Hitched:
cousin and model-friend finally got nikka-fied. after months of whispered talks about there being a possibility of them getting married to media-industry friends coming up and confirming that yes indeed, they were going to get married at so-and-so date to pretending to not-know anything since one's own aunt had not yet issued formal statement to family-members about her daughter getting married to... it finally happening.

*pauses for breath*

and let me clarify this was just a nikkah. whereby the bride and groom are "formally" married. on pen and paper. the actual reception and wedding celebrations will take place later this year.
during the wedding preparations and meeting-the-grooms-family thing the following details were uncovered:

– model-friend's paternal grandmother and my paternal grandmother were childhood friends.
– model-friend's dad is very well acquainted with my paternal family and used to frequent the house during the "airport" days (when the family used to live near the airport).
– model-friend's cousin is mum's childhood friend.
– model-friend's cousin's wife provided mum with moral support while i was in surgery. and visited me with daughter quite often during my stay in the hospital.
– model friend's cousin was delivering her baby in the same hospital round the time i had my surgery and was staying in the room next to mine.

what we already knew:

– model friend and my older sister and brother-in-law are old school friends.
– model friend and i are also friends. <-- that bit sounds funny. the nikkah itself was quite nice. in order to further solidify model-friend's relationship with the family, both of my brother-in-laws were the official witnesses to it. model friend just couldn't stop laughing. and smiling everytime he looked up at people staring back at him. model friend is now officially BKB aka BK Bhai.

Ex:
met the ex this saturday. we sat and had a nice long chat and caught up with what was going on in each other's lives. yes, i have made him suffer for the past 2-3 years for breaking my heart. talking to him was surprisingly easy and yes, i still know him as well as i know the back of my hand. it seemed as though nothing much had changed, except the fact that i wasn't going nuts over him and i know that there is a life that extended beyond just... the ex.

which made me wonder afterwards: should i just give up being single and somewhat happy and just settle down with ex? but what if... i mean, i'm not as crazy about him and we're comfy and communicate well but... is that what i really want? secondly, do i have to settle down? perhaps the real question in my mind related to all of this is: if i dont get back with ex and settle down, will i ever find another person and settle down... like, ever? what if i dont find someone who wants me bad? will i be single for the rest of my life? <-- that doesn't sound so bad. conclusion: continue being single. period.

network gig project:
so i'm working on this project for this radio station where i have to organise small gigs in karachi, lahore, islamabad and peshawar and i've worked out 95% of the details. the bands in question are:

Aaroh
www.aaroh.net
photo credits: Fayyaz Ahmed
They have a classically trained and exceptionally gifted vocalist Farooq, one of the best bassist in the country Khalid Khan, a really good guitar player who was previously from the popular lahori underground band MindRiot, Haider Hashmi and a sweet ol drummer who is now getting famous for this occasional jazz gigs, Jason Anthony. Aaroh was one of the first bands to come out during the second Pakistani pop industry boom in 2002 and compared to the other bands which had also made their debut that year (Noori, Fuzon, EP) they're the only ones who have managed to survive with 90% of their original band still together.

hit singles: (from album number 1: Sawal) Sawal, Jalan, Jeeay, Na Kaho, (from album number 2: Raag Neela) Raag Neela, Pyaar ka Jaal, Yaara and the rocked-up abida parveen cover of Yaad Gadoli.


Abbas Ali Khan
www.abbasalikhan.com
photo courtesy of Google.com
Also classically trained, based in the capital and technically in the music business since he was in eight grade. Abbas Ali Khan made it big with his hit single in 2004 Sun Re which featured him donning some bling bling borrowed from Tariq Amin. he maintains a somewhat low profile and has a hand in the islamabad based firm, Mystic Media. his video for Malal which featured a vampire story also brought him acclaim for the video/song. the graphics were nicely done. he
released his album last year under the label of Indispensible Records, headed by Tariq Amin.

hit singles: Sun Re, Teri Yaad, Malal.


Aunty Disco Project
www.adpdiaries.blogspot.com
photo courtesy of ADP
one of the most popular currently-underground bands in Karachi, the Aunty Disco Project or ADP as they are known consist of Omar Akhtar on guitars and vocals. Omar, besides running the family business is also an RJ on CityFM89 and also writes their music reviews. Yasir on tarbuka, the sexy arabic drums played with enough expertise to make any woman do a belly dance. Yasir is a producer on Radio1FM91 and was previously a producer on CityFM89, his
CityFM89 related reportoire includes producing the hit show Cloud 89. The bass guitarist is a sweetheart who seems zoned out all the time. and the dummer carries himself with such sophistication and class that even while drumming he seems.... elegant.

what makes ADP stands out is their desi-rock music fused with the arabic tarbuka. anybody whose interested in local pakistani music as well as being a member of the industry knows who they are – their fame extends all the way to industry-insiders in lahore and islamabad as well.

