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Jafri set some tongues rolling when he parted ways with Noori sometime in 2004, although amicably, at what would be considered the peak of their popularity. However, what really sent shockwaves much bigger than the ones sparked off by Jafri was the announcement earlier last year that Gumby was not going to be a part of the band anymore. For most, that signalled the end of Noori — what was a band without its backbone, the drummer? There is no doubt that no other drummer can complement the raw energy dominant in a Noori song the way Gumby can.

What's left is Ali Noor holding onto everything that Noori was, with precious little left to further it. Although Noor is immensely talented when it comes to making music that can stand on its own and yet cater to the masses, in this case, however, he just threw it all away.

Topping it all off was the announcement that his wife, Mandana Zaidi, would replace Gumby as a DJ artiste. Let alone having the weird notion of having a 'DJ artiste' replace the drummer in a pop-rock band, Mrs Ali Noor is not known to have the skills required of being a DJ. To put is simply, without Jafri and Gumby, Noori is the band that once was.

Not having quite recovered fully from the Noori-breakup, it was announced that Bryan Adams would be performing in Karachi, courtesy Shahzad Roy's Zindagi Trust. Following the announcement, people went ballistic over Shahzad Roy's cover of Sali. Does this show how much the person bringing an international celebrity to town can benefit from the latter's popularity?

One must thank Shahzad and the ARY Digital group for bringing Bryan to town; however with proceeds of everything related to the concert going to Zindagi Trust, it is no wonder that ARY doesn't air the show as much as would have been expected.

Around the same time, our television screens had been dominated by a hip-shaking singer called Annie, the self-titled 'Princess'. One thing that needs to be made clear is that Annie Princess (or should it be the other way round) cannot sing. However, she more than makes up for it in terms of the entertainment factor. Posing on the cover of her album with a tiara on her head, she removed any misconceptions present about who the real princess was. With a dearth of good female musicians that this country suffers from, she was welcomed with open arms by the masses. Despite her inability to sing properly, when compared against the likes of Rabi Peerzada and Abeer — two women for whom singing is tantamount to being criminal — she seems like godsend.

Award-fever hit every other television network in 2006. Needless to say that most of them were terrible — it seemed that every network out there wanted to establish themselves as the authority on giving out kudos without really investing time and money on exactly how they planned to do that.

In the midst of all this mayhem, an award function that did manage to stand out was The Musik Awards, or TMA. They were everything that an award function in Pakistan should be — well-organised, well-invested and with a jury that consisted of well-reputed music critics, producers, musicians and professionals — thereby setting a new standard for award ceremonies in Pakistan. Most importantly, they understood the importance of what an audience takes with them when they go home and keeping that in mind, they rolled out the mother of all surprises, a performance by the father of Pakistani pop, Alamgir.

One of the things to look out for in '07 would be an album by Zeb and Haniya, two talented singers who have already managed to amass a large fan following on the web and attract large audiences to their coffee-house performances in Lahore. With their track 'Chup' already a hit on radio, it's about time these ladies introduce their voices to the masses. They just might be the next big thing in female musicians after Hadiqa Kiyani

The comeback of Alamgir was significant in the sense that it was his first performance in Pakistan after a gap of about 15 years. He was one of the pioneers of establishing a pop-music industry in Pakistan and with the deterioration in free-media in the early '90s, had decided to quietly leave and never come back.

Along with the comeback of Alamgir was the coming-back of EMI, the international record label that had closed its doors to the Pakistani industry in 1998 because of rampant piracy. What further set tongues rolling was that their first client was the popular English-language band from Peshawar, Sajid and Zeeshan.

The Sajid and Zeeshan album had been eagerly awaited for two reasons, the first being that they were one of the very few desis who had managed to sing in English and make it sound right; and secondly, they had a very unique style of making music which fused the acoustic and lead guitar, keyboard, synthesisers and turntables all in one. With a reputed, international record label taking care of their much-wanted debut album, everything seemed to go in the right direction for these boys — till it was discovered that even a month after its official launch, the album was not available anywhere in Pakistan, save for a few chosen music stores in Karachi.

To put it simply, EMI seemed not to have the infrastructure needed for an effective distribution of an album in Pakistan. Besides a couple of interviews on radio and one television interview, nothing much was done to promote the album either. The Sajid and Zeeshan album reached their hometown, Peshawar, several months after its launch, giving ample time for frustrated fans and pirates to make illegal copies of the album — so much for fighting piracy.

Just when one thought all of this excitement was too much to handle, the Indus television network launched MTV Pakistan in place of the popular music channel, Indus Music. Sceptics didn't make much of it, labelling it as a revamped IM. One has to admit that where the VJs and the management is the same — save for one incredibly fresh and welcome face, VJ Mahirah — the channel did manage to look internationally acceptable. However; one is still waiting for that big bang, that extra 'oomph' that makes it more then just another branch of MTV.

