Aima Baig – putting the fun in funkari

cover story

The singer talks to Us about her journey in the entertainment industry, her new song, and her upcoming album

Aima Baig just released her first solo single. That may seem hard to believe, given that she has spent the better part of a decade in the limelight. Surely she must have made other songs on her own and this isn’t her debut solo track? But she hasn’t and it is.

“The [very] reason we are doing this interview right now is because this is my first ever solo single,” the singer tells Us. The song in question is ‘Funkari’, a catchy pop ditty about deception and heartache. “I’ve sung songs for a lot of producers, composers, brands,” she continues, “but it’s just that now there is no brand involved. The only brand is going to be my music, that’s it.”

Journey to stardom

Before she became one of the most popular names in the Pakistani music industry, Aima started gaining recognition for appearing on Mazaaq Raat, a comedy series for which she served as a co-host. She has fond memories of her time on the program and still considers the show’s team “like family”. “They treated me like I was their baby,” she recalls. “They never treated me like an employee; they always treated me like they had adopted me or something.”

The Mazaaq Raat cast and crew taught her a lot and supported her through thick and thin. She was, in fact, recording one of the episodes of the show when she found out about her mother’s passing. “I think Fawad Khan was over. It was a huge deal, obviously, but they stopped the show, they called me over, and then they gave me the day off and also gave me a leave for the next ten days, even though I didn’t want it – I just wanted a distraction.”

Seeing how positively she describes her time on the series, it isn’t surprising that her most vital learning from the experience seems to be that of camaraderie. “Primarily the thing they taught me is that…,” she pauses. “People say there are only bad people in this industry. Aisa naheen hai. You’ll find nice people from nice families with good hearts and good intentions. So I only have good words for Mazaaq Raat. And they taught me that no matter how small the start, if you just keep your hopes high, tou aap kaheen pae bhee pohonch saktay ho.”

Where she reached, of course, was Coke Studio, the uber-popular music show that propelled her to national stardom. “Coke Studio kinda changed everything for me,” she says. Before appearing on this platform, Aima had done quite a bit of work, including playback for films like Wajahat Rauf’s Lahore Se Aagey, projects for ISPR, a tribute for the APS incident, and raising awareness about cancer, a cause close to her heart. But even when her songs – like her playback work – were hits, they didn’t put her in the spotlight. “Nobody knew keh gaya kis nae hai,” she says. “When Coke Studio came out, they showed my face, and … gave me face recognition for sure, so it changed everything.”

She embraced the challenges that came with the show, like getting everything right in three or four takes, and her hard work quickly paid off, making her a household name. Some elements of her success even surprised her. “I never thought in a million years even in a language that isn’t mine – like Saraiki is not really my language – even in that language my song will be a hit and everyone will like it, and that is how I’m going to be recognized in my own country, the ‘Baazi’ girl.”

From collabs to solo

For much of her career so far, Aima’s focus was on playback singing as well as collaborations with other artists. Her voice could be heard in films, TV shows, and commercials, and she worked with the likes of Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam, Asim Azhar, and Sahir Ali Bagga. The reason for sticking to collabs and playback? “I used to be a little camera shy,” she replies. “I was always a very shy kid. I was bashful about being in front of the camera from the start. I have done bachelor’s in film and television as well, so I am somebody who belonged behind the camera. I should be the one handling the camera or looking after the production or whatever. But it’s just that I have to be a singer. So you have to show your face. And then I realized that it’s becoming more fun now.”

The singer is now taking a break from playback to create some music of her own. “[I have] concert, traveling, tours, and now I’m releasing my own album, which is going to be my first chapter. There are a few featured artists on the album but it’s mainly my own music. So I’m focused on that more now rather than singing OSTs or film songs.”

She plans to unveil tracks from her debut record one at a time, offering a slew of singles before releasing the album itself. “I want to give each song it’s importance,” she says. “I feel like if you release all the songs at once, then there are some songs that are very close to your heart but since there are a lot of songs … let’s say there are 6 songs on my album, just for instance, and three of them are hits while three aren’t, and one of those latter three was very close to my heart … so I don’t want to waste a song. So I am going to slowly release them.”

The first of these singles is the aforementioned ‘Funkari’. “This is the first song in six years that I’ve worked hard on myself. And I know how much work went into it, what the process was, how the song was made, and I learned a lot in the process.”

‘Funkari’, Aima explains, is about a person – a guy or a girl (the latter in the video, since the character is portrayed by Aima herself) – who has been played over and over again. “She knows everything and she’s been through this whole cheating game over and over again. And she does not want to show too much in front of him, that ‘oh I know what you’re up to’, but she’s also going a little psychotic.

“It's a very serious matter if you look at it because in [our culture] women keep suffering but don’t speak up. Similarly some men I’m sure also suffer but don’t say anything. And then it turns into a mental disorder. You go into depression and all that. So I think that this song and video show the aspect that the person has gone [crazy]. … This is actually a very disturbed and dark thing that we are putting out there for the world to see and acknowledge that she is actually laughing about [the accident] because she’s gone psychotic because of the traumas she has been through over and over, not talking about them and bottling them up inside.”

The road ahead

What about her acting aspirations? Is there any acting project in the pipeline? “I don’t have anything lined up,” she replies, “but I do have a lot of scripts lying on my bedside table.” While some of these scripts are “great”, none of them have really clicked with Aima, and when she finds one that is to her liking, she says you might see her acting as well. Having done theatre when she was at university, this field just might be a good fit for her. 

Her main focus, however, remains on her music. “I am just counting on my album right now; I think my album is my future – it is going to make my future for sure.” She is torn between two titles for the set but hopes to settle on one soon. 

As for the future of Pakistani music, she says she is in awe of the young talent emerging from the country and sees bright things ahead for the industry. “The world is going to see a part of Pakistan that they have never witnessed [before]”, she promises, “because nobody explored that part of Pakistan and I think we have so much talent and all these kids and all these people have finally been given the chance to show what they can do and what skill they have.” And she feels the efforts and plans of the people in the industry – everyone from organizers to artists – will fill our stadiums with big names performing for music lovers one day soon. “Eventually, I am giving you my words right now, we will have [the likes of] Justin Bieber performing here one day too. Why not!”

- By Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News International - 21st July, 2023 *

March madness

roundup

From Marvel’s shakeup amidst internal turmoil to Pedro Pascal’s continuing world domination and Gwyneth Paltrow’s curious choice of eyewear, here’s what went down in the world of entertainment during the month of March.

Film

- Everything Everywhere All at Once won everything everywhere all at once, and all was right with the world multiverse.

- We marked the one year anniversary of The Slap by wondering … how has it been a year already, and holy heck, where did the time go??

- Netflix continued making movies that were best classified under the “why even bother” genre of filmmaking.

- Marvel gave us lots of drama; unfortunately almost all of it was of the backstage variety. Disney decided to merge Marvel Entertainment and Marvel Studios and fire controversial Chairman Isaac Perlmutter (supposedly as part of its cost-cutting layoffs), soon after getting rid of Victoria Alonso (because she breached her noncompete clause and/or clashed with Disney over censoring LGBTQ+ content overseas). 

The behind-the-scenes drama was more interesting than the last several MCU films combined.

- Lucasfilm cancelled several upcoming instalments of the Star Wars franchise, then announced some more so that they have something to cancel in a couple of years.

- Shazam! Fury of the Gods x (The Rock + the Snyderverse + the James Gunn DCU reset + superhero fatigue + the overall averageness of the movie) = box office bomb.

- John Wick 4 sucker-punched us with that ending, while reaffirming the series’ central theme: don’t mess with someone’s dog, yo.

- Gwyneth Paltrow showed us that a ski-crash trial is probably not the best platform for Jeffrey Dahmer cosplay. If this was an attempt to audition for the role of the serial killer in a biopic though, then … yeah, the Oscar pretty much wins itself.

- And Kamli, Joyland, and What’s Love Got to Do with It? were among the winners at this year's Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival. Because yes, we are awesome. Thank you for finally noticing, world!

Music

- Collaboration sets were in vogue this month as artists teamed up with each other because we all need someone, you guys. There were releases by Kaskade and Deadmau5 (as Kx5); Talib Kweli and Madlib; Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro; and Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily, among others, and we are not complaining. 

- Album announcements: March revealed that coming to our ears soonish will be new offerings from Alison Goldfrapp (May), Yusuf / Cat Stevens (June), Jenny Lewis (June), and Christine and the Queens (June). Also, Def Leppard announced that they have teamed up with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for a collaborative album featuring new versions of their classic songs (May). And Matchbox Twenty revealed that they will release their first new album in over a decade (May).

- Brendon Urie effectively broke up with himself when his band, Panic! at the Disco – an outfit with literally one remaining permanent member – performed its final concert.

- Nearly five decades after her death, Mama Cass continued to inspire everyone to make your own kind of music.

- Miley Cyrus’s stupid ‘Flowers’ continued to be stuck in our stupid head as we continued to lose our stupid will to live.

- And yeah it’s been a month and a half, and no we still don’t know how Harry Styles won that Grammy either.

Television

- The Mandalorian released its third season, which is really season 4 because The Book of Boba Fett, but whatevs.

- Between The Mandalorian and the massively popular The Last of Us, Pedro Pascal's world domination continued. (And no, we should not focus on Harry Styles, Pedro!)

- Swarm created quite a buzz.

- Up Here was bafflingly unawesome.

- Tyra Banks announced she was leaving her Dancing with the Stars co-hosting gig. Julianne Hough will serve as her replacement. Who still watches DWTS though and what went wrong with their life is basically what our question is.

- Netflix made its foray into live events with its first ever livestream in the form of the Chris Rock stand-up comedy special Selective Outrage. So now there’s another thing Netflix can be aggressively mediocre at. 

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 2nd April, 2023 *

Bringing it home

cover story

As Coke Studio takes its live show to Dubai, Instep asks industry insiders about the issues associated with live events in Pakistan and what can be done to have bigger, better concerts here.

Coke Studio is going live! The country’s biggest music platform is taking its magic from television to stage for an evening filled with song and dance.

It’ll be huge! It’ll be amazing! It’ll be ground-breaking!

It’ll be ... in Dubai.

That sound you just heard … that was our enthusiasm collapsing in on itself to form a giant black hole of disappointment.

Coke Studio Pakistan! Live! In the U.A.E.?!

So, what exactly is going on? Here’s a quick recap. 

Once upon a time – back in the good old days of yore when corona was just that luminescent ring around the Moon and Donald Trump was just that guy from The Apprentice – one Rohail Hayat took the idea of a concert-like platform from Brazil and turned it into the most successful music show in the history of Pakistani television. It was an audience-pleasing, career-making hit from the get-go, combining traditional and classical music with contemporary sounds to create irresistible fusions, with Rohail himself spearheading the production.

Several seasons, and a couple of personnel shuffles, later, the long-running series ended up in the very capable hands of Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, a.k.a Xulfi, who breathed new life into the by-then tiring franchise. The result was stellar. From the stratospheric success of Ali Sethi and Shae Gill’s ‘Pasoori’ to the infectious charm of Kaifi Khalil, Eva B, and Abdul Wahab Bugti’s ‘Kana Yaari’, the fourteenth season offered plenty of bops and earned well-deserved global attention.

Then came the announcement of a live gig, the first show of its kind, which, unlike those Coke Fests that insisted on putting food and music together, would focus solely on the performances. 

Recruited for the show are the likes of Faisal Kapadia, Hasan Raheem, Karakoram, Young Stunners, and Justin Bibis, as well as the aforementioned Ali Sethi and Shae Gill, stars of the latest season who will perform their hits at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai later this month. Spectators will also have the chance to witness the moves of Norwegian hip-hop dance group Quick Style. And we can only assume that a handful of surprises are also in store.

Instead of debuting the event in Pakistan though, Xulfi and his team have opted to go straight to Dubai. So, yeah dude, what gives?

“The Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai is an arena for global events,” the producer tells Instep. “We see Coke Studio as a language we speak to the world, the language of art from our part of the world, from Pakistan. Also, Coke Studio 14 has had a heart-warming global response. So it’s crucial that part of our focus should always include an approach that’s transcending boundaries.”

All fair points, plus you can’t fault him for reaching for the stars. He clearly aims to put on a show of international calibre, and knowing Xulfi, it’s safe to assume he’s crafting something special. “A representation of Pakistan with so many of our artists performing together hasn’t happened on this scale before,” he says. “Think of it as a medium for aspiring musicians from Pakistan to express and perform live in front of the world.”

When Bryan Adams came to town

While it would have been nice to have the Coke Studio artists serenade their local fans, we must concede that it is still all kinds of cool that the show will be abroad and we finally have a bona fide musical export that excites the world. Plus it’s fairly obvious that putting together a massive event in Pakistan comes with many challenges. Just ask Shehzad Roy. The singer – who has not only spent nearly three decades in the music industry but has also made an impact with his philanthropic work – was the driving force behind what remains one of the most memorable concerts in the country’s history: the performance by Canadian musician Bryan Adams (who happens to be Shehzad’s friend; you have our permission to be impressed) in 2006 at Karachi’s Arabian Sea Country Club.

Shehzad remembers the Rock for a Cause gig with fondness. “It was an amazing experience,” he enthuses. “We’ve all grown up listening to the music of Bryan Adams. Singing ‘Summer of ‘69’ and ‘Let’s Make a Night to Remember’ with him – we sang those songs together – was also a terrific experience.”

The event served as a fundraiser for Shehzad’s Zindagi Trust and to aid the victims of the devastating earthquake that had hit the country a few months prior. And although the ‘Saali’ singer and his team pulled off the concert without a hitch, putting together the show was easier said than done. 

“Organizing anything at this scale is very difficult,” he says, citing everything from security concerns to technical issues. But the main problem his team ran into was the lack of a proper venue. “We couldn’t figure out what the venue should be,” he says. They needed a space that could offer a proper concert environment, plus handle everything from ticketing to the technical elements. The right place was hard to find. “We had to set up a whole infrastructure at the eventual venue. So that was a huge issue. There is no infrastructure here for events like that. Plus there are things like security and other considerations. There are venues available in other parts of the world – you go and everything is arranged. But I think venue was the biggest issue for us, because we don’t have places where we can arrange big concerts with the required equipment and all things necessary.”

Local fans of international artists would have hoped that the Canadian singer’s show would be the first of many of its kind, but that was not to be. “[After the Bryan Adams gig], several international artists [expressed interest],” Shehzad reveals. “In fact, I did a show – a fundraiser for our organization – with Guns N’ Roses but in L.A. because it was difficult to do it here and there were multiple other reasons as well. There are several artists I have met that were all willing [to perform here], but this isn’t my job plus it’s very difficult to arrange.”

So what makes it so challenging to arrange a show in Pakistan? “I feel like there’s an issue of uneven growth [here],” Shehzad answers. “You have one of the top hospitals, top buildings in Karachi, and there’s an open gutter nearby and the garbage isn’t being removed. Just like that, when you arrange anything, some things are very organized, while others very disorganized. Especially in concerts, you have things like … the kind of lights and sound system they expect, they then have to bring it themselves. And arranging international concerts is a huge issue.”

The way forward, he thinks, lies in creating a concert culture in the country. “It’s just like movies,” he says. “If your cinemas are being closed, then you won’t get movies. Just like that, if a significant number of concerts aren’t being held, then the system won’t be established. And then doing big concerts all of a sudden will be very difficult.”

Music festivals of the mad decent variety

The other major event that came our way was the Mad Decent Block Party in Islamabad in 2018, an event that was labelled as Pakistan’s first international music festival, and saw the likes of Diplo and Major Lazer Soundsystem performing alongside local artists like Adil Omar and Talal Qureshi.

“When my company, Black Box Sounds, invited Diplo and Major Lazer, two major EDM acts to Pakistan for Mad Decent Block Party, Pakistan was not considered a possible performance destination by any international act,” explains Irshad Ali Khan, the co-founder of the aforementioned company that organized the event. “It took a lot of courage and nerve for us to take on something like this and I am happy that we were able to pull it off successfully.

“There were many challenges, including the perceptions of security in the country, which made it very difficult to convince an international act to visit Pakistan,” he states, expressing gratitude to the artists for committing to visit at a time when the Western media was only running negative stories about the region. “Other challenges from within Pakistan included arranging visas for the artists, scouting for a large enough and secure enough venue, ensuring the right audience, artist insurance, ticket control, security, etcetera. As you know Pakistan did not have the right infrastructure and systems to facilitate such an initiative back then and still there is a lot that needs to be done to make it easier.” 

Irshad also laments the “dearth of good, skilled organizers” and their impact on the overall image. “What we do with a dozen good events gets ruined by one untoward incident at a badly managed event,” he says

Despite everything though, Irshad and his team found the experience very rewarding and cherished the opportunity to create a market for EDM in the country while showcasing Pakistan as a progressive and inclusive society. “I think that tour actually put Pakistan on the map of performance destinations for international acts for the first time. Diplo rightly called it DJ Diplomacy, as with international news outlets such as CNN and BBC covering it, it brought a lot of positive light to Pakistan’s cultural resilience in some of the darkest days for the nation.”

To make bigger events possible, Irshad thinks that we all need to work together. “Make sure that all players involved in the game from artists to organizers to administration and relevant government departments and most importantly the audiences understand that it is important to keep this positive trend of successful events going if we want to bring in more mainstream and well-known artists to Pakistan. We definitely don’t want to be missing out on our place on the global stage. All we need to make this happen is to keep at it, keep trying to do bigger and better events, and never compromise on the essentials that make a good safe entertaining event for all.”

Krewel intentions

As challenging as it may be to arrange massive shows here, music fans have no reason to despair, for there is a lot more on the horizon. Despite any issues, several local platforms – from Lahore Music Meet to Salt Arts – are continuing to put on enjoyable shows. Plus we will see more international acts here as well, like EDM duo Krewella who are all set to tour Pakistan in January next year.

And yes you guy, put down those pitchforks and take a chill pill – Coke Studio Live WILL come to Pakistan. Eventually.

“This is a beginning,” Xulfi says with reference to the show in Dubai. “The vision is that CS Live, at this scale, frequently happens in Pakistan. Not just that, in fact the idea is that the concert space can evolve into an experiential space for the audience. It’s important we do it to ensure the love and interest for a live music experience never wanes.”

And just like that, from the ashes of our disappointment rises the phoenix of hope! All hail the gods of music! Now if someone could help us figure out how many kidneys we’ll need to sell to afford all those darn tickets, that would be a big help, thanks a bunch!

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 9th October, 2022 *

Mixed bag: new releases by ABBA and Coldplay

album reviews

ABBA prove they can still deliver on their first album in four decades; Coldplay goes pop on their space-themed ninth record

Artist: ABBA
Album: Voyage

ABBA offer a nostalgia pop masterclass with Voyage, the group’s first new album in four decades that effectively serves as a quick ride in a musical time machine, sweeping you back to the Swedish pop legends’ heyday. Built around beautiful melodies and sublime vocals, the new set finds the outfit sticking to what they do best – creating sweet, likable pop tunes – without pushing the sonic envelope, an apt decision given the nature of the project.

The terrific lead singles – the piano and guitar adorned power ballad ‘I Still Have Faith in You’ and the disco-tinged banger ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’ – easily stand out, although there are several other bright moments on the set as well. The Irish folk-touch of ‘When You Danced with Me’ is infectious; the upbeat ‘Just a Notion’ and ‘No Doubt About It’ are irresistible.

Benny Andersson (who also serves as the set’s producer) and Björn Ulvaeus remain in charge of the songwriting, while Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad prove that they still have lovely voices. The ladies complement each other wonderfully and sound charming even when the material they are delivering is more than a little cheesy (Christmas single ‘Little Things’) or lyrically odd (‘I Can Be That Woman’).

Voyage is, all in all, quintessentially ABBA. If you have always been immune to the group’s pop magic, then the new record won’t change your mind. Fans of their easily enjoyable music, though, will certainly find plenty of pleasant moments on Voyage. If you want depth and experimentation, look elsewhere, but if you are in the mood for a sweet dose of nostalgic pop, then this is the album for you.

Highlights: ‘I Still Have Faith in You’, ‘Don’t Shut Me Down’, ‘When You Danced with Me’

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

*****

Artist: Coldplay
Album: Music of the Spheres

Music of the Spheres may or may not be Coldplay’s worst album – an accusation that is being widely hurled against it – but it certainly is one of their most confusing. Inconsistent, incohesive, and unfocused, the record reveals a band that is being pulled in two very different directions at the same time and not doing a very convincing job navigating either course. 

On the one hand, the British outfit seems so eager to remain relevant that they are willing to morph into the most mainstream version of themselves in the process. With the heavy involvement of pop super-producer Max Martin and vocal appearances by the likes of Selena Gomez (treacly ballad ‘Let Somebody Go’) and BTS (synthpop ditty ‘My Universe’), the band appears to have gone out of their way to manufacture cookie-cutter pop blandness.

On the other, the group want to try new things and push boundaries to the point of self-indulgence. A space-themed concept album set in a fictional planetary system, emoji song titles, a 10 minute long closer (‘Coloratura’), whatever the heck they’ve done to ‘Biutyful’ (which could actually have been, well, beautiful, given its lovely melody) … everything here is a bit all over the place. 

The result is a pop album with superficial space prog veneer that tries a little too hard to be both commercial and interesting but just pales in comparison to the much stronger output that put them on the musical map in the first place. Even the album’s best moments seem sonically borrowed as the band channels Muse on ‘People of the Pride’ and Pink Floyd on ‘Coloratura’. The hints of ambition may be admirable, but ultimately Music of the Spheres just suggests that a little course correction might be in order.

Highlights: ‘People of the Pride’, ‘Coloratura’

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 21st November, 2021 *

Modern Times - Finneas and Maisie Peters craft enjoyable debut sets

album reviews

Finneas displays his pop crafting skills on his first album, while Maisie Peters’ debut makes for an enjoyable, if not particularly memorable, listen

Artist: Finneas
Album: Optimist

The O’Connell siblings have been busy causing a stir with their avant-garde approach to pop music ever since the release of the irresistible ‘Bad Guy’ and its acclaimed parent album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019). The massively successful creative partnership between Billie Eilish and elder brother Finneas has earned the duo global recognition and a bucket-load of awards. Now the 24-year-old producer is striking out on his own with a debut set that is about as DIY as it gets.

Titled Optimist (ironically, one would assume), the self-written and self-produced record finds the singer-songwriter pondering his life and the world around him in 13 tracks that may not be as offbeat as the standout work he has created with his sister but still capture his innate ability to come up with pleasant pop tunes.

Parts of the album find Finneas sticking to conventions, especially when he is focusing on piano balladry with his warm vocals serving as the centrepiece on sombre tracks like ‘Love is Pain’, ‘Only a Lifetime’, and ‘Someone Else's Star’. The lovelorn lead single ‘A Concert Six Months from Now’, meanwhile, echoes indie vibes as it puts together a strummed guitar and sentiments that reflect both lockdown blues and hopes for reconciliation.

The more sonically adventurous parts of the record yield some interesting moments (‘Around My Neck’) but can sometimes feel a little out of place (‘Medieval’) or downright clunky (the autotune-drenched ‘The ‘90s’). A weaker element of these tracks is often the overly earnest lyrics, especially when the songwriter attempts to offer social commentary and appears to be trying a little too hard to be topical; instead of insight, he often delivers on-the-nose observations that feel hollow and awkward.

Throughout Optimist, though, you can see glimmers of the same talent that helped make Billie Eilish a star, as the set captures Finneas’s pop crafting skills, but the album also proves that he needs to mature as a lyricist. But this is, after all, the debut release of a relatively young performer. And it effectively serves its purpose of introducing Finneas as an artist and setting the stage for all that is surely yet to come.

Highlights: ‘Only a Lifetime’, ‘Around My Neck’

Rating: 3 out of 5

*****

Artist: Maisie Peters
Album: You Signed Up for This

Mentored by Ed Sheeran and signed to his Gingerbread Man Records label, 21-year-old British singer Maisie Peters has released her debut album You Signed Up for This, a collection of pretty, mid-tempo pop ditties that bring Carly Rae Jepsen and Taylor Swift to mind.

Relationships, mostly of the failed variety, are the central theme of this record, and the 14 songs here prove that Peters has a penchant for storytelling and an ear for catchy melodies.

Sheeran provides a hand writing three of these tunes, including the album’s primary highlight: first single ‘Psycho’, an irresistible synth-ridden earworm with an infectious chorus guaranteed to get stuck in your head. Songs with more distinctive musical backdrops (‘I'm Trying (Not Friends)’, ‘Boy’) easily stand out. But elsewhere, the bland, uninventive production makes some of the tracks (‘Outdoor Pool’, ‘Hollow’, ‘Love Him I Don’t’) feel samey and forgettable. 

Overall, this is competently made, unchallenging pop music that is easy to enjoy, even if some of it doesn’t make much of a lasting impact. You Signed Up for This is likely to please young fans of artists like Jepsen and Swift, and the online following Peters has amassed over the last few years won’t be disappointed either.

Highlights: ‘Psycho’, ‘I'm Trying (Not Friends)’

Rating: 3 out of 5

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 7th November, 2021 *

In the afterglow of a shooting star

cover story: in loving memory

Family, friends, and colleagues gathered at Riot Studios to celebrate the life and work of the late Farhad Humayun

It’s around 10 pm on Saturday, October 16. We are standing on the fourth floor balcony of Riot Studios, and Atif Aslam is telling me about the time Farhad Humayun broke the drums while recording one of his songs.

“‘Gal Sun Ja’ was a very sad and slow song, but Farhad made it a powerful rock anthem because he said: ‘let’s do it in a different tempo!’, and it turned out so great,” the singer recalls. “And I remember that he broke the toms while recording that song. Uss nae toms phar diyay thay,” he laughs. “Recording studio mein uss nae hashar kar diya tha. And the engineer, Waseem, was like, ‘yaar, meray toms!’”

This is just one of the many stories about Farhad that are being warmly exchanged tonight in an intimate gathering of his family and friends meant to honour the late musician’s life and legacy.

Live music blares in the background – Salman Albert is busy belting out Bryan Adams’ ‘Summer of ‘69’ (one of Farhad’s favourite songs) at the moment – as Atif speaks to me on the dark terrace, the busy neon-lit streets of Lahore bustling with late-night life below us.

“Farhad played on my first and third records,” Atif reminisces, “and they would never have sounded that good without him. Today, whoever I am is because of people like Farhad and Sarmad [Ghafoor] and everyone who played on Jal Pari because they put in a lot of effort.”

“We were going to do two [new] songs together,” he continues, “and I actually wrote the lyrics as well, but didn’t know that he wasn’t going to be around.” As hard as it may be under the circumstances, Atif thinks Farhad would have wanted to be remembered with joy and happiness – a celebration, if you will – a sentiment he can relate to; when his time is up, he, too, would want a joyous commemoration, not sadness.

*****

Celebration is, indeed, the spirit of the night. The event, titled Sunchaser, has been organized by Riot Productions that is now being run by Farhad’s family, which includes his mother, renowned academic-actress Navid Shahzad, and his sisters, Rima and Sara.

The venue is Farhad’s studio. When you get to the building, you go straight down a pristine corridor till you reach the elevator, right across from which is a cream-coloured drum kit that belonged to the Overload frontman. It looks beautiful, majestic. But also oddly forlorn, although that just might be projection.

It’s been four months since Farhad Humayun passed away at the age of 42. He bravely battled a brain tumour and had two surgeries to fight the cancer, but the disease sadly progressed. 

While his life may have been unfairly short, his impact on the Pakistani music industry was substantial. He helped shape the underground music scene of the country, formed bands like Co-Ven and Mindriot before finding success with the percussion rock outfit Overload, and helped launch the careers of then-fledgling artists – including Atif – along the way.

“He achieved more in his short life than people do in a full, 80-year life, so I’m very grateful for that,” Sara tells Instep. “Some stars [are] shooting stars. They shine brighter for a short period of time and then they disappear.” 

Sara describes Farhad as not just her brother, but her best friend, her partner in crime, and a remarkable person. “Great musicians come and go, but great human beings are rare and never forgotten. And he won’t be forgotten, I can assure you of that.”

Rima shares similar sentiments. “We all wish he had more time, but I think his impact is something that … people may live three lives and sometimes not make [such] an impact.”

The sisters say the siblings had a wonderful childhood, shared a strong bond, and had a lot of things in common, including an appreciation of art, culture, music, and travel. “Thanks to our parents, we were free to follow our own paths,” Rima continues, “and I think Farhad just did it beautifully.”

The family now hopes to carry forward Farhad’s legacy. Riot Productions plans to publish his unreleased works, which include an English album as well as several Punjabi and Urdu singles, as early as next year. Riot Studios will keep its doors open for musicians while a trust will be set up for aspiring artists in keeping with his passion for nourishing newcomers.

*****

For tonight though, Riot Studios is busy commemorating its creator. Standing in the middle of a room full of Farhad’s loved ones and mates, it’s hard not to be hit by the immense loss of this remarkable talent. “We ask you to leave your sadness at the door,” the invite had read, but it is clear that this is a hard directive to follow. 

When his mother addresses the crowd after the short documentary about Farhad’s life and the presentation of the studio’s vision, her voice breaks.

“It is said that we die only when we are forgotten, but I can say with great pride that … everyone who ever knew Fadi would continue to help me keep my child alive,” she says, “even as he lives in another dimension.”

When I speak to Anoushey Ashraf later, she too is visibly emotional. “He was just so young that I didn’t think we’d ever lose him, so when we did, it hit me in the worst way possible, and even today I think of him all the time,” she says, tearing up. “I know he’s in a better place and I hope we get to reunite and make some music up there soon.

“[He’d like us to remember him] as somebody who was larger than life, somebody who made people happy, and more than anything else, I think he would just love to see all of us happy, knowing that we are remembering him, thinking of him, and celebrating him every day.”

*****

The atmosphere gets significantly more upbeat as soon as the live music session commences. 

Over the course of nearly two hours, several of Farhad’s friends and cohorts take the stage, first to perform some of his songs and then for an open mic session featuring covers of some of his favourite tracks.

Ali Noor is the first on stage and delivers an energetic rendition of ‘Batti’. Others soon follow. Atif enamours the crowd with ‘Nimmi Nimmi’; Faiza Mujahid is joined by Salman Albert for a performance of ‘Kambakht’; and Abdullah Qureshi delivers a powerful version of ‘Neray Aah’.

As the open mic session begins, Faiza joins me on the aforementioned balcony. “By the turnout here, you can see how many lives Farhad changed. He was very encouraging; we needed someone who could see our talent and polish it and Farhad was that mentor.”

She was impressed by his expertise, appreciative of his humility, and grateful for his advice, encouragement, and support. And she was surprised not only by the fact that he approached her for ‘Kambakht’ but that he made sure she was front and centre in the video instead of in the background. 

“This speaks of the security of a person. And this is why I miss him. Because aisay genuine loag, aisay loag jin ki respect karnay ko dil karay music industry mai bohat kum hain. And trust me, I’ve been in this industry for the longest time,” she says.

I see Ahmad Ali Butt just as Faiza is leaving and ask him about Farhad’s influence on the industry. He replies, “I always said that he is one person with a lot of guts. Because he fought with the corporates, he fought for music rights, he fought for royalties, and he wasn’t afraid of anyone. Even I’ve never done this, but he did it. And hats off to him.

“Whenever I think of him, I smile,” he adds, “and I think that’s the best gift he left us with.”

*****

The proceedings are winding down and Salman Albert finally has time to speak to me. He has helped coordinate the live music session and has had a very busy evening, taking the stage multiple times and performing with many of the artists.

“I knew Farhad since the late ‘80s when the Lahore underground scene began,” he tells me. “We met socially and shared a similar sense of humour because of which we were on good terms.” 

But the two didn’t share a close association until around seven years ago when a performance changed things. “I think I never told Farhad about this, and I regret it now. I saw Overload perform at St. Anthony’s and I said to myself that I want to play the guitar in this band. So I asked Shiraz bhai, and then decided to speak to Farhad myself, and that’s how I started playing with the band. After that we were like brothers, friends, family. We travelled together. We used to hang out before and after jam sessions. Then Aunty would call us to have dinner, and we’d all have dinner together. 

“It is an honour for me that in the days around his death, his mother and sisters said that ‘yeh Farhad ka dost naheen hai, uss ka bhai hai’. This honour will stay with me forever.”

*****

It’s nearly 11 pm now. The event is over. The elevator brings me back down, and there it is again, that cream-coloured drum kit. For some reason it looks even sadder than it did a couple of hours ago. But now I take comfort in the knowledge that there are so many people who loved the man that played these drums and who are trying to ensure that his beat goes on.

- Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 24th October, 2021 *

From local to global

cover story

Actors, directors, singers, and producers of Pakistani origin have been achieving success around the world and have proved, time and again, that they can stand shoulder to shoulder with the brightest international talent. Instep takes a look.

What do a Rebel Alliance pilot, a Marvel superbeing, and an unsuspecting Bad Place resident have in common? Turns out they all have Pakistani heritage, or at least the actors who portray them do.

Our entertainment industry may still be struggling to make a mark internationally, but that hasn’t stopped artists of Pakistani descent from establishing their presence in the world of entertainment and proving that there’s no shortage of talent in our part of the sphere. From local creatives working abroad to expats and children of Pakistani parents, these talented entertainers have earned recognition around the globe.

Whether they are performing onscreen, helming projects behind the camera, producing pop bangers, or serenading audiences with their voice, it is always a joy to experience their artistic magic.

Join us as we take a closer look at some of the entertainers of Pakistani descent who are showing the world just what we can do. 

Riz Ahmed

He is the first actor of Pakistani origin to be nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award and the only Muslim to have ever earned this honour in the history of the Oscars, a fact that says as much about him (he is awesome) as it does about Hollywood (it is not). 

Riz Ahmed has proved that he can charm indie audiences just as easily as he can traverse blockbusters like Rogue One and Venom. But not only does he deliver stellar performances – like his critically acclaimed turn as a hearing-impaired drummer in Sound of Metal – the British-Pakistani actor is also trying to bring change to Hollywood. He is vocal about the racist undertones in the film industry and an outspoken critic of the “dehumanizing and demonizing portrayals of Muslims” in movies. And it’s been downright wonderful to see him make his mark not just as an actor but as an activist as well.

Kumail Nanjiani

Born and raised in Karachi, Kumail Nanjiani moved to the United States when he was 18. His comedic aspirations ultimately led him to a solid acting career, with success on both the big and the small screen. A co-starring role in the sitcom Silicon Valley brought him to the world’s attention before the success of his Oscar-nominated film The Big Sick made him a bona fide star. He will next be seen in Marvel’s superhero caper Eternals (scheduled for a November release later this year) that also stars the likes of Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie. Yes, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie. Envy index: high!

Jameela Jamil

She’s smart, she’s funny, and she’s gorgeous to boot. (And she may or may not have Munchausen syndrome, but that’s beside the point.) 

Jameela Jamil was an absolute delight as self-centred, namedropping socialite Tahani Al-Jamil in the fantasy comedy series The Good Place. She now hosts the comedy game show The Misery Index, is a judge on voguing reality competition Legendary, and is joining the world of Marvel in the upcoming Disney+ series She-Hulk as the protagonist’s rival. 

And you’d think her television work was keeping her swamped but the body positivity activist – who is known for calling out media industry standards and decrying the promotion of an unhealthy body image – still finds time to host the I Weigh podcast wherein she challenges societal norms and “amplifies and empowers diverse voices in an accessible way to celebrate progress, not perfection.”

We like her almost as much as bees seem to!

Tan France

Tanveer France – the British-American son of Pakistani parents – has had to battle racism and homophobia for much of his life. But with the success of the Queer Eye revival, the fashion expert has become a beloved media figure and host. He has written about his life experiences in his memoir Naturally Tan, and even made an appearance, as part of the Fab Five, in the 2019 video of Taylor Swift’s ‘You Need to Calm Down’.

Zayn Malik

“Jab tak iss muhabbat ka phool na khilay/Tab tak iss dil ko sakoon na milay,” Zayn sang on ‘Intermission: Flower’, a charming little Urdu track on his debut album Mind of Mine. And we totally would have paid attention to it too were we not still busy nursing our broken hearts over his split from One Direction. (The trauma still remains, if we’re being honest.)

As for Zayn though, just like his fellow former-1D cohorts, he is busy having a successful solo career. He has released three albums, the latest of which is this year’s Nobody Is Listening. He has also dabbled in fashion, published an autobiographical book, and created a little human being with model Gigi Hadid.

(As for 1D, they will reunite any day now. ANY. DAY. NOW. Aaaaany day.)

Shahid Khan

A.K.A. Naughty Boy. A.K.A. Zayn Malik’s buddy turned nemesis. Oh the drama.

The British Pakistani producer grew up listening to Pakistani music and is proud of his heritage. He has collaborated with the likes of Beyoncé, Sam Smith, Emeli Sandé, Wiz Khalifa, Beyoncé, Joe Jonas, Mike Posner, Ed Sheeran, Beyoncé, and many other artists, including Beyoncé. Oh and did we mention Beyoncé? He has worked with Beyoncé, you guys. Queen Bey. Sasha Fierce. BEYONCÉ! You have our permission to be impressed.

He is also appearing in the reality series Cooking With the Stars and has contributed to the soundtrack of Jemima Khan’s upcoming film What's Love Got To Do With It?

Iqbal Theba

If you hear Iqbal Theba’s name, you will probably think of Principal Figgins, the character he played on the uber-popular musical comedy Glee. But the Karachi-born actor actually has so many more credits on his resume. He has made appearances in shows like Seinfeld, Arrested Development, Two and a Half Men, Everybody Loves Raymond, The West Wing, The Blacklist, Community, and even Friends (kidney stones!), and can also be seen in movies like Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Green Book. He recently appeared in the winsome comedy drama Never Have I Ever as protagonist Devi’s uncle Aravind.

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

Detractors may be in a huff about her documentaries portraying a negative image of Pakistan, but no one can deny the fact that Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy has achieved what no Pakistani director has done before. She has won two Academy Awards, six Emmys, and so many other trophies that we presume she must’ve had to reinforce the shelves in her awards cabinet! She has also directed three of the six episodes of the upcoming Ms. Marvel series that is set to arrive on Disney+ later this year and stars young Pakistani-Canadian newcomer Iman Vellani.

Faran Tahir 

He was born into a Pakistani family with ties to the entertainment industry and has gone on to become a familiar face in Hollywood. While Faran Tahir may have appeared mostly in supporting roles, his resume includes titles like The Jungle Book, Charlie Wilson's War, Iron Man, Star Trek, Supergirl, Scandal, and Prison Break, among many, many others. Not too shabby!

Sarah Joyce

Sarah Joyce – known to music aficionados by her stage name Rumer – has a connection to Pakistan that is perhaps a bit more dramatic than that of the other artists on this list. 

Rumer was born to an English family in Pakistan where her British father was working as a chief engineer of the Tarbela Dam. Or so she thought until age 10 when she discovered that her biological father was in fact the man who had been the family’s Pakistani cook and with whom her mother had had an affair. She eventually journeyed to Pakistan to find her real dad only to learn that he had died just months prior. 

That’s quite a backstory!

Family drama aside though, Rumer has managed to make a name for herself in the world of music. The singer has earned praise for her lovely voice, which is often compared to that of Karen Carpenter, and received acclaim for her music. So far, her career is five albums deep, two of which offer original material while the remaining feature covers.

Natasha Khan

Natasha Khan was born into squash royalty. She is the daughter of Rehmat Khan, the granddaughter of Nasrullah Khan, the niece of Jahangir Khan and Torsam Khan. But she found her calling in a very different field: music. Under the moniker Bat for Lashes, the British Pakistani singer has crafted a wonderful music career, releasing five albums, performing at festivals like Glastonbury and Coachella, and supporting the likes of Coldplay and Depeche Mode on tour. She is unique, talented, and all kinds of fabulous.

- Sameen Amer 

Instep, The News on Sunday - 8th August, 2021 *

DJ Shahrukh: Pulse like it's EDM

interview

DJ Shahrukh left Pakistan in 2013 under difficult circumstances but continued his musical journey as an EDM artist in Sweden. As he returns to Pakistan after close to a decade, Instep speaks to the artist about changing sounds, his continued association with Pakistani music, and his latest project called Sound Quest.

When DJ Shahrukh left Pakistan in September 2013 under difficult circumstances, he wasn’t sure he was ever going to be able to come back.

The EDM musician and his family were forced to flee the country almost a decade ago, when death threats directed towards his father – a human rights activist who spent years working for peace between India and Pakistan – left them fearing for their safety. With the help of the United Nations, they moved to Sweden, where Shahrukh continued his musical journey.

Earlier this year, he finally managed to return to his homeland amidst a changing political atmosphere with a new project aimed at bridging the divide between the East and the West. Titled Sound Quest, the electro-ethnic venture was funded by the Swedish Arts Council and sees Swedish artists working with Pakistani musicians.

In a chat with Instep, Shahrukh talks about the genesis of Sound Quest and what he hopes to achieve with this endeavour.

Instep: How did it feel to come back to Pakistan after all these years?

DJ Shahrukh: When I was in Pakistan, I always dreamt of travelling [across] Europe. By a twist of fate, when I did leave the country, I didn't think I would ever be able to return, and to come back to Pakistan became a dream.

My Swedish friends had been showing me around their country for almost eight years, and now it was my turn to return the favour. Nothing beats Pakistani hospitality. My Pakistani friends were always there making sure that we had no problems during our trip. Forgotten songs played as we drove through the familiar streets of Lahore and Islamabad. It was very euphoric.

Instep: How did the Sound Quest project come about?

DJ Shahrukh: I had always wanted to show off Pakistan, her natural beauty, and immensely talented and hardworking, warm-hearted people. I am a dreamer, and it was a kind of a surreal dream that brought me to create Sound Quest. 

Earlier last year, a group of artists from the North of Sweden reached out to me saying that they were interested in visiting Pakistan with me. I travelled up to a place called Piteå, just a few miles from the Arctic Circle to work with them. Things didn't work out with that group, and I came back to Stockholm with little hope left.

But then I met Kenzin, with whom I initially shared a studio space. We were both broke, and realized that we can't pay studio bills, and so we started discussing ideas. We made a good team and I brought him in as co-founder on my plans. The Swedish Arts Council accepted our application for support and our project got partially funded. It was all we needed to be taken seriously. 

After that I wrote to, met, or worked with at least 50 artists from all over Sweden, and they all kept dropping out at different stages of the project, with different reasons. Most of them were uncertain. The global pandemic, the image of Pakistan in the West, etcetera. But eventually I was able to gather a group that was the perfect fit for this project.

Instep: How long did it take you to put the whole thing together? Did you face any challenges along the way?

DJ Shahrukh: I had already been brainstorming and having discussions with different people about starting such a collaboration for a few years. We began with trying to bring Pakistanis to Sweden, but that came with its own set of complications and didn't quite float.

Sound Quest really took off in October 2020, when our first single came out. After that I started putting together the travel while my partner Kenzin started compiling the production. And within four months, we were in Pakistan!

Besides finding the right artists, the main challenges were to raise funds and partnerships for such a project, during a global pandemic. No one was convinced that we would actually make this happen. It is no secret that the Western media has portrayed a very bad and unfair picture of Pakistan, and to convince artists otherwise was also not easy.

Instep: How were the Swedish artists chosen?

DJ Shahrukh: I wanted to create a group that was diverse in talents, big enough to make an impact but small enough to be able to manage. While skill and talent was important, it was most important that the artists were free-spirited and open-minded. They were going to travel across the globe to a place with people, culture, weather, norms, laws, traditions, and values completely opposite to theirs, and so they had to understand and respect that. I wanted to make sure that any artists who come with us, come to enjoy the experience, not criticise it. We have already had enough criticism; we don't need more. We need collaborations, opportunities.

I was looking for those who could look through the mainstream propaganda. Who were curious about knowing more than what CNN is telling them. Those who had faith in art and music, regardless of the political noise that surrounds it.

The artists who put their faith in me, and for which I am forever indebted to them, are producer, singer, and instrumentalist Felix Gröndahl (Kenzin); singer and instrumentalist Eva Dunder; table player Eric Ji; photographer and backing vocalist Tuva li; and DJ and rapper Clara (Zima.Vit_e).

Instep: How would you describe the music you guys have come up with?

DJ Shahrukh: The idea is to create a new sound that takes elements of electronic music of the West and combines them with elements of traditional ethnic music originating from remote locations in the East. Which brought me to coin the term “electro-ethnic”.

We steer clear of any formula to commercial success. That is not what drives us. Our music is a mix of rap and vocal melodies in mixed languages like English, Urdu, and Swedish with electronic beats and organic rhythms, and it is hard to put any of our tracks in a specific category or genre.

Instep: How many songs did you work on?

DJ Shahrukh: We drafted about 10 tracks, out of which at least 6 will be complete and release-ready by the end of this year.

Our first single is ‘One More Time’. It shows the feeling of travelling for musical exchange. The song is about staying true to your purpose and gives motivation to always keep moving forward.

The second track we have released is ‘Som En Våg’ which translates to 'like a wave'. The song takes inspiration from the life of a wave, how it continues through the sands of time. This is a fusion of Swedish folk singing styles jojk and kulning with the traditional Pakistani instrument tabla, all merged together in an EDM arrangement. We shot the music video for this track in Malam Jabba.

We returned from Pakistan with loads of audiovisual material, and it took us time to compile all of that and make it release-ready.

Instep: How did you choose which Pakistani artists to work with? Why don’t Pakistani artists feature on all the songs (like the first two singles you have released)?

DJ Shahrukh: The production process was very technical. I was reaching out to many artists; Harsakhian, Saakin, Ali Noor, and Ali Azmat, to name a few, and of course their response was very accommodating, but due to the uncertainties of the pandemic restrictions and challenges of distance and time, a synergy could not develop.

But then producer Ali Mustafa helped us in the recording and production process and introduced us to some really cool artists, like Zoha Zuberi and Mulazim Hussain, who worked with us on some tracks.

As much as we wanted to, unfortunately we couldn't work enough with artists in Pakistan to have them feature on all tracks. As this is not a sponsored project, artists had to work with us for free, which was not very motivating. In the future we hope that some brands will get involved and help us bring more Pakistani presence in our productions.

Instep: What role did Ali Zafar play in this project?

DJ Shahrukh: Ali Zafar was our biggest support throughout the trip. We were literally lounging in his studio all the time. He introduced us to many artists. He arranged a tour of the Lahore walled city for us, and took us to hang out with kids at an orphanage supported by The Ali Zafar Foundation. We met Shoaib Akhtar. We had dinner with Yousuf Salahuddin at his Haveli and discussed the music industry in Pakistan and his journey as a producer. We even played at a Lahori wedding, opening for Ali's performance. Ali hooked us up with PC Malam Jabba, where we did a performance and recorded a music video as well. All of these experiences put a really incredible impression on the foreign artists.

Instep: What does the future hold for Sound Quest?

DJ Shahrukh: The main aim of Sound Quest is to promote cultural tourism to Pakistan from Sweden and other Scandinavian and European countries. Pakistan has a much better image in the West now than it did just a few years ago, and we are happy that tourism is of the highest priority.

Currently we are working on our Pakistan Tour 2022, which aims to have a more diverse range of artists, with an even bigger production value and impact. Sound Quest will continue to bring Swedish and Pakistani artists together on a platform to create musical fusion.

- Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 25th July, 2021 *

Recap: June 2021

roundup

Jerry Seinfeld announced a movie about Pop-Tarts; Megan Boone left The Blacklist; the Foo Fighters went disco; and more news from the month of June

Film

- The road goes ever on and on for the Tolkien cinematic universe. Our nerdy hearts were thrilled when it was announced that another visit to Middle Earth is forthcoming. A new Lord of the Rings movie – an anime adventure titled The War of the Rohirrim that is set 250 years before the original trilogy – is officially in the works.

- Jerry Seinfeld is making a movie about the invention of the Pop-Tart ... is news that sounds made-up but strangely isn't.

- Here we were, thinking Lin-Manuel Miranda can do no wrong. Turns out, we were wrong. The film adaptation of his musical In the Heights ended up plagued by accusations of colourism, generating backlash for not featuring Afro-Latino performers in prominent roles and leading Miranda to issue an apology.

- Indiana Jones and the ravages of time? Harrison Ford injured his shoulder while rehearsing for a fight scene for the upcoming fifth Indy movie.

- John Boyega abruptly left the film Rebel Ridge mid-shoot. “Family reasons” were cited as the official explanation, although rumours quickly surfaced that he had “abandoned the project” for reasons including “his dissatisfaction with the script and his accommodations”.

- Issa Rae joined the voice cast of the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse sequel. Which is good news because Issa Rae joining any project is always good news.

Television

- Megan Boone exited The Blacklist several seasons after our interest bid adieu to the show.

