz (titled Ishq in Pakistan), which topped the charts in Pakistan as well as in the Gulf and South Asia, with its first single entitled "Zamane ke Andaz (Saqi-nama)" which made it to #1 in the Gulf, and to #5 on the Asian charts.

Junoon sold out Wembley Arena in London in April, and performed at "United for Gujarat", the first South Asian rock conert in New Delhi, with bands from India and Bangladesh, singing together to raise funds for the Gujrat Earthquake.
In June, Salman Ahmad was appointed 'Goodwill Ambassador' of Pakistan by United Nations, attending the UN General Assembly in New York. In September, Junoon performed in Norway with Morten Harket of A-HA, and went on to perform in China.


Following the 9/11 attacks, Junoon helped to organise a concert at the General Assembly on UN Day with Junoon and an Indian group performing at the Assembly Hall, a first of its kind. They also released their what they called their first English-language single, "No More", an anti-violence song which deals directly with the events of that day. However, before "No More" they had released English songs on their first two albums, including "Our Land", "Lady Magic", "Downtown Princes", "Game Of Chance". The song "No More" is the first English song for which Junoon made a video.


CNN aired a 30 minute interview of Junoon on the program Talk Asian. They rave reviews in The New York Times, Billboard Magazine, The New York Post, Newsweek, and others.


In December, the President of Pakistan at that time, General Pervez Musharraf invited Junoon to perform at the mausoleum of Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, on Jinnah's birthday.


In 2002, Junoon released their eighth album, "Daur-e-Junoon" and in 2003, they released their ninth "Dewaar". "Garaj Baras" single from their album, "Dewaar", was selected as part of a Bollywood movie soundtrack in 2003 for the film Paap directed by Pooja Bhatt. The song topped the charts again in the country in 2004 and their controversial single "Pappu Yaar" shot to the #1 spot in Pakistan.


Recent years (2003-present)


In 2003 Ali Azmat, the lead vocalist, left the band to start his solo career. His first solo album "Social Circle" was released in 2005 and received critical acclaim winning several awards. Salman Ahmad also released his solo album. In 2005, Brian O'Connell returned to his native New York.[8] Pakistani musician Mekaal Hasan and the band's producer John Alec have been playing bass guitar for live shows in his place. A reunion concert took place in Dubai, UAE in March 2006.


In September 2007, Junoon released three albums, Parvaaz, Infiniti, and Azadi with Magnatune. On December 11, 2007, Junoon performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway together with a variety of artists, which was broadcast live to over 100 countries. In 2008, the Pakistani rock band Junoon, performed in Srinagar for the first time and turned thousands of music lovers hysterical.


Music style


Heavily influenced by rock bands like Led Zeppelin, Junoon aimed to combine loud guitar riffs with the tranquility of sufi poetry by the likes of Maulana Rumi, Allama Iqbal and Bulleh Shah. The band were one of the first bands in Pakistan to insist on playing live music where most music was sampled and programmed synthpop.


Junoon's music is based upon issues in the world. Their music has been one major force which has truly kept the national spirits high amidst the prevailing social woes which have surely worsened in the last three decades. Such music included songs like "Jazba-e-Junoon", "Sayonee", "Talaash", "Main Kaun Hun" and many more. Junoon's music is compared with the likes of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or Lata Mangeshkar. Junoon's music has captivated the Pakistani youth for well over ten years and they were the only saving grace to Pakistani music on the international scene after the departure of Pakistani pop-music heavyweights, Nazia and Zoheb and Vital Signs.


One of the legendary tours that Junoon had undertaken was their tour to Denmark and Europe in 2000-2001. This tour played a pivotal role in increasing Junoon's international popularity and standing and in spreading awareness about Pakistani music.
Labels: ,

Aaroh

Aaroh is a Pakistani rock band That surfaced into mainstream scene after winning the Battle of the Bands competition in 2002 sponsored by Pepsi. The band split in 2004 and Haider Hashimi was recruited as the band's lead guitarist.
Aaroh's music is a fusion of western rock music and eastern style of vocals. As implied by the word "aaroh", which refers to the ascending scale in the eastern vocals such as "Sa Re Ga Ma",the band's music epitomizes the classical eastern music fused with rock. Aaroh's acclaim to fame is due to their exuberant live performance backed up with thought provoking lyrics.

Band Members

Farooq Ahmed (Vocalist)
Farooq Ahmed has served as the lead vocalist for Aaroh since its beginning. Farooq has received classical music training. His strong background in classical music and the scales, give the band the flavor that goes unparalleled in Pakistani music industry.

Khalid Khan (Bass)
Khalid has worked with almost every major act in Pakistan which include Falam, Collage, Circle, Aamir Zaki, Fuzon, Shehzad Mughal, Mizraab and Najam Sheraz.
He is a major force behind Aaroh's music since the beginning.

Haider Hashmi (Lead & Rhythm Guitars)
Haider has played in Aaroh's latest (2nd) album, Raag Neela. He replaced Nabeel Nihal after the band's breakup. Most of the Raag Neela songs have been written and composed by Haider. His inclusion in the band has been a blessing in disguise as the band now sounds more versatile. With his basic schooling in Karachi, Haider went on to study in Tunner Junior High School and then Frankfurt American High School - Germany. FAHS is where he picked up the guitar and took guitaring as a subject. Moved back to Pakistan in 1989-90, formed an Underground Band (Mind Riot) in Lahore in '94 along with Farhad (Overload's Drummer). Late '96 Haider moved out of Pakistan and said farewell to any prospects in music. Haider moves back to Pakistan in 2000 and re-joins Farhad's band (Rumble Fish)in Lahore. Haider moves to Karachi in 2003. It was not until 2004 when he was auditioned and inducted as Lead Guitarist for Aaroh.
Haider has carved a niche for himself in the Pakistani Music Industry with his distinct playing style which can safely be called his signature playing.

Saeed Ahmad
Saeed serves as the band's drummer. He has played drums in Aaroh second album Raag Neela.

Achievements
  • Aaroh won the Pepsi' sponsored Battle of the Bands in 2002. Entity Paradigm were the runner-up.

  • Aaroh's single "Na Kaho" received "The Best Lyrics Award" at Indus TV 2nd IM Awards in 2005

Management
Noman Jaleel is AAROH's Band Manager and does all the bookings for their recordings, appearances, live shows and also serves as their Business Manager.

Albums

  • Sawal (2003)
  • Raag Neela (2006)

Aaroh Official website

Labels: ,