Another little shocker this year was the signing up of Raeth by Universal India, making them Univeral's youngest clients. Whereas one is all for local talent expanding its horizons across the border, and they do look adorable holding those big guitars, what is baffling is the level of popularity they gained in India. Although their first single, Bhula Do has a somewhat catchy tune to it, the second single is nothing short of plain horrible. This goes to show that if a band can't attain an Atif Aslam-esque success in Pakistan, they just might in India.

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. The video, which was shot in Karachi, completely transforms the way the city looks and has a surprise appearance by Gumby driving a truck at the end of the video. It looked at musicians from a fresh angle and for once, did not have the drummer behind a drum set.

Other notable newcomers that need to mentioned is the band Seige —with their funky single Najaney kyon, they provide a whole new angle to pop music in Pakistan in the form of energetic singing and a funky beat— and Ali Khan, who might just succeed Ali Zafar as the the industry's blue-eyed boy. However, his songs have a much richer, heartfelt melody to them.

The band co-VEN also decided to debut on the tube last year as well. A band consisting of incredibly talented musicians in the form of Hamza Jafri, Sameer Ahmed and Sikandar Mufti, co-VEN has been around for almost 15 years. The songs that have managed to make it on air are all in English and have a somewhat grungy albeit mesmerising air to them. They are expected to release their album sometime early this year.

One of the things to look out for in '07 would be an album by Zeb and Haniya, two talented singers who have already managed to amass a large fan following on the web and attract large audiences to their coffee-house perfromances in Lahore. With their track Chup already a hit on radio, it's about time these ladies introduce their voices to the masses. They just might be the next big thing in female musicians after Hadiqa Kiyani.

The year 2006 closed with the launch of The Musik Records, the record label owned and operated by ARY Digital. And like all their events, they managed to create a bang in the music industry via the album launch of their first client, Aaroh. The title track of the album Raag Neela sees the band take a good laugh at them and it's good to see that there are some people out there who don't take themselves very seriously. Already having sold out its initial batch of CDs, the launch of Raag Neela was the perfect end to an eventful year.

A tour of Shah Rukh Khan's home in Pakistan

Some three years ago a group of writers, poets and journalists from different parts of India got together and decided to visit Pakistan on a private goodwill visit. They had a long-standing invitation from their counter parts across the border. They were over whelmed by the response and reception they received wherever they went. But the one subject that surfaced and dominated every meeting they had, every reception held in their honour was Hindi films. Their counter parts were aware of the latest developments in Mumbai and the latest positions of the stars. They wanted to know the most about Dilip Kumar who they said was still the most popular Indian in Pakistan, not only as an actor but as a man in whom people in Pakistan still saw hope of bringing the two countries together. They said he was as big or even bigger an icon as he was in India. Some closely associated friends and admirers of the icon from Karachi and Lahore even went to the extent of suggesting that the Indian Government considered sending Mr. Mohammed Yusuf Sarwar Khan (Dilip Kumar) as the Indian Ambassador to Pakistan or at least send him on a long goodwill visit to Pakistan and they believed almost all the problems between the two countries would be solved. The Indians were taken aback when some of the leading poets and artists went to the extent of ending every meeting or get together with a common request. "Give us Madhuri Dixit and we will give you Kashmir gladly", they said unanimously. The Indians had heard of the common man of Pakistan raising such slogans but were amazed at the way some of the hard core thinking community of Pakistan could think like them when it came to Hindi films, Dilip Kumar and specially Madhuri Dixit.

Now three years later another group of journalist were on a visit to what is still known as an hostile country, hostile towards each other during the last sixty years. This group was also confounded by the warm welcome they received wherever they went. They hardly had any chance to talk about reviving relations between the two warring countries because they did not feel the need to. They never felt they were in hostile country always ready to take up arms against its neighbour, India. They were given the feeling of being among neighbour and long lost friend. And this group too was flabbergasted by the way the people of a changing Pakistan showed their love, admiration and knowledge about Hindi film. They still had Dilip Kumar as top priority when it came to popularity down the year. They were aware all the young Khans who they knew were dominating the Hindi film scene. They seemed to take a rare kind of pride when they talk about the Khans. They unanimously sounded as if the Khans from India belonged to their clan. This time too the journalist from India were told that one visit by Dilip Kumar all over Pakistan was enough to solve the problem that all the wars fought could not. They were sure that everyone from President Pervez Musharraf, his family, his army, all the governor of the various states, all the artists and academicians and down to the common man were ardent admirer of Dilip Kumar and they were sure they would take every word he spoke seriously. When they were told that Dilip Kumar was not keeping good health, one of them spoke for all of them and said, "Ek ummeed thi, who bhi agar gayi toh kya rah jaayega" (there was one ray of hope and even if that ray threatens to fade what hope do we have?) and again it was the same old, "Give us Madhuri Dixit and we will give you Kashmir". They were told that Madhuri was a married woman and a mother two sons now and one of the poets spontaneously said, "Jo bhi ho, jaise bhi ho, Madhuri, tum Khuda ki kasam lajawab ho." The Indians were surprised by the magic of Madhuri in Pakistan and one of them just said, "Ghar ki murgi dal barabar" and there was amusement all over.

