Almost a million votes were cast for the last two Pakistan Idol contestants, which means that over five hundred thousand came in favour of Zamad Baig. That’s a lot of fans to have, especially when you barely have six months of airtime existence behind you. But when the last episode of Pakistan Idol hit the air last Sunday, announcing Zamad Baig as the country’s first ever Idol, he started trending on the very tuned-in social media sites. 21-year-old Zamad Baig, who auditioned in Lahore hoping for a ticket to the next level in Karachi, managed to cross every hurdle and make it to the very top. His story has proven and pushed the importance of dreaming. Impossible is nothing and who better to champion that motto than Zamad, who now shares space with Pakistan’s biggest music sensations in the Pepsi commercial. This is where his journey begins.

Hailing and living in Lahore, Zamad was studying filmmaking when he auditioned for the show. He plans on completing his degree before pursuing his dream. And though he has never received any formal training in music or singing, he believes that the training on Pakistan Idol has given him an invaluable insight into voice coaching and proper riaz. He wants to produce and direct music videos and believes that though at this point the music industry is experiencing a slump, things are sure to pick up soon.

His time at Pakistan Idol has also taught him that it is not going to be a breeze.

"These five months were gruelling," a relieved yet exhausted Zamad said at the end of the show, trophy in hand. "But they have taught me to take music seriously. Prior to Pakistan Idol I used to think that I was doing a lot in music and was so serious. Now I know better. It feels as if I knew absolutely nothing. The training I got taught me so many things that I never knew were important." It was on the show that Zamad was shown the value of voice coaching and proper riaaz.

Zamad reminisces of a time, not long ago, when he used to sing at any given opportunity. He participated in all the singing events at school. "Although I had absolutely no formal training I always loved to experiment with music on my guitar. I used to have a band and I was the lead vocalist."

Zamad may be experimenting with musical notes but his forte is very clear. Hailing from Mandi Bahauddin, the distinctly heavy Punjabiness in his voice is predominant, instantly slotting him in the qawalli, sufi-rock genre. It’s a voice that had Ali Azmat calling him "Ustad Zamad Ali Khan Baig," for the uncanny resemblance Zamad’s voice bears to the great Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, incidentally also the biggest music influence in his life. He was complimented for his "earthy tone" and the "folk touch" in his voice. Guest judge, the legendary Alamgir instructed Zamad to hold on to the "rustic harshness" in his voice and take care to never "refine" the huskiness.

He got more than a fair share of attention from the judges as well as the celebrity guest jurors, from Amjad Sabri to Sajjad Ali, from Ali Zafar to Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood – who were all equally impressed by the quality of his voice. Zamad remembers that of all the judges, Sajjad Ali was the only one who made him nervous.

"I was so jittery and nervous when I had to perform in front of Sajjad Ali," he says. "I don’t know why but I was like, this is going to be tough. It was not like Sajjad Ali was critical of me when he heard me sing during rehearsals but I was overly cautious. I knew he would be difficult to convince. But once I got on the stage and started singing, I went into a trance and forgot everything."

"Pakistan Idol has been a great experience not only for me but for all of us," he continues. "We were all singers in our own small way but we didn’t know a lot of things that we know now. We were placed in expert hands that polished our rough edges and improved our singing abilities. I now see music in a different way and I am sure that my friends and I will be able to contribute so much to the music industry of Pakistan."

It’s not just the way he saw music that changed; the way the people saw him changed too. All contestants went through major makeovers and personal training. Over and above the music, they were taught life lessons on releasing stress, breathing, confidence and even personal style. As Ali Azmat joked on one of the last episodes, "Zamad doesn’t even leave his room without a blow dry now!"

"I never knew I would be using so much makeup," Zamad laughs, "but Ali Azmat sahib was joking when he quipped about my hair!" he clarifies. "This was also an interesting and different experience. The hours we spent in the green room, getting pampered and groomed for the stage was also a great experience. The teams that did our outfits and styles, as well as makeovers, taught us a lot about which styles suited us the best."

It’s this attitude and optimism that encouraged Zamad to carry on and fight through one episode after the other. It wasn’t easy and the toughest time was when he was put on the "hot seat" for elimination. That’s when he said to himself, "Okay buddy, it’s time to go home." But luck and the people were on his side. And being the positive person that he is, he almost goaded fate into allowing him a win. He shares that it also took a lot to convince his father to bless him on this journey.

Zamad’s father, an ex-army officer, was always against his music and wanted his son to concentrate on ‘better’ things. Although Zamad says his father never forced him to give up music he constantly reiterated the importance of being practical and goal oriented. But now his father is extremely proud that his son has received a great award for all his efforts and he is glad that his son continued to follow his passion to make his dream come true. There is a lesson in dreaming here; the trick is to never stop believing that your dreams can come true!

"I have a positive outlook and being an intrinsically quiet and shy person, I don’t like confrontations," he furthered. "I like things to be calm and people to be happy. I try to spread these feelings through my singing; I want people around me to have the same serenity I am feel while singing. Music allows you to connect with the soul and bring out goodness. That’s what worked for me."

Zamad Baig says the journey so far has been quite tough but it’s not about to get easy now. He knows that things are just starting to get complicated. He knows that winning the trophy and title of Pakistan Idol is not the end but a very exciting beginning!

Photographs:

Kashif Rafiq-uddin