interview
Us: From Awaz to ‘Mantra’ – how has the journey been?
Faakhir Mehmood: Tense, exciting, nerve wracking, exhausting, yet immensely satisfying.
Us: Tell Us about your latest album.
Faakhir: The album contains 12 tracks. I have experimented a lot in this album; each song carries a different mood. I have done an 8-½ minute musical which is called ‘Mantra’; this was done for the first time in Pakistan. The most interesting part of this album is the way our own eastern scales, such as bilwal thaath, pahari, darbari etc, are fused/blended with east European, Mediterranean and bluesy scales in a very simple and subtle way. The choice of instruments is very rich, classy yet extremely contemporary wind instruments, saxophones and brass section eastern and western string instrument, rhythm section, violin and viola orchestras are all recorded live and are a treat to the ear. Arrangements are least predictable, the production is slick and I feel the melodies are soulful.
Us: What’s your personal favourite from ‘Mantra’?
Faakhir: ‘Jiya Na Jaye’.
Us: Your latest videos have been getting a mixed response from the viewers. Do you focus on any target audience while you’re working on your videos?
Faakhir: My music and videos are not targeted towards a particular audience. Rather, it is meant to cater to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Us: In your opinion, how much importance do the videos hold in moulding a musician’s career?
Faakhir: I believe having good videos is important. It adds a visual element to the song and helps the viewers identify more with the song, thus making it more popular. But at the end of the day it is the song and the melody that determines its success.
Us: Out of the videos that you’ve done so far, which one’s your favourite?
Faakhir: ‘Mahi Ve’.
Us: What’s your opinion about the current Pakistani music scene?
Faakhir: There are a lot more opportunities now…Pakistani music channels have helped a lot. I have always believed Pakistani artists have terrific potential. Some of them are making great music.
Us: Conquering the Indian audience has gained high priority for our musicians, hasn’t it?
Faakhir: Very much so. It’s a bigger market with far more opportunities
Us: What kind of music do you like to listen to? Any favourite artists/bands?
Faakhir: No particular type…I listen to all kinds of music from rap and hip hop to ghazals etc. My favourite musicians are Nusrat Fateh Ali, Mehdi Hassan, Jean Michael Jarre.
Us: Do you give more importance to the lyrics of a song or to its musical composition?
Faakhir: Being a composer myself, I put special effort in the compositions of my songs. The lyrics and musical composition go hand in hand. For a song to be good, the lyrics and composition must complement each other
Us: Now that you have been so successful as a solo artist, would you ever consider reuniting with the members of Awaz for a project if such a chance ever comes up?
Faakhir: No I wouldn’t. Being a solo artist gives me the opportunity to experiment and explore my creative side, which wouldn’t really have been possible in a band as a consensus has to be reached regarding the direction in which the band wants to move.
Us: Any message for the readers of Us and for all your fans out there?
Faakhir: To my fans I want to say that have the courage to follow your dreams. Good things happen to those who work hard.
- By Sameen Amer
Us Magazine, The News - 19th August 2005
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