The Indians who were all under fifty were then taken by one big surprise. Some new found friends from Pakistan offered to take them to Peshawar on a rare pilgrimage. They were not told about the surprise getting for them. It was decided to go around Peshawar after eleven in the night. The Indians were not aware of what they were in for till they reached Peshawar. It was only when they were inside Peshawar that they were told that they were being taken around to see the ancestral homes of some of the greatest legend of Hindi films, Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Talat Mehmood, the singer, Madhubala and the modern day icon both in India and in Pakistan, Shah Rukh Khan.

They were first taken to the house where Shah Rukh's grand parents lived before partition. Shah Rukh's parents were Muslims from Peshawar who decided to move to India after partition and settled down in New Delhi in independent India. Their home is still as it was. Some distant relatives of Shah Rukh live there. They played perfect hosts to the Indian journalists and kept asking them all kinds of question about Shah Rukh. Their hearts swelled with pride every time the heard of some new achievements made by Shah Rukh. They said they always told Shah Rukh's father that his son would grow up to be a big man one day, a "Bada Sahab". They felt sorry that Shah Rukh parents did not live long to see Shah Rukh take his first steps to stardom. They made concerned inquiries about Shah Rukh's health. When they were asked about what they felt about Shah Rukh marrying a Hindu girl, Gauri, the eldest in the family said, "kya farak padta hai? aise to hum sab ek hai, ye jaat paat main hum bilkul nahi maante" (what difference does it make? Basically, we are all one. We don't believe in differences between castes and other such trivial things). It was a heart-warming visit for the Indians.

The next stop – the home of Dilip Kumar's parents. There was no one living there that night. But the Indians were told this home was the place where Yusuf (Dilip Kumar) and all his brothers and sisters were born. There father was a fruit-seller who was a large hearted man who never stopped his sons from leaving Pakistan and moving to India in such of greener pastures. The home in Peshawar now stands as a historic monument. There have been attempts to bring it down but the very mention of the name Dilip Kumar stops the authorities to take such a step because for many it is a very special place and maintained like that. The last time when Dilip Kumar and his begum, Saira Banu visited it, it was like a major festival. The people of Peshawar were celebrating the visit of the Shahenshah.

It was getting late but the next name excited the Indian journalists. They were being taken to the more than hundred and fifty year's old home of Basheshwarnath Kapoor, the father of Prithviraj Kapoor. Prthviraj was born in this home and so were his sons Raj, Shammi and Shashi. But Prithviraj who was crazy about theatre moved to Bombay with his three little sons. In Bombay he started Prithvi Theatre, his own theatre group which played a very key role in the struggle for independence. He worked as an actor in silent film and then grew into a major star with the coming of the talkie era. His sons followed in his footsteps and so did his grandsons and now his grandchildren. His setting out of that home in Peshawar was a stepping stone to the building of one of the most illustrious film family in India, a family without which the history of Hindi film will be incomplete. Raj Kapoor visited this home whenever he could and his sons, Randhir, Rishi and Rajiv during the making of R.K.'s "Henna". No Kapoor has visited the home after that visit but it stands as witness to the origins of a saga, a place which gave a man who was destined to build an empire.

The night kept growing as the group reached the home of Talat Mehmood. He had left Peshawar after partition and came to India to give dignity to singing in Hindi films. Some elderly men in the vicinity remembered the handsome young boy who sang very well. "Uske aawaz main dard bhi tha, mohabbat bhi thi, jaadu bhi tha", another elderly man remembered people in the area were proud of him and still mourn his death like they mourn someone in the family.

It was about four when the rare pilgrimage had reached the home where Madhubala, the most beautiful woman ever seen in Hindi films was born. It looks like a haunted house like a house standing in mourning for a number of years. The group stood outside the home and remembered her face and one of them came up with some of the most lilting songs sung by Madhubala and almost brought her alive.

The journalists came back home but have not forgotten those days in Pakistan and that memorable night in Peshawar. The think India should be thankful to Peshawar which has given India so much talent. They are sure some day the war between the countries will end and Hindi film and Hindi star will play a greater part in doing that than politicians and generals.

