Bringing back the band culture

Furqan and Imran set to release second single ‘Piya Re’, featuring Mathira, to pay homage to Adnan Sami Khan

KARACHI: In an era where the Pakistani music scene at large is nearly non-existent, the willpower and determination shown by the ‘less famous’ underground musicians continues to breathe life into the industry. Amid the prevailing despair and uncertainty, these musicians knowingly opt for the thorny path in hopes of fulfilling their dream of creating a sound that reflects their uniqueness. With this dream in sight, Furqan Tunio and Imran Butt formed their band Furqan and Imran in 2013 but stopped playing following the demise of key band member Qaisar Zaidi. After a year-long hiatus, they are back with the single ‘Piya Re’, featuring Mathira, as a tribute to Adnan Sami Khan.

“Qaisar was our brother and his death left us all in deep shock. We did not want to continue as every jam session reminded us of him. However, we found our strength after six months and started working on ‘Piya Re’,” Tunio told The Express Tribune. The band features Butt on vocals, Tunio on guitars, Waqar Zaidi on drums and Syed Anas Imtiaz on rhythm guitars.



Mathira, who shot to fame through late-night show Love Indicator, expressed her excitement about working with the band. “When the band approached me with their song, I just couldn’t say no. They had talent and were extremely passionate. Also, it is a tribute to the great Adnan Sami Khan, which makes it all the more special,” she said.

Although Mathira’s vocal prowess is debatable, the melodious composition of ‘Piya Re’, paired with the eccentric sound of the guitars, complements the vocals to give a soothing blend of music from a band, still discovering its distinctive sound. Terming Sami one of the greatest musicians in Pakistan’s history, Butt said, “He has been a source of inspiration to many budding musicians, including us, and we wanted to do something, which was a fusion of our own composition and one of his [Sami’s] greatest works, ‘Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Main’.”

On why they chose Mathira over other vocalists, Tunio explained, “She is a big name in the industry and is highly passionate about getting into the music industry. Plus, she has a pretty decent voice.” He added, “The best thing about her was that she was cooperative and willing to record a song with us that, understandably, many had declined when approached.”



The band released their first single ‘Main Jeeliya’ as the OST for Saife Hassan’s television serial Ru Baru in January last year. Since then, they have done various gigs in Karachi. Citing Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Junoon and Led Zeppelin as their biggest influences, the band shared they are currently recording their next single and aspire to leave their mark in the industry for years to come. “All we want is to be remembered as musicians. We want to be remembered as people who contributed positively to the industry and helped it during its difficult times. That’s all,” said Tunio.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th,  2015.

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