Industry insiders hopeful for revival of Lahore's music scene
Lahore once used to be the hub for music composing but those times have sadly gone
LAHORE:
Lahore's music industry has been in crisis for some time now. The past few years have been on a downward spiral for studio owners, music composers and singers, partially due to various issues plaguing the film industry. However, recent developments appear to be improving the market gradually.
2018 has witnessed a plethora of singers, both junior and senior, producing quality work. The churning out of back-to-back songs for Independence Day and Eidul Azha this month, has raised expectations for the city's technical experts and studio owners who remain satisfied and hopeful for a fruitful year.
Artists such as Waris Baig, Shabnam Majeed, Nadeem Abbas, