Clik here to view.
Why are Bollywood songs in my news?
Pakistan's political scenario took an unexpected turn when Yousaf Raza Gilani was declared ineligible by the Supreme Court. However, what we got to see on our news channels were pictures of Yousaf Raza...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Pakistani songs playlist for a foreign friend
It all started with a question. “This Columbian friend of mine is asking me about Pakistani music,” asked Ali,“What do I tell him?” I opened my mouth and shut it again. Columbian. Not Pakistani....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Airport travelers: Friends afar
There’s something magical about letting yourself disappear in the music of your mind and losing your heart to absolute strangers in their conversations, their actions and their journeys. Like a ghost,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Vo Jang: Take strength from Faiz Pakistan
As a director, the making of ‘Vo Jang’ was one of the hardest feats that I have ever had to complete. I went through hours of grave contemplating, thinking, and absorbing the gruesomeness of the status...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sexist and vulgar: Why is this the music of today?
I've always loved music. The sweet tunes of Sufi artists; the purity of Africa’s tribal beats; the melodies of Arabia, and the especially popular Western sounds of the modern world have all impacted me...
View ArticleClik here to view.
From Vital Signs to ‘Vital Saaen’
The journey from the golden age to the recent dark ages has been very short for the Pakistan music industry. So it doesn't come as a surprise when a song like Taroo Maroo becomes an instant hit in the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My adventures on a bus!
My first few encounters with a public bus occurred when I started going to an institute to prepare for my entrance test. My father usually used to pick and drop me, but one fine day he wasn’t home and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
German glue, pinching ears and music — Zoe Viccaji’s favourite things
You may not know this about her, but Zoe Viccaji loves to put German glue on her hands and peel it off; she also loves to pinch ears, but her greatest love remains music. At the age of 15, when most of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani: Let the badtameezi begin!
With the music of the Ranbir-Deepika starrer Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, music director Pritam brings to us one of the most widely anticipated soundtracks of this year. There are still two weeks left for...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Random Access Memories: Daft Punk’s new album hit a home run for me
Random Access Memories (RAM) is the fourth studio album released by the French duo, Guy-Manuel and Thomas Bangalter - better known to the world as Daft Punk. After a sabbatical of eight years since...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Wali Flo Shah’s success story: When he refused to let poverty break him
“I know you'd expect this kid to be a criminal, But before you judge someone, don't be as cynical Because that child wasn't a story, That child was me." Thus, eighteen-year-old Wali Shah ended his...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Nazia Hassan: Remembering our subcontinental princess
Hendon Cemetery, London NW7 on Holder’s Hill Road is a serene space with the usual poignancy and hush that accompanies cemeteries. There, tucked away among other graves is a simple tomb with a black...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Vital Signs: The soundtrack of my memories
Talking to one of my old friends, my pal of 21 years, and sharing some pictures from 1994 to 1998 with him, something really interesting struck me. My memories have a soundtrack. In simple words, each...
View ArticleClik here to view.
3 reasons I will watch Coke Studio Season 6
There are a few things a Pakistani can be proud of and music tops the list. From the eternal Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to the evergreen Noor Jehan; from the refreshing Nazia Hasan to the quirky Hadiqa...
View ArticleClik here to view.
I like Disney movies and Katy Perry, but I am not gay!
Since I was a child, I have been bullied and called names. People have always been cruel to me and it took me a few years to understand that I should not let it get to me. Growing up, nobody wanted to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Zubaida Khanum’s voice will live on forever in our hearts
Getting stuck in Karachi’s downtown traffic jam in the month of June is never pleasant and that jam was a brute. After an hour in the searing heat and the never ending snarl of cars, bikes and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Living on the Edge: it’s entertainment not ethics!
TV is for entertainment, not for preaching. If it is messages on morals that you want, we have schools. So don’t judge a reality show like Living on the Edge from Oprah's eyes or from an ethical angle;...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Babu Bhai, Ali Azmat?
It finally happened! Ali Azmat's track was uploaded in the first episode of Coke Studio Season 6. Grinning in excitement, I clicked on the link only to hear this in a low monotone: “Babu Bhai, Babu...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Reshma, the flower in Pakistan’s desert is dead
One by one they are leaving us. Some left the music industry altogether, even before departing from this world, like Zubaida Khanum. Then, Iqbal Bano left us. Mehdi Hasan suffered quite a long illness...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Concerts in Karachi: Bring back fun to this city!
I was at a Strings concert a few days ago. It was one of those fancy sit down affairs, with hideous white sofas and people taking selfies of each other to upload on social media. Bilal Maqsood began...
View Article