they are currently working on their first video.
_____________________________________________________________
UPDATE: as of April 26, 2007
ADP will not be a part of this set due to radio station conflicts.
i am almost heartbroken.
________________________________________________________


Co-VEN
www.nira.rola.tv
photo credits: madeeha syed
Company of Vicious Earth Navigators (co-VEN) consists of Hamza Jafri (baby brother of Ali Jafri, ex-bassist of the band Noori), Sameer Ahmed (of Mekaal Hasan Band fame), Omran Shafique (also from the band Mauj, plays guitars for Ali Azmat as well) and Sikandar Mufti (also in Mauj). one of the more popular underground bands in lahore, they have been around for a little more then a decade but made it big on the tube with the videos of their sings "Third world
celebrity" and "Sailing fast". they have recenlty launched their second album, their first in pakistan, with a Volume 1 and Volume 2 CD in it.

they inhabit a more soft-rock, slight grungy kind of a sound. all of their songs are in english.

hit singles: boundries broken, third world celebrity, sailing fast.


Mauj
www.maujonline.com
screenshot courtesy of Babar Shaikh
they landed on the tube with their hit single "khush fehmi" with a video directed by pakistan's rockstar director, Babar Shaikh, a couple of years ago. they're back with a funky new video of the song "Pahelian" which features the band in a barber shop and with the members of the mafia surrounding them. the song is pretty cool to listen to and Omran's vocals, although not terribly amazing, are well suited for the music that this band makes. the line up, and the only names i know, consists of Omran Shafique on lead guitar and vocals and Sikandar Mufti on drums.

hit singles: Khush fehmi, Pahelian


Mekaal Hasan Band
www.mekaalhasanband.com
photo credit: Noxious@Flickr.com
what do you do when you bring together the best classical vocalist (Jawed Bashir) in the country along with the best flute player (Puppo), an incredibly cute and talented bassist (Sameer Ahmed) and one of the best lead guitarists/producers in the music industry (Mekaal Hasan)? you get the Mekaal Hasan Band. having performed a gazillion times around the country they fuze old classical tunes with a little bit of contemporary music and have one of the best live performances in the country.

hit singles: Rabba, Ya Ali, Sajan, Jhok Ranjhan, Andholan


Sarmad Ghafoor
photo courtesy of Google.com
a guitar maestro in his own right, sarmad was one of the founding members of the now-defunct band, Rung. he maintains a very low profile and is one of the nicest people you'd come accross in the industry. also he elicits great respect from a lot of musicians for both his guitar-playing skills and his good character. he plays guitars for Atif Aslam, played guitars on his first album as well along with all of the guitar solos and has his own studio in Islamabad where he produces upcoming artistes. the baby brother of Sajid Ghafoor from Sajd and Zeeshan, Sarmad is currently working on his solo album.


Sajid and Zeeshan
www.sajidandzeeshan.com
photo courtesy of ADP
The first band to come out with a hugely successful full-lenght album in english (previous attempts by bands such as Courdroy and Co-VEN have been made), their first hit single King of Self hit the airwaves sometime in 2004. They're musicians from peshawar and have also released the first fully animated music video in pakistan and are the first band to defy the conventional 5-member band line-up and perform live as a duo as well. their music is an eclectic mix of the rythem and lead guitar, keyboards, synthesiser, mouth organ, harmonica, turn tables and motion-sensor
sound distorter. with sajid ghafoor's unique vocals often bringing a comparison to those of Sting himself, i have said enough about this band for readers of this blog and of my published articles to do a phD in them.

hit singles: King of self, my happiness, freestyle dive, have to let go sometime, free and underestimated, deserts.


Zeb and Haniya
www.soundclick.com/zebandhaniya
photo credit: maryam rahman
another favorite. they have just finished recording their debut album, with a hint of bluesy music, which also features guitarist, shallum and drummer, gumby. their single "chup" made it big on radio and in the online world. they are two women with amazing vocals and are quite popular for their coffee-house performances in lahore and islamabad.
hit single: chup

________________________________________________________
UPDATE: as of April 26, 2007
Zeb and haniya have declined to do the gigs. yes, i'm terribly disappointed. because for an unsigned band they were getting a pretty good promotional deal + one mega concert in the end of july as well.

however, have just received a confirmation from... *drum roll*

Sahil
www.thesahilzone.com
quoting from my own article: "The year 2006 also saw some promising new arrivals in the shape of Sahil which seems like a well-developed, well-practised Paki-pop band. Sahil consists of Hasil (musician/producer who is currently under the patronage of Mekaal Hasan) and Salaar. The band hit it big with Umar Anwar’s directed video of their single, Dil Chahey"
source: Afterthought '06, forward to '07)
The band is immensely popular in Pakistan and i know a lot of my friends have been dying to get a piece of them :)

hit single: Dil chahey
________________________________________________________________

*phew*
all of those interested in recieving updates, please do contact me.
i will now go back to work.