Afrah Jamal

..couldn't wait any longer, had to post it here. Miss the Daily Times of yore . There is nothing to announce the arrival of Fall in Karachi; leaves do not change color, temperatures stay constant and billboards of chilled coffees lurk in the rearview. Nothing, except the ‘ Pepsi Unplugged – Fall Edition’ . It is a series of invite only events designed around live singing and dynamic playlists. They recently held a show in Lahore and rounded off the year by adding some inter-continental flavor to the mix for their anniversary celebrations in Karachi. The names were a highly guarded secret revealed just a few days before the event. Their presence underscored the growing scope of the ‘Unplugged’ series and the enterprising spirit of its creators. And, if the press releases are to be believed, such visits were to be the first of many, offering Karachiwalas a mixed platter of Sufism, Folk and Bhangra that kept the crowd going till 2 in the morning. Josh, an Indo-Pak band that ...

Thanks to Hasan Rizvi for the Invite. Images Provided by BodyBeat. Karachiwalas recently dusted off their record collection and prepared to board the Pepsi Unplugged edition that would take them on a journey through time. They headed out for an evening with Ali Azmat – (singer / songwriter extraordinaire, formerly of Junoon – the Rock sensation from the 90’s), undeterred by the storm forecasts, rain or the lowering sky. Here they could relive the musical heydays of yore, and meet the legendary performers who rang in the new age of Sufi rock. The moment that marked the silver jubilee of the artist was hosted by Hasan Rizvi (CEO - BodyBeat) who is also the brainchild behind the venture. Pepsi Unplugged is a relative newcomer to the scene, and its mission to revitalize the parched landscape and bring back live music has won them many admirers. Designers, socialites, media tycoons and artists dazzled at the red carpet extravaganza hosted by Anoushay – few had stuck to the color sc...

First Published in Economic Affairs (Pakistan) / Sep 2013 issue The ‘Avenger’ phenomena hit Pakistan sometime in late July 2013. The choice of the name had an instant effect - loud cheers, inaudible gasps, startled looks and a few boos were reported. A musician, composer and most recently Campaign Ambassador for ‘Save the Children's Everyone Campaign’, who reigned in the 1990’s as the front man for ‘Awaz’, and nowadays goes by the name of Aaron Haroon (redundancy alert!) is responsible for these seismic changes in the national topography. Back then the band made history when ‘Janeman’ became the first Pakistani song to air on MTV; now another precedent has been set as Pakistan’s first animated, female super hero takes the stage. It is different because the secret identity goes undercover in a burka. It is controversial for the same reason. A school teacher by day, Jiya dons the invisibility cloak before setting out to conquer the world. A burka has been used here as a sy...

Published in the POST Aug 16, 2007 2011: All Pakistani/Foreign Music Channels have been removed from the local TV cable If, through some science fiction miracle, my past self happened to glance at the present, the me of the 90s would wonder why I tinker with the radio of an obviously non-functional music player in 2007. It is wiser not to let on that though we can carry 1,000 songs in our pocket, getting just one from the 'telly' is practically impossible. I am afraid the Taliban do not get credit for this though. No, the disappearance of English music from TV falls in the jurisdiction of the oft-cited cable provider's monopoly on this particular genre. Two articles on their antics are quite enough and hence, this is not a commentary on these folks. Still, before we go any further, PEMRA officials need to check what one particular distributor is up to in Karachi. Meanwhile, back in the future without any English videos/music to preview, one can still flip over to MT...

Old Old Piece Published In The POST, May 10, 2007 Update: Imran Khan's Karachi Jalsa (2011) turned to yesteryear's idols to liven up the proceedings.... 2014: JJ puts his foot in it by declaring women should not be allowed to drive. Time to Boycott his clothing. It is the 1980s. Sounds of music emanate from a garden where some youngsters strum a guitar to the amusement of a small captive audience of neighbourhood children perched on the wall, the best seats in the house . Some years pass; destiny fashions this unlikely albeit glamorous hobby into a career; a pop icon emerges with the phenomenon of Vital Signs , one of the most recognisable and well-loved hit songs of that time and a fan base ranging from admiring youth to stern-looking aunties. As the Signs rejuvenate Pakistani pop culture, their wholesome image and evident musical genius quickly establish them as a class act. Music flourishes despite the stifling media policies and good songs with great musicians...