After a fantastic debut album, rock band EP has decided to call it a day. Instep investigates….

A few years and an album or two down…and another band bites the dust. That's the fate that almost every other band seems to undergo. They start out great, hit the charts and then poof, one day their gone. Vamoosed away into thin air.

In a music industry that's still at a jittery fledgling stage (albeit picking up tremendously), it does either make or break for our Pakistani artistes. The ruthlessness goes with the territory you see.
Calling the shots, EP recently announced the end of the Entity Paradigm honeymoon. Although the news had been doing the circuit, it was anticipated...EP's extended silence making it all the more palpable. Speaking to each member, the cloud of gloom and heartfelt loss was apparent. The question that everyone wants answered really is: what now?

Fawad

There had been a couple of misunderstandings but at the end of the day everyone felt comfortable with the decision to call it a day. EP was a joyride – all of us had a great deal of fun. Sure it does make me nostalgic at certain times but things had to take their natural course. At this point, I really don't think I could blame or be angry at anyone. It was fun while it lasted.

Currently I just finished shooting Shoaib Mansoor's Khuda Ke Liye, which is in its final stage so it should be out in about a month. I had one of the lead roles and it was something different, something that I enjoyed doing. I don't consider myself a 'model' because at the time I did a few commercials for the money. I needed to make my income more consistent. And people shouldn't be judgmental about that – if they don't want their musicians venturing out into other fields, invest more money in them so that they don't have to look elsewhere for work.

I've also been putting together my own recording studio, which I'm pretty excited about. I may even end up doing my own solo project, who knows but right now, I just want to leave it very open and spontaneous. I want to explore everything.

Ahmed

EP was a merger of two bands and we tried to make it work as far as we could. But there were seven of us, so that means seven different opinions. We had our differences and we tried. It worked at times but eventually it came to a point where too much was happening at the same time. I was pursuing my acting, Xulfi had Call, Fawad had his projects so everyone had a hand to play in the break-up and no one person can be pinpointed.
After a while it just wasn't a creative outlet for me anymore because it wasn't what it used to be four years ago. But come to think of it, it was better to have four good, solid years rather than staying together and continuously having disagreements.

I personally believe Jutt and Bond made EP. After a year of this sitcom,there was the Pepsi sponsored Battle of the Bands competition so people knew us. EP was a band of its own league and of course I'm bitter about the break-up, it was fun…the energy we had on stage was unmatchable.

Right now I'm working on my solo album, and Rubberband's album is due out in March. Not having EP anymore makes me really sad because our fans made it, they made us.

Xulfi

I have a pretty straightforward opinion about the whole thing. Basically, everyone wanted to do things in a different manner. For our second album, all of us wanted to do something collectively but on the other hand, no one could find time to jam. Everyone had their own commitments. Getting time together as a band was rare and towards the end we became less of friends and it became more professional, awkward and uncomfortable. EP was like my own child, that's why we named out first album Irtiqa meaning 'evolution'. It was continuously evolving. We, too, as a band, as its members were evolving.

I'm currently part of the band, Call, and we're doing a song for an Indian movie called Aik Challis Ki Last Local. It's a cross between a commercial and art movie and the entire movie has one song (which is ours), called, 'Lari Chutti' ('Lari' being train in Punjabi). I'm singing the song this time around and it's something very different, something definitely not 'Call-ish' – but more on the hip hop side.

Sajjad all set to wow music lovers with new album

Cricketer of the month - Ind/RSA special

Teeming with wholesome exclusivity

He arrived on to the scene with the extraordinary reputation of the solitary Kerala bowler in times gone by to have taken a hat-trick in Ranji Trophy cricket. He has already played an exceedingly imperative role in two substantial overseas Test victories in 2006 (5 wickets at Jamaica & 8 wickets at Jo'Burg).

In Indian cricket's recent past, there have been numerous young seamers who took the world by storm and subsequently couldn't endure the ruthless makeup of international cricket, particularly while playing abroad. On the other hand, with Sreesanth, the cricketing fraternity gets an absolute contrary portrait.

Even before the commencement of the momentous Test series in South Africa, renowned express bowler Allan Donald was quoted saying that he was a huge fan of the young seamer from Kerala. South Africa's foremost bowler to take 300 Test wickets felt that Sreesanth had one of the most truthful bowling actions in world cricket. Ex-cricketers started praising Sree for the mode in which he held the red cherry in his hand and in the course of action, the upright seam position.

Sreesanth to Nel: Take that! (AFP)

It was a matter of time before he got his rhythm going. He was constantly touted as a bowler who would generate enormous success on green tops. There was never any doubt in his skills. It was always a question of whether he could develop into a reliable wicket-taker for India and stay as injury-free as possible.