interview
Band: Kaavish
Band members:
- Jaffer Ali - Lead vocals, keyboards, arrangement, composition, lyrics
- Maaz Maudood - Vocals, lyrics
- Raheel Manzar - Drums
Official website: www.kaavish.com
Us: How did you guys come together as a band?
Maaz: Jaffer and I had been in the same school since the first grade, but we got to know each other in the ninth grade. Both of us have been working together since then. Over a span of eight years, quite a few people came in and out of the band. But now, finally, it's down to the three of us: Jaffer, Raheel and myself.
Us: Tell Us about your song 'Bachpan'.
Jaffer: 'Bachpan', I guess the name says it all. The song is about innocence of childhood and the memories of the good moments we've spent in our lives. We made this song almost three years back and initially the name of the song was 'Khwabon Mai Tu'. I remember we were having our exams those days and the paper went really bad. Both of us were sitting in the car, the traffic signal light was red and there was this kid right in front of us, sitting on a motorcycle, munching on some chips. He was so lost in his own world, so happy and content just by having a bag of chips. That actually led us to the creation of this song.
Us: But then why such a depressive approach to the song's video?
Maaz: We just wanted to do something different, something other than the same old guy-girl story that has been told over and over again in every single video. The credit for the video goes to Umar Anwar, as it was his 'dark' idea. Hehe!
Us: How was the experience of making the video?
Maaz: Two days shoot, 36 hours straight - hectic! But the experience was beyond words! It was great working with Umar Anwar, and since it was our debut video, we were filled with excitement. Or at least I was; Jaffer fell sick the night before the shoot and he really wished the shoot could've been done some other day.
Us: Anything you can tell Us about the video of 'Choti Khushiyan'? How soon will it be aired?
Jaffer: The video has been directed by Umar Amanullah. It's going to be the total opposite of our first video. It's filled with colours, happiness and all the beautiful things in life that can bring a smile to your face. The cast of the video consists of well-known faces from the screen. The video will be released within a week's time, Inshallah.
Us: When will your album be released?
Maaz: We are currently working on our album and Inshallah we plan to launch it in summer 2006. Keep logging in to our official website for updates.
Us: Do you work on the lyrics and the compositions of the songs yourself?
Jaffer: All of us sit together and work on our music together; it's a team effort. The main sequencing and arrangement is done by me.
Us: Is it difficult for new bands to establish themselves in the industry? Is the media helping?
Jaffer: Not anymore, it's not. Since the advent of all the new TV channels and radio stations, it has become really easy for new bands to get heard. The media industry has taken a 180-degree turn, which is a good thing!
Us: Do you guys see Kaavish doing well outside Pakistan, and would you like to release your songs internationally?
Maaz: We really don't know much about what's happening on the other sides of our border, but my cousins who live abroad keep telling me about how all their desi friends listen to our tracks. It's good to hear that our music is being appreciated outside the country as well. We wouldn't mind releasing our songs internationally; it would be an honour to do so.
Us: Jaffer, your mother, Nayyara Noor, is a very famous singer. Did she make you want to go into music? Has her work influenced the music that you're making?
Jaffer: No. She never forced me into doing anything. It was my own passion that drove me towards music. My mom's work has influenced it in a way that it is from there my music actually originates.
Us: Have you guys had any formal music training? How much importance do you think such training holds?
Maaz: No, but Inshallah right after the completion of my MBA, I'll take some formal music training because if you've taken up this field, you should know it inside out.
Jaffer: It's just been a year since I've joined NAPA. It holds a lot of importance because it enables you to converse your ideas musically, globally.
Us: What kind of music do you guys listen to? Any favourite artists/bands?
Jaffer: I listen to all sorts of music.
Maaz: I can listen to anything except trance! Cannot stand trance! These days I'm hooked onto James Blunt - what an artist!
Us: What do you think about the current music scene in Pakistan? And where do you see it a couple of years down the line?
Jaffer: The music scene in Pakistan is good and in the upcoming years I hope to see it in better grounds.
Us: What can we expect from Kaavish in the next few months?
Maaz: To start off with, our second video will be aired soon on music channels around you, so keep watching! We'll be launching four cover tracks on our website pretty soon. We plan to have a couple of performances in the following months. And Inshallah by the summers, our album will hit the market.
