On The Fringe – A Different Type Of Show

Source: The Express Tribune

In the 2000s, Indus Music used to air a show called IM On The Fringe. It was one of the most popular television shows in the channel. The show was hosted by Pakistani music journalist and host Fasi Zaka. It followed a single camera format. The show was produced and directed by Pakistani musician Zeeshan Parwez.

The show was a first of its kind in Pakistan. It interviewed people related to Pakistan’s music industry which included musicians, music producers, music journalists as well as their friends and families.

The first episode aired in the early 2000s. It was entirely shot in Peshawar. The first episode featured Peshawar based English Musician Jehangir Aziz Hayat. In the episode, the host Zaka asks him a lot of questions regarding his music. He also does ask him some political and social based questions. For example he questions over performing grunge songs which is reserved for the lower class. To which he responded that it was simply because he was inspired by Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. There was no deep meaning behind his grunge songs.

You can watch the first episode featuring Jehangir Aziz Hayat here:

Another episode featured the alternative rock Entity Paradigm (EP). The episode features EP lead vocalist Fawad Khan,lead guitarist Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan (Xulfi) and drummer and rhythm guitarist Salman Ahmed. They talk about a lot of things in the episode.

They discussed Fawad’s mood. Salman criticized Noori’s performances. The band members also talked about how rock was better than pop. Rock stays true to its roots and they have acult following whereas Pop in Pakistan is quite commercial. At the end of the episode the band plays one of their popular songs titled Waqt. The episode concludes with Xulfi agreeing to produce Atif Aslam’s next album. The episode ends with Call playing at a concert in Lahore. The concert was attended by Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar and Strings.

You can watch the part here:

You can listen to EPs Waqt here:

Call performed a cover of Creed’s With Their Arms Wide Open. Although that performance is not available anywhere, you can watch Call performing their hit song Jilawatan here:

Another section featured the band Overload. Zaka went to Lahore for that show. He talked about how KFC, McDonald’s and Café Zouk started in the city. In the section Farhad Humayun talks about how he started drumming. He originally started from playing the guitar and then moved on to the drums. The drums had become an important part of his life. Overload since then has been known as a drumming oriented sound.

You can watch the section here:

You can check out Overload’s Dhamaal here:

It is sad to see that original shows like IM On The Fringe do not exist anymore.

When Pakistani Bands Rocked Bangladesh

Strings performing at Ampfest in Dhaka, Bangladesh (Source: The Daily Star)

Jal signing autographs at Coffee World in Dhaka, Bangladesh (Source: The Daily Star)

When we think about Pakistani music, we believe that it is only listened to in India. However the truth is that it is appreciated all over the world. In 2005, three famous Pakistani bands proved this by performing in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka to a huge crowd. The bands were Junoon, Strings and Jal and they were loved by the people in Dhaka just like in Pakistan or in any other place in the world.

Junoon

From left to right: Brian O’Connell, Salman Ahmed and Ali Azmat (Source: Dawn)

Junoon is a Sufi Rock band that was formed in 1990. It currently comprises of members Ali Azmat on lead vocals and rhythm guitars, Salman Ahmed on lead guitars and Brian O’Connell. The band has released seven albums all of them which made them gain a lot of appreciation. They are best known for their songs like Sayonee, Pappu Yaar Tang Na Kar and Talaash.

Junoon has performed at many different places such as the USA, Canada, UK, UAE, India and Bangladesh. The band has also performed in Indian occupied Kashmir. In 2001, they performed at the United Nations opening ceremony. Junoon won the Channel V Award in New Delhi in India for Best International Group beating bands like Deff Leppard and Prodigy.

In 2005, Junoon performed at the Ampfest arts festival in Dhaka. The band made their entry in a helicopter to the stage. They were the last act of the show. They performed their hit songs like Yaar Bina, Dosti and Garaj Baras.

Strings

From left to right: Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia

Strings is a pop rock band that was formed in 1988 in Karachi. Its members are Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood. They gained fame through their song Sar Kiye Pahar which became the first Pakistani song to be featured on MTV Asia. They are active since 30 years and are the longest active in Pakistani music’s history.

The band is popular in Pakistan as well as internationally. In 2005, the band’s song Na Jaane Kyun was featured on the soundtrack of Spider-Man 2. They have performed for a number of Bollywood films as well such as John Day and Zinda. The band has performed in USA, Canada, UK, Qatar, UAE, India and Bangladesh. They have won many awards which include the MTV Asia Award for Best Artist – India.

In 2005, they performed at the Ampfest arts festival in Dhaka. The band entered the stage through a helicopter. They performed their popular songs like Dhaani, Chaaye Chaaye and Na Jaane Kyun.

Jal

From left to right : Farhan Saeed, Gohar Mumtaz and Aamer Sheraz

Jal is a pop rock band from Lahore. It was famous because of their three members Farhan Saeed, Gohar Mumtaz and Aamer Sheraz. Atif Aslam and Omer Nadeem have also been a part of the band. The band gained fame through their first song Adat and has released many songs and albums since then.

The band is popular internationally. They have performed in countries like India, Bangladesh and Nepal. They received the MTV Asia Award in 2006 for Favorite Artist India. They won another MTV Asia Award for their song Moray Piya in 2009.

They performed at The Sheraton Hotel and Amazon Club in Dhaka in 2005. The band performed their popular songs such as Adat, Dil Haaray Pukaray and Woh Lamhe.