The band members visited schools in the US to educate underprivileged children about Pakistan and its culture. PHOTO: PUBLICITY
LAHORE: While the Pakistani music scene has been on a roll lately, what has not changed much is the number of live gigs happening. Concerts have diminished, with musicians often citing security issues as a vital concern. Nevertheless, given their popularity, some solo artists and bands have been touring and performing regularly. One of those few bands is Fuzon, which performed in the US in late August.
The week-long tour saw the band perform in front of a diverse group of people and visit schools to educate underprivileged children about Pakistan and its culture.
“It was unbelievable. The energy and the atmosphere is so different in Los Angeles than other cities in the US. The pace is different,” Fuzon guitarist Shallum Xavier told The Express Tribune. “We visited the children and showed them our culture and music. Initially, they were surprised and fascinated by us having long hair and beards,” he quipped.
Xavier and his band mate Imran Momina, commonly known as Emu, performed their hits for the students and made them sing along. “It was a great experience. We played songs such as Akhiyan and Deewane and made them sing with us. Despite the fact that many Pakistanis live in the US, these children have only heard negative news about Pakistan. So it was an interesting and different experience for them,” shared Emu.
Interestingly, one of the days saw Fuzon collaborating with qawwal Fareed Ayaz to perform in front of 2,000 music enthusiasts. “The response was great! It was a huge place and the energy was amazing. One thing that happens when you perform abroad is that the management is always on point,” stated Emu. He mentioned that band vocalist Khurram Iqbal’s performance was particularly praised by the audience.
Emu disclosed the attendees had a great time because there were no communication barriers between them and the musicians. Echoing the sentiment, Xavier added, “Mostly, Pakistani artists who perform abroad are folk artists so there is a lot of communication problem. I feel that contributes to some under-representation of Pakistan in a way.” He added, “Thankfully, we didn’t have that issue and we were able to communicate with them freely.”
Suggesting a solution to the problem, Xavier suggested the government should send interpreters alongside folk artists to help them communicate with people in different countries. He further urged the government to allocate funds for organising and promoting musical events in the country, and keeping the exchange of artists regular.
Fuzon is set to embark on another tour to Chicago, New York and Austin later this month. The band is also looking to complete its fourth album, in the meantime.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2016.
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