- By Sameen Amer
Us Magazine, The News - 31st March, 2006
Band: Kaavish
Band members:
- Jaffer Ali - Lead vocals, keyboards, arrangement, composition, lyrics
- Maaz Maudood - Vocals, lyrics
- Raheel Manzar - Drums
Official website: www.kaavish.com
Us: How did you guys come together as a band?
Maaz: Jaffer and I had been in the same school since the first grade, but we got to know each other in the ninth grade. Both of us have been working together since then. Over a span of eight years, quite a few people came in and out of the band. But now, finally, it's down to the three of us: Jaffer, Raheel and myself.
Us: Tell Us about your song 'Bachpan'.
Jaffer: 'Bachpan', I guess the name says it all. The song is about innocence of childhood and the memories of the good moments we've spent in our lives. We made this song almost three years back and initially the name of the song was 'Khwabon Mai Tu'. I remember we were having our exams those days and the paper went really bad. Both of us were sitting in the car, the traffic signal light was red and there was this kid right in front of us, sitting on a motorcycle, munching on some chips. He was so lost in his own world, so happy and content just by having a bag of chips. That actually led us to the creation of this song.
Us: But then why such a depressive approach to the song's video?
Maaz: We just wanted to do something different, something other than the same old guy-girl story that has been told over and over again in every single video. The credit for the video goes to Umar Anwar, as it was his 'dark' idea. Hehe!
Us: How was the experience of making the video?
Maaz: Two days shoot, 36 hours straight - hectic! But the experience was beyond words! It was great working with Umar Anwar, and since it was our debut video, we were filled with excitement. Or at least I was; Jaffer fell sick the night before the shoot and he really wished the shoot could've been done some other day.
Us: Anything you can tell Us about the video of 'Choti Khushiyan'? How soon will it be aired?
Jaffer: The video has been directed by Umar Amanullah. It's going to be the total opposite of our first video. It's filled with colours, happiness and all the beautiful things in life that can bring a smile to your face. The cast of the video consists of well-known faces from the screen. The video will be released within a week's time, Inshallah.
Us: When will your album be released?
Maaz: We are currently working on our album and Inshallah we plan to launch it in summer 2006. Keep logging in to our official website for updates.
Us: Do you work on the lyrics and the compositions of the songs yourself?
Jaffer: All of us sit together and work on our music together; it's a team effort. The main sequencing and arrangement is done by me.
Us: Is it difficult for new bands to establish themselves in the industry? Is the media helping?
Jaffer: Not anymore, it's not. Since the advent of all the new TV channels and radio stations, it has become really easy for new bands to get heard. The media industry has taken a 180-degree turn, which is a good thing!
Us: Do you guys see Kaavish doing well outside Pakistan, and would you like to release your songs internationally?
Maaz: We really don't know much about what's happening on the other sides of our border, but my cousins who live abroad keep telling me about how all their desi friends listen to our tracks. It's good to hear that our music is being appreciated outside the country as well. We wouldn't mind releasing our songs internationally; it would be an honour to do so.
Us: Jaffer, your mother, Nayyara Noor, is a very famous singer. Did she make you want to go into music? Has her work influenced the music that you're making?
Jaffer: No. She never forced me into doing anything. It was my own passion that drove me towards music. My mom's work has influenced it in a way that it is from there my music actually originates.
Us: Have you guys had any formal music training? How much importance do you think such training holds?
Maaz: No, but Inshallah right after the completion of my MBA, I'll take some formal music training because if you've taken up this field, you should know it inside out.
Jaffer: It's just been a year since I've joined NAPA. It holds a lot of importance because it enables you to converse your ideas musically, globally.
Us: What kind of music do you guys listen to? Any favourite artists/bands?
Jaffer: I listen to all sorts of music.
Maaz: I can listen to anything except trance! Cannot stand trance! These days I'm hooked onto James Blunt - what an artist!
Us: What do you think about the current music scene in Pakistan? And where do you see it a couple of years down the line?
Jaffer: The music scene in Pakistan is good and in the upcoming years I hope to see it in better grounds.
Us: What can we expect from Kaavish in the next few months?
Maaz: To start off with, our second video will be aired soon on music channels around you, so keep watching! We'll be launching four cover tracks on our website pretty soon. We plan to have a couple of performances in the following months. And Inshallah by the summers, our album will hit the market.
- By Sameen Amer
Us Magazine, The News - 31st March, 2006
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