- After getting cancelled for speaking out against cancel culture amidst a racism controversy a few months ago, Chris Harrison officially departed from the Bachelor franchise.

- Barack and Michelle Obama announced We the People, their 10-episode Netflix animated series that will teach children about government.

- Bye bye Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. The series was cancelled by NBC after just two season. Also canned: the Netflix series Grand Army, Jupiter’s Legacy, and Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!; Fox’s The Moodys; and NBC’s Manifest.

Music

- Time to dust off those flair pants and platform shoes: the Foo Fighters announced they are releasing a new album as disco alter-ego the Dee Gees. 

- UFO enthusiasts Angels and Airwaves sent a capsule into space to announce their new album, Lifeforms, and play an “out-of-this-world premiere” of the disc. If there’s an alien invasion anytime soon, we know who to blame.

- Noel Gallagher wants Michael Fassbender to portray him in a biopic. We approve of this casting choice and would like the film industry to get on it ASAP, please and thank you.

- The late Nipsey Hussle was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The 38 honourees this year also included DJ Khaled, Black Eyed Peas, Ashanti, Avril Lavigne, Francis Ford Coppola, Salma Hayek, Willem Dafoe, Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kenan Thompson, and Macaulay Culkin.

Stars

- Everyone sent love to Blink-182’s wonderful Mark Hoppus who revealed that he has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. 

- In a fiery testimony, Britney Spears tore her family and management a new one and asked for her 13-year conservatorship to end.

- Possible queerbaiting allegations and mouthing racist slurs? Yikes! The increasingly problematic Billie Eilish apologised for resurfaced videos, (in part) pleading ignorance and insisting she did not mean for her actions to cause hurt.

- Kanye West and Irina Shayk may or may not have become an item.

- Nick Cannon had several new reasons to celebrate Father’s Day this month. Two new members joined his rapidly expanding brood. The comedian welcomed twin sons – Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir – with DJ Abby De La Rosa, just six months after the birth of his daughter Powerful Queen with model Brittany Bell, who is also the mother of his son Golden. He, of course, has twins – Moroccan and Monroe – with singer Mariah Carey as well. And apparently he is now expecting a child – his seventh! – with model Alyssa Scott.

- Cody Simpson tried his hand at competitive swimming. He made it to the final of the Australian Olympic trials in the 100m butterfly but then finished in last place. Better luck next time?

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 27th June, 2021 *

Recap: April 2021

roundup

Nomadland continued dominating the award season; Taylor Swift released the rerecording of Fearless; and more international news from the month of April

🎥

- Nomadland won the Best Film trophy at every award ceremony that was held in the known universe.

- Production of the second Downton Abbey film commenced. The sequel will be out in time for Christmas because something good finally has to happen this year, right? RIGHT?!!

- The release of the Top Gun sequel was delayed for the 9271835th time.

- Nia Vardalos confirmed that a third My Big Fat Greek Wedding film is in the works, leaving us all with the question: there was a second My Big Fat Greek Wedding film?!

- There is going to be a fifth Indiana Jones movie? Meh.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge has joined the cast of the fifth Indiana Jones movie? Ok, now we’re listening…

📺

- More anachronistic corsets and striking sideburns are coming your way. Star Regé-Jean Page may be out but the show’s creator Chris Van Dusen confirmed that Bridgerton has been renewed for a third and fourth season, even before the unveiling of its sophomore outing.

- Apparently it takes three years to make a dozen or so episodes of Stranger Things. Fans were not pleased when Finn Wolfhard revealed that we will have to wait till next year for our reunion with the residents of Hawkins. The previous season was released two years ago; that’s 24 in dog years, which is pretty much how long it feels in human years as well.

- The MacGyver reboot was cancelled. It ran for five seasons, so basically five seasons longer than it should have.

- Dominic Purcell was either angry or upset or joking or trolling the press as he announced his departure from DC's Legends of Tomorrow.

- Hank Azaria, who voiced Indian character Apu on The Simpsons for decades before stepping away from the role earlier this year, apologized for reinforcing negative South Asian stereotypes.

- Just when we thought we were finally getting rid of them, Kim Kardashian revealed that her famous family will now have a new show on Hulu that will premiere after Keeping Up with the Kardashians ends. Woe is us.

- There was drama in the world of beauty pageants. Mrs. Ireland, Kate Schneider, was appointed Mrs. World 2020 after reigning titleholder, Caroline Jurie from Sri Lanka, took the crown off the head of the 2021 Mrs. Sri Lanka World winner, Pushpika De Silva, claiming she was divorced and ineligible to win, leaving us appalled by the fact that beauty pageants are still a thing.

🎶

- Following her Scooter Braun masters drama, Taylor Swift released the rerecording of her 2008 album Fearless. Swifties rejoiced, because, being fans of Swift’s music, they clearly like listening to slightly different versions of the same song over and over again anyway.

- Following the release of a YouTube documentary that covered, among other topics, her near-fatal overdose in 2018, Demi Lovato unveiled her first album in four years, Dancing with the Devil... The Art of Starting Over. She then got into a feud with … a froyo shop (!) because … they sell options catering to dietary restrictions … which somehow triggered the singer who has battled an eating disorder.

- The Wallflowers, Twenty One Pilots, The Black Keys, and Steps all announced new albums.

🌟

- Rapper DMX died at the age of 50 after reportedly suffering an overdose that resulted in a heart attack.

- We also lost the lovely Helen McCrory, who died of cancer at age 52.

- Prince Philip, the longest serving consort in British history, passed away at age 99. The fallout from Meghan and Harry’s interview with Oprah, meanwhile, continued, although the problematic prince did reunite with his family for the funeral of his grandfather.

- Ashley Cain’s eight month old baby daughter Azaylia’s battle with terminal leukaemia broke everyone’s heart.

- Harvey Weinstein, currently incarcerated in New York, was indicted on sexual assault charges in California.

- The downfall of Armie Hammer continued. After dropping out of pretty much all his upcoming film projects, the actor – who is under investigation for sexual assault – will now no longer star in the Broadway play The Minutes.

- After trying to squash breakup rumours weeks earlier, J.Lo and A-Rod changed their minds and broke up. 

- Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song had a baby … is a sentence guaranteed to instantly make you feel old.

- Dwayne Johnson might run for U.S. President. Matthew McConaughey might run for governor of Texas. Caitlyn Jenner might run for governor of California. 

The rest of us might run away to another planet because this one is just getting ridiculous at this point.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News International - 25th April, 2021 *

Xulfi’s new groove

cover story

In an exclusive interview with Instep, the multi-talented musician and producer discusses everything from his career beginnings to what his future holds

Once upon a time, back in the early aughts, I was a student at the National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences (FAST-NU), stumbling, rather clumsily, through a computer science degree. On the day in question, the object of my struggles was an assignment that required the coding of logic gates, a task that my group members and I had no idea how to accomplish. Taking pity on our plight, an acquaintance decided to come to our rescue by introducing us to one of his friends: a senior who was taking the same course with our batch and who could potentially give us a few pointers. And so we were schlepped to the aforementioned senior … who then took one look at the sorry state of our project and promptly refused to help, dismissing us instead by saying the assignment needed too much work.

So I guess my first question is, what do you have to say in your defence, Xulfi?

“Computer education was never my forte. I helped you by not helping you,” he deadpans, then laughs and adds “I really don’t remember this.”

Insult to injury. We’re off to a great start!

Past

Just as I was being introduced to Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan as the grumpy dude you shouldn’t even bother asking for coding tips, the rest of the country was getting to know him as the guitarist of the rap rock band Entity Paradigm, which itself had its genesis on the grounds of the university where we first met. Xulfi was the president of the FAST-NU music society, conducting auditions for new members. Among the hopefuls were the then-unknown Fawad Khan and Hassaan Khalid. He heard the former sing and the latter play the guitar and thought, why not make a band? That’s how the dream of Paradigm started.

That dream eventually led him to the stage of Pepsi Battle of the Bands, where, his group – merged, by then, with Ahmad Ali Butt’s band Entity – finished in second place. The creation of an album, Irtiqa, followed, but the union didn’t last and the members eventually parted ways.

Now, some two decades later, looking back at his time with EP, Xulfi is left with a sense of appreciation for the experiences he had with the outfit. “When a band breaks up, it can sometimes seem like it’s the end of the world. Obviously, when EP broke up, it did feel like that, but, parting ways leads to the start of beautiful new journeys for everyone involved. You don’t know where the road will take you and when everyone’s paths will coincide again.”

