Yasir and Jawad to lose vocalist
After pleasing audiences with his soothing renditions of classic Pashto poetry, Wali Orakzai, the vocalist of Yasir and Jawad, has left to join the PMA (Pakistan Military Academy). The band, Yasir and Jawad, came into the limelight with “Uth Records” as the trio astounded the audience with a combination of Pashto folk rhythms and western beats, in the second episode of the venture.
The band comprised of Wali Orakzai on the vocals , Yasir on the traditional rabab and Jawad on the guitar. Their track “Reidi Gul” went viral soon after its release. Now the band will be losing their vocalist, but they don’t call it a break-up.
“I am joining the Pakistan Military Academy because, first I have to think of my future, and then about music,” Wali told The Express Tribune.
When asked about whether his career in music ends with PMA, Orakzai smiled and replied: “Of course I will sing songs. It will just be a short break till I get my future together. First let me start my course at the PMA, and then I’ll think about music.”
Despite Wali’s commitment to the armed forces, the band hasn’t called it a day and are working around Wali’s schedule so that nothing gets affected.
“While Wali will be at military school, we will record all the instruments and leave his parts. As soon as he gets a break, he will come and record his vocals,” Jawad explained.
However, the band will have to find an alternative for live shows and Jawad believes that it is not an easy job at all. “We are worried about live shows because only Wali could sing in the high pitch we require, and his command on Pashto diction is phenomenal. The search for a session vocalist will be difficult.”
Their debut album is in the recording phase, and it will take them around eight to nine months to get it ready before they look for a record label.
“The album will comprise of around eight songs, six being renditions of Ghani Khan’s poems, and are thus in Pashto. Apart from that, there will be two English singles that I’ll sing,” said Jawad.
It was the early nineties when musicians like Salman Ahmed and Najam Sheraz left their mainstream professions for music, but it is quite the contrary for this band. Yasir and Jawad made quite a statement when they came up with a bearded vocalist from Orakzai Agency who sang about peace and love .They don’t strike one as a one-hit wonder like many other bands in the past, but all eyes are fixed on their next song which they plan to release along with a video.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2011.
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