How music helped Uzair Jaswal move on

Singer’s debut album ‘Na Bhulana’ is based on true events

KARACHI: Be it Ghalib’s poetry, Lera Lynn’s music or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, unrequited love has been the topic of many artistic creations. Perhaps, art helps us deal with conflicts and move on. Uzair Jaswal’s debut album Na Bhulana draws inspiration from a similar process.

Love, of course, is a timeless topic which has amused some and enthused many. But Jaswal did not choose it because of its timelessness. “It’s because Na Bhulana is based on true events. It’s inspired by the past eight to ten years of my life,” he told The Express Tribune. “It is about my life and all the people who came in and left.”

Released on December 28, 2016, the album includes 11 tracks. According to the singer, all songs have been based on various moments of his journey so far. “Each song talks about something that happened with me at a specific point in time.”



Jaswal doesn't mind being called a romantic person, for he strongly believes that a broken heart always helps you grow. “In that moment, it feels like the end of the world but as time passes, you see that there is life beyond that. You then start seeing things in a different light.” Asked whether the album was only about one person, Jaswal sheepishly said, “It could be.”

He has been singing since teenage and made Coke Studio debut in season five with Nindiya Ke Paar. However, Jaswal waited five years to release an album. “No one releases albums anymore. Even senior artists like Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam and everyone else. It’s just financially not feasible so I didn’t do it. But then, I thought I have to get my music out there so I did it regardless of what others were doing.”



Jaswal wanted to release Na Bhulana in 2016 so he could “move on” and focus on new beginnings in 2017. “I wanted to let it out, so now I’m working on a new album which has a completely different sound.”

Physical album copies are dead while digital releases aren’t something Pakistani musicians can rely on financially. “I was not concerned with making money when I released the album. In fact, I invested my own money to produce it,” he explained. “Our television and radio channels don't pay royalties when they should. Our record labels don’t function at all, so there’s no other way.”


Jaswal added that a musician, in Pakistan, has to do everything himself. “I bought writable CDs and burned them myself so I can distribute them through a campaign for free as no one actually buys CDs anymore. A musician has to manage himself and basically, act as a startup, when in fact, he should just be producing music.” The singer of the opinion that the Pakistani music industry direly needs a guilt to protect the rights of the artists.


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