Their paths did indeed cross in the form of reunions. But where, I ask him, does EP stand now? “We talk. We occasionally meet. We all share a good friendly bond. That’s where it stands,” he answers with a smile. “It’s a chapter that involves a lot of emotions and memories, and I honestly feel blessed to have experienced all those emotions and been through it all.”

While working on EP’s music, Xulfi was also learning the ropes of music production. “We recorded Irtiqa at Mekaal Hasan’s studio when I was still a university student. We used to arrange music, sequence drums, and do the musical parts in my room; then we’d take those tracks to Mekaal’s studio and do the guitars, bass, and vocals. I used to sit there when Mekaal was recording and mixing, learning a lot and giving my suggestions as well.

“In fact there was this thing that Fawad and I used to do. Whenever Mekaal would leave the studio for some time, we used to go in the recording room, and if we thought that, say, the guitar’s distortion gain was too low, we used to increase it so that we’d get the sound that was in our heads. Maza aata tha,” he laughs. “Mekaal probably doesn’t know about that till this point.”

Well he does now. Sorry Mekaal!

Inspired by the experience, Xulfi decided to pursue his dream of making his own studio. After graduating from university, he asked his parents for a year to do what he most wanted: set up a studio, work with different artists, and make a career out of it. And he says he has not looked back ever since.

The first album he produced was Jal’s Aadat, using basic equipment and dilapidated instruments. Fast forward to 2021, and Xth Harmonic is now a fully-equipped, high performance studio that has given Xulfi the chance to work with a wide range of talent, including the likes of Atif Aslam, Meesha Shafi, and even his old pal Fawad Khan.

“After the release of the Jal album, my belief kept growing that everything is possible if I put my heart and mind to it. Subsequently, trying to find new musicians and recording their work became the purpose of my studio. The universe always helped me with that. Artists from all over would somehow find me. While recording their work, I’d notice that a band had a talented guitarist, and another had a talented keyboard player or vocalist or songwriter. So I used to think of combinations, putting the talented people together in my mind, and dream of making music with them,” he recalls.

That idea eventually led to the creation of Nescafe Basement, a television series in which Xulfi mentors and works with young artists. “You need to discover and inspire new people to progress the industry,” he believes. “There is so much talent in Pakistan. There had to be something that empowered this talent.” He is happy about the success of the show’s alumni, like Bayaan, a group that formed during Nescafe Basement, then won Pepsi Battle of the Bands, and now has an album out, as well as the duo Soch, whose song ‘Awari’ found popularity across the border and who have since developed their own studio and become successful songwriters. And it’s this part of his journey that has brought Xulfi a lot of gratification.

But while he has always been dedicated to discovering and polishing new artists, he has also continued his own performing career. Before his time with EP was through, Xulfi had already joined another band, Call, previous members of which had included his brothers, Danish and Khurram. And their partnership – a brief split notwithstanding – is still going strong. “Call has been quite an extensive journey for me,” he says. “I have explored a huge palette of colours with my bandmates – Junaid, Sultan, and also our session players Kenny, Bilawal, and Farhan; I’ve travelled a lot with these people.

“From the heavy side of rock in songs like ‘Jilawatan’ to something like ‘Laree Chotee’, ‘Dhadke Jiya’, and even ‘Sab Bhula Kae’, it has been a very diverse journey. A band’s vocabulary is usually not this extensive. But Call ki hai,” and that is something that makes him immensely proud.

Present

Last month, Xulfi was busy with the production and rollout of the anthems for the sixth season of the Pakistan Super League, his second year associated with the tournament. “PSL is a beautiful blessing for our country through which we get thoroughly entertained,” he opines, and he is absolutely chuffed to be involved with the league. “I am fortunate that I have been given this blessing by God to work with PSL for the last two years and I am so proud of what we have done with them. It’s an honour to work for a platform like this and it gives you coverage and accessibility with such a huge audience.”

Last year, Xulfi was approached by PSL for the anthem for the tournament’s fifth season. That’s how ‘Tayaar Hain’ happened. “PSL was coming to Pakistan completely for the first time, so we thought of the message that we are ready for this, hence ‘Tayaar Hain’.” The track was written by Xulfi and sung by Ali Azmat, Haroon, Asim Azhar, and Arif Lohar. “When you make an anthem, it’s not just a song; it’s a complete narrative,” he declares. “Creating it is a progressive, evolutionary process. You have to connect to that purpose and strike the right big idea, and ‘Tayaar Hain’ was that big idea.”

This year, discussions led to the creation of ‘Groove Mera’, an EDM-inspired pop tune with Naseebo Lal, Aima Baig, and Young Stunners on vocals. He describes the experience of working with these artists as “phenomenal”. “Every one of them is special,” he says. 

“I remember when Naseebo Lal’s name came up. I immediately knew she was the one. Her lines were written specifically for her.” When he eventually heard her sing the track, her performance instantly hit him in the feels. “There was a time when I actually teared up. When she sang the line ‘I am ready tay I am sure oye’, it was so beautifully expressed and delivered that I got emotional, and, touched by my reaction, she teared up as well. When someone convincingly makes a universal line their own, like she did, it’s an amazing moment for me as a producer.”

He has nothing but praise for Young Stunners and Aima Baig as well. “I was working with Naseebo and Young Stunners for the first time, and it was a heart-warming, beautiful experience, full of emotions. Young Stunners are very future forward. They understand the power of good content and create a lot of songs. They are special songwriters. They think about life very deeply. Their lyrics in ‘Groove Mera’ are very impressive. Their confidence, hope, and excitement is contagious. As for Aima, it’s always a pleasure working with her because she works hard to understand what kind of personality she has to depict.”

As much fun as making these PSL songs has been for Xulfi and his team, listeners, however, have been far less enthusiastic about their output. Both these tracks have garnered criticism, especially on social media. How does Xulfi feel about the mixed reception and the negative comments? “I am a positive person, and I don’t see things in positive and negative demarcations. I see everything as a process. I love seeing how the narrative unfolds. I enjoy that. To top that, I have a lot of belief in the work I do with my team on any idea, song, or narrative. If you believe in something, the universe assures that it will resonate in people’s hearts. Your work of heart reaches other people’s hearts. So with this belief, I enjoy my journey.” 

But doesn’t the criticism get to him? “I’m a patient person,” he answers. “Change is not easy. It’s always a battle. But at the same time, change in the form of progress is important. When you are battle hardened, you keep fighting. I am happy the song has resonated with so many people and it’s etched in their memory which is the most important thing. Insha’Allah everyone will always remember ‘Groove Mera’ and that, again, is a blessing.”

Aside from his PSL work, Xulfi has also been involved with other production projects, his most recent being rock band Karakoram’s debut album, Ailaan-e-Jang. “Producing a rock album is always a lot of fun. You have to record all the instruments live. With Karakoram, I wanted to create a benchmark sound that sets a standard and expresses their emotion in the best possible way while creating a new paradigm. I wanted people to hear it and say they haven’t heard such big sounding rock music in Pakistan before. It took us a while to nail everything, but these boys are very talented and expressive and they did a wonderful job. This is going to be a game changer for a lot of artists in Pakistan, Insha’Allah.”

Future

With his various projects and ventures, Xulfi has every intention of keeping himself busy in the coming months. 

Apart from music, his content creation agency, Giraffe, is also churning out ideas for brands. And his passion for sports is ensuring that games – he enjoys playing badminton, table tennis, and cricket with friends – remain a part of his life.

His focus, though, continues to be on music. “This year my journey is more about music than it has ever been,” he states.

Rumours have been swirling about his involvement in the next season of Coke Studio, but no matter how much I prod, he remains tight-lipped. “Let’s see what the future holds” is all he is willing to say on the topic.

He does promise that his mission of discovering and empowering new artists is going to continue. He hopes to help create a thriving community of musicians, and also plans to keep doing his own music and collaborating with other artists as well. As for Call, while the band isn’t working on any new content at the moment, Xulfi has an inkling that something interesting might come along later in the year.

So you can definitely expect a lot more from Xulfi in the coming months. 

If you are a fan waiting for new music, he will deliver. If you are an aspiring artist, he will lend a guiding hand. If you want someone to produce your record, then he’s your man. 

Just don’t ask him how to code logic gates!

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 21st March, 2021 *