The Good Life
Rahat, we don't love you that much

Rahat, we don't love you that much

A Rahat concert with poor management and sound left the audience wondering what they paid for...

Hashim Numani March 24, 2011

Organized by the Pakistan Youth Alliance in partnership with Miradore productions, ‘Rahat Fateh Ali khan plays for charity’ was an event most people (with big bucks in their pockets) were looking forward to.

The security at Serena Hotel was tight. As the clock struck eight, cars started pulling in carrying the made up, designer clad women and handsome men ready to enjoy a night out.

The event looked like a high class wedding more than a concert. There was a clear division between who had more money to spend and those who didn’t.

Witnessing Rahat Fateh Ali Khan perform was an exciting prospect for me, but before I could see him play live, an annoying singer named Shumaila had to be endured. Her voice was all over the place as she molested a Reshma number. After that, Rahat Fateh Ali took center stage and appreciated the crowd by saying:

“Thank you Islamabad, you are all good sunnay walay, I love you”

He started off with an Amir Khusro qawali Man kunto maula.

He had the crowd swaying with his sheer brilliance. But 2-3 songs into his set list, things started getting monotonous, the hall acoustics weren’t as vibrant as they should have been, high ends were too high, low ends were barely audible. People soon started going out to the lobby complaining that they "couldn’t understand a single word”.

The Rahat faithful though remained seated and enjoyed every bit of his set.

Songs from the great Nusrat Fateh Ali’s Pia ghar aya, Allah hoo, Halka suroor added to Rahat's performance. Did he do justice to them? Probably not as much as was expected but he still showed that he can move audiences with his voice.

A lot of foreigners were present who were swaying to the beat of the tabla. A Spanish doctor admired the efforts put in by the organisers. Shahzaib disagreed and felt that the management “sucked”. A teacher named Hina, who came to see the singer perform also complained that the management was very haphazard.

According to the organisers Rahat waived a huge chunk from his fee for the charity event - which was scheduled to be held in the middle of February but was postponed because the singer was busy taking care of some shady business across border.

The initiative was a positive one, but musically, the sound fell apart only to be saved by the brilliance that was Rahat Fateh Ali’s voice.

WRITTEN BY:
Hashim Numani A photo blogger who works for a Telecom company who loves to write and plays the guitar.

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (15)

Syed Asad Tirmizi | 13 years ago | Reply A mere waste of words. Seems more like a person aiming to settle a personal vendetta rather than someone with a genuine critique to bring out something better.

SAAZ | 13 years ago | Reply Its good to do positive criticism. But I believe its wrong just to do for the sake of criticism. Look at the very title of this post. "Rahat, we dont love you that much". If the blogger didnot love him that much he should have come to this charity fundraiser, which attracted top politicians, generals, diplomants in Pakistan under such security situation. And that too, to rebuild schools. Like said above, the sound engineer is the one who has 25 years of experience. He played with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Junoon. Now does every concert of RFAK and Atif Aslam almost. Yes, the donation tickets were expensive - as this was a fund raiser, not a fund-drainer. Rahat was so impressed by the ambients, sound, lights and management that he has requested the event management company to do another show on June 5th, which is happening in Islamabad. Check the HD video and side reel of the event > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxbAHDI...K1xk&feature=channelvideotitle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40i57JAG3-k&feature=related

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

Sheikh Shakeel Ahsan | 13 years ago | Reply I guess this dude didnt get the free pass:p

LPJ | 13 years ago | Reply I've organized fundraisers and charity concerts. Trust me, it is not easy to get things perfectly right when we are only students; the stages, the sound equipment, the sound crew, and then on the day of there are a billion things to do, and a billion things that don't go according to plan. Things never go perfect. People need to appreciate that. I don't know if the management was bad because I didn't go but too often people will get pissed off and the smallest errors and label it as "bad management". Especially with sounds, trust me sound is the HARDEST part of the whole event. At least people like us make the effort. Those who think it's not good enough should get off their couch, stop writing blogs about it, and do something themselves.

Oma | 13 years ago | Reply waste to read

Hassan | 13 years ago | Reply a good initiative/event/singer, not the sound thou . i hope to see more of them.

Susan Marie Public Relations | 13 years ago | Reply For me, it wasnt even about the entertainment, the focus is and was on education so desperately needed and the flood victims of Pakistan that still suffer. There is far too much negative in this world and far too many people who do not have the freedom to speak, let alone write. On my end, I WISH I could have been there no matter what occurred. it could have been one man with a guitar or a single person singing Solely to see people helping one another. As they should.

Khadeejah Usman | 13 years ago | Reply I had been to that concert and in actuality the event was not that bad as been portrayed by the writer. Some management glitches always happen at such big events but all in all there wasn't any major mishap at the venue. We should give full credit to PYA for taking the initiative and putting in their efforts for all the good causes they support. Coming to Rahat's singing I must say that I was highly impressed by his live singing as he sang continuously for three hours without any break and even at the last song he was equally melodious as he was at the first song. I was sitting quite a few rows back but I could understand each and every word of the song. So the point is that we should refrain from criticizing everything just for the sake of criticism

SAAZ | 13 years ago | Reply To add - The sound was from the best in Pakistan. The man who has been playing with NFAK too. The esteemed blogger has quoted organizers wrongly eventhough Rahat was acknowleged for waiving off his fees for the event on stage. Such shady reporting should be avoided. Rahat himself said he hasnt done a better concert, with perfect lights, stage and sound. The blogger seems to have the wrong sources, for quoting and unquoting. Solidarity,

SAAZ | 13 years ago | Reply LOL! We have received amazing feedback, in emails, facebook and hundreds of calls since the event ended. I dont know what audience was the esteemed blogger talking to. Also, RFAK waived off a considerable amount for this event and enough funds were raised to rebuild 02 schools. I dont know what organiners have you been talking to.

Rahul | 13 years ago | Reply @TightDhoti: Raids on whom, Singer or the Audience?

Mac Stuart | 13 years ago | Reply Rahat or any one else ......... no one can do justice with Nusrat,s song, so its silly to expect so and better to understand soon that "Voice From Heaven" was born only once

Fatima Fasih | 13 years ago | Reply I don't know what it is that our people want from organizations and the youth that actually go out of their way to do something good. No one spared Zohair Toru and his honest exclamations. Why would people spare PYA, despite the efforts they made for the flood victims and are continuing to do so world over? Such articles really make me sad. Don't we need to improve our image in the international society? Or do you want all the goras to live in their bullet-proof homes, to protect themselves from the 'war' on Pakistani streets? PYA just gave them a good time to be out there and to understand that our culture isn't just about surviving in a war zone. All I mean to say is that it is very easy for everyone to criticise. If it was an event like a fish market, you would criticize about how it was so dirty, crowded, sweaty and crammy. If it is posh, you mention the people "with big bucks". The point of the event was to get the cash to help those in need and all around the world, high-class fund-raising and charities target people that can spare bucks for the people that need it. Please, spare the people that do good work. Don't scare them off to sleep like the rest of the youth, which is resting, swallowed by their iPods, sheesha cafes and hot girlfriends or wealthy boyfriends.

Muslim Boy | 13 years ago | Reply Hashriani, rite on. xeejafied to tepu forever

TightDhoti | 13 years ago | Reply Ah yes, such venues are ripe for tax raids.

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ

Rahat, we don't love you that much

More by this writer

FOLLOW US