It seems there’s no slowing down the debate of pop versus rock and which genre is therefore, more meritorious, more interesting and so on.
Red Bull Pakistan, scheduled to take place this Saturday (December 8, in Karachi) will pit two of the biggest names from the respective genres, i.e., rock and pop against one another, that is Ali Azmat and Strings.
But as that gig comes closer, another conversation closer to it has begun. With Cornetto Pop Rock, in which both Ali Azmat and Strings have participated and with great flair, the debate remains more of a question mark.
However, several industry acts such as Umair Jaswal, Saad Hayat, Zoe Viccaji have spoken on the issue. But, as always, no one is more clear or right or experienced on the issue itself.
Omran Shafique, who has been a part of Cornetto Pop Rock and Red Bull Sound Clash, in his laid back manner, posted an important video that answers all questions.
In the video, Omran said: “I’ve been lucky enough to produce two tracks for the last two seasons of Cornetto Pop Rock and I think because of that a lot of people have been asking me about what I think of the pop versus rock clashing business, what is all this fighting going on. Obviously, there isn’t any.
Unity is crucial, especially in our music industry. There is space for both pop and rock in the music industry. It’s like trying to compare apples to oranges. We need both sides. Variety is the spice of love. One more saying is ‘united we stand, divided we fall’. So, with that, I would say, let’s keep it friendly guys. Peace.”
Though Instagram videos are dime-a-dozen every day, this particular video is worth watching because its coming from someone who is a songwriter, composer, producer and has worked in various genres, and is about embracing various styles of music.
(Photo courtesy: Salt Arts)
