When Lahore-based music group Jal made its debut in the noughties with ‘Aadat’, it featured Atif Aslam as vocalist alongside Goher Mumtaz. The song went on to become a huge hit but the band behind it had changed tack. Aslam pursued a solo career while Jal cast Farhan Saeed as chief vocalist. However, this decade-old union also came to an end with Saeed leaving the band, like Aslam, to pursue a solo career.
When Lahore-based music group Jal made its debut in the noughties with ‘Aadat’, it featured Atif Aslam as vocalist alongside Goher Mumtaz. The song went on to become a huge hit but the band behind it had changed tack. Aslam pursued a solo career while Jal cast Farhan Saeed as chief vocalist. However, this decade-old union also came to an end with Saeed leaving the band, like Aslam, to pursue a solo career.
While the band has seen various transitions, some controversies and a number of awards, its current incarnation includes Goher Mumtaz as vocalist/songwriter who is still releasing music at sporadic intervals and is also a regular face on television, courtesy of him starring in home-grown dramas.
What does remain of the band, despite the ups and down, is a body of work that includes a number of studio albums, some thrilling music videos and a bunch of well-known singles. Fortunately, the music of Jal can now be revisited by those who have a soft spot for love-lorn ballads and melancholia since Patari, the music start-up that is building its repertoire with great care, has landed the music group’s complete catalogue. This includes the band’s three studio albums (Aadat, Boondh and Pyaas) as well as songs that were created for one drama serial or another. Now Jal’s lessons on how to nurse a broken heart are just a click away. In the present, Mumtaz has lent his vocals and songwriting ability to create soundtrack of his ongoing TV drama Faisla. He is also scheduled to take the stage in Lahore next month for a live performance.
