Ali Azmat vs Umair Jaswal: The duel shall decide the outcome
Tickets are available at Aghas, Butlers Chocolate Cafe, Nueplex Cinemas and Dunkin Donuts
KARACHI:
It isn’t often that the Pakistani audience gets to witness a face-off between two of their biggest rock stars.
Enter Soundclash Pakistan 2016 where former Junoon vocalist Ali Azmat will battle former Qayaas vocalist Umair Jaswal.
The two artists will entertain fans while settling their friendly rivalry for good on August 27 in Karachi. “What you will witness is a clash of generations,” Azmat told The Express Tribune.
At the concert, the two will lock horns to win the crowd’s favour in four rounds. At the end of each round, the winner will be decided with the help of a decibel metre measuring the loudness of the roaring attendees.
While both artists will perform their own as well as each other’s hits, they have also prepared a set list, which is still under the wraps. “Two rock acts taking the stage in front of each other. It’ll be very loud. I’ll be playing my own stuff, some old and some new music,” Jaswal said, adding that he is looking forward to a great night.
With musicians preferring to go solo, many reasons could be listed for the decline of the band culture in Pakistan. While some are just too insecure to share the limelight with their band mates, others find it hard to bring together a faithful group.
“I think Pakistan has always been lucky when it comes to solo singers and bands; we’ve always had a great pool of talent,” Azmat shared. “But yes compared to the late 80s and 90s, the growth of bands has declined and I am no expert to comment on the future of the industry as only time can tell that.”
Nonetheless, the country’s top rock icon added that he is always available to help and train new talent. “I come from a time when artists used to work very hard to make a name for themselves.” Drawing parallels between his time and that of artists like Jaswal, Azmat said, “This is the era that has provided young musicians with several platforms. It is up to them to keep the momentum.”
Jaswal, on the other hand, wants to be known as a versatile artist. For someone who wants to be equally known for their singing and acting abilities, Jaswal is not afraid of experimenting. “I enjoy performing live, whether it is acting or singing. I want to be known as an artist who is diverse. For me juggling between music and acting is a great mix and it keeps things interesting.”
While Azmat believes rock music does not have a bright future, Jaswal begs to differ. “Azmat believes the new generation cannot rock it out. Well, he’s in for a surprise,” Jaswal confidently stated. “Rock music has a bright future with so many upcoming super talented acts. I just hope they hang in there through rough times.”
Shouting out to his fans, Jaswal added, “Come prepared. Memorise your lyrics. Let’s make it the loudest night in the history of Pakistan!”
Rules of the game
The first round will see the in-house DJ play a famous song and each band perform a cover of it. The second round will feature one band play one of their hits and the other one take over the song in the middle, finishing it off in their signature style.
The third round will see the bands play their own songs in three different styles, whereas in the final round, each band will play one more song together, alongside an invited musician/special guest of their own choice.
Tickets are available at Aghas, Butlers Chocolate Cafe, Nueplex Cinemas and Dunkin Donuts.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2016.
It isn’t often that the Pakistani audience gets to witness a face-off between two of their biggest rock stars.
Enter Soundclash Pakistan 2016 where former Junoon vocalist Ali Azmat will battle former Qayaas vocalist Umair Jaswal.
The two artists will entertain fans while settling their friendly rivalry for good on August 27 in Karachi. “What you will witness is a clash of generations,” Azmat told The Express Tribune.
At the concert, the two will lock horns to win the crowd’s favour in four rounds. At the end of each round, the winner will be decided with the help of a decibel metre measuring the loudness of the roaring attendees.
While both artists will perform their own as well as each other’s hits, they have also prepared a set list, which is still under the wraps. “Two rock acts taking the stage in front of each other. It’ll be very loud. I’ll be playing my own stuff, some old and some new music,” Jaswal said, adding that he is looking forward to a great night.
With musicians preferring to go solo, many reasons could be listed for the decline of the band culture in Pakistan. While some are just too insecure to share the limelight with their band mates, others find it hard to bring together a faithful group.
“I think Pakistan has always been lucky when it comes to solo singers and bands; we’ve always had a great pool of talent,” Azmat shared. “But yes compared to the late 80s and 90s, the growth of bands has declined and I am no expert to comment on the future of the industry as only time can tell that.”
Nonetheless, the country’s top rock icon added that he is always available to help and train new talent. “I come from a time when artists used to work very hard to make a name for themselves.” Drawing parallels between his time and that of artists like Jaswal, Azmat said, “This is the era that has provided young musicians with several platforms. It is up to them to keep the momentum.”
Jaswal, on the other hand, wants to be known as a versatile artist. For someone who wants to be equally known for their singing and acting abilities, Jaswal is not afraid of experimenting. “I enjoy performing live, whether it is acting or singing. I want to be known as an artist who is diverse. For me juggling between music and acting is a great mix and it keeps things interesting.”
While Azmat believes rock music does not have a bright future, Jaswal begs to differ. “Azmat believes the new generation cannot rock it out. Well, he’s in for a surprise,” Jaswal confidently stated. “Rock music has a bright future with so many upcoming super talented acts. I just hope they hang in there through rough times.”
Shouting out to his fans, Jaswal added, “Come prepared. Memorise your lyrics. Let’s make it the loudest night in the history of Pakistan!”
Rules of the game
The first round will see the in-house DJ play a famous song and each band perform a cover of it. The second round will feature one band play one of their hits and the other one take over the song in the middle, finishing it off in their signature style.
The third round will see the bands play their own songs in three different styles, whereas in the final round, each band will play one more song together, alongside an invited musician/special guest of their own choice.
Tickets are available at Aghas, Butlers Chocolate Cafe, Nueplex Cinemas and Dunkin Donuts.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2016.