About ten, fifteen years ago the Pakistani music industry experienced a sudden and unprecedented boom. Sure, we had hit singers and cult bands before that but the influx of private TV channels taking over airwaves meant that there was space for every kind of entertainment content and music played prime time.
Sania Shahzad's soulful voice seemed to be a window in the soul of a mild, gentle person.
MUSICMIX
Levis launches a new music initiative that aims to encourage budding artists by providing them with a space to showcase their talent.
Lahore : About ten, fifteen years ago the Pakistani music industry experienced a sudden and unprecedented boom. Sure, we had hit singers and cult bands before that but the influx of private TV channels taking over airwaves meant that there was space for every kind of entertainment content and music played prime time.
This glorious era gave us music stars like Noori, Ali Zafar, Entity Paradigm (EP) and the list goes on. But with the onset of the war on terror and the deteriorating security situation, these emblems of peace and progressive times found it difficult to carve a space in the country’s shifting socio-political narrative.
Most certainly the session's break-out star Maria Unera wowed the audience with her vocals and energy.
Stability has returned in bits and pieces to Pakistan and even if it can’t entirely be termed as that, a new vanguard has emerged that’s had enough of hiding behind doors and giving up their freedom of expression to reclaim the cultural narrative. And of course you’d expect Pakistan’s self-proclaimed loudest band, Overload, to be a part of this civil defiance.
Bankrolled by the denim brand that can be found in practically every closet, Levis, the Levis Live sessions are a collaboration between the global giants and Riot Productions, spearheaded by the grungy, brooding Farhad Humayun. The ethos behind the venture is twofold; one, to bring back the live music scene and second, to provide the country’s budding, talented artists with a space to showcase their genius and be recognized.
Hosted on the top floor of a swanky building in Gulberg, just off main M.M Alam road, with an invite-only guest list, the first live session featured Abdullah Qureshi, Maria Unera, Sania Shehzad and Overload.
Walking up the stairs that led to the converted studio space, one could hear the loud thump of bass that makes your heart beat in sync. Pitch perfect acoustics accompanied by flashing lights and a crowd that’s infected with energy that only rockers can generate meant that the ambiance immediately drew you in.
The man of the moment, Farhad Humayun riles up the crowd with his powerful vocals.
One tends to forget the impact a live performance can have. You can listen to music on your head phones, a stereo or in your car as much as you like but listening to it being played in front of you is a different, magical experience altogether. It was this essence that the sessions hope to capture and revive, and if their first show is any indicator, we can only envision this platform will grow from strength to strength.
Each performer played a mix of original music and covers during the course of the show. Abdullah Qureshi’s rendition of ‘Uptown Funk’ had the entire crowd grooving and exhibited the young artist’s range and ability to take a beloved hit and make it his own with panache.
Opening the first act was vocal powerhouse Abdullah Qureshi who clearly is here to stay.
Qureshi’s energized performance was followed up by Nescafe Basement stars Maria Unera and Sania Shehzad, who performed three original tracks, two by Unera and a keyboard accompanied solo number by Shehzad. Unera’s last song, dedicated to her mother who had recently passed away, gave the audience goosebumps and her dynamism on stage made it difficult not to get swept up in her music. What we enjoyed most though was the duo’s take on Gnarls Bakery’s ‘Crazy’. A strong crowd swooned to Unera’s crooning vocals and the audience was riveted.
Wrapping up the first successful session was headlining act, Overload. If there was a man in his element, it was drummer and lead vocalist Farhad Humayun, whose performance on stage reminded everyone in the audience about the power that a rock star can wield.
Humayun alternated between giving the drums a good beating and belting out some of Overload’s most beloved tracks, including their booming cover of Naseebo Lal’s sexy, suggestive ‘Neray Ah’ which had the crowd in a frenzy. Humayun’s band was supplemented by music from the Punjab Brass Band who added an extra dimension to the rock tunes.
There’s not much that will draw people out of their air-conditioned lives into Lahore’s balmy evenings but the first Levis Live session managed that and more. It was an electric evening and the buzz was almost palpable in the air. Though it was a short session, lasting a total of two hours yet it served as a brilliant reminder of what had been missing from the music scene.
Kudos to the team for pulling it off and for giving music lovers something to look forward to.
The next Levis Live session is slated to take place in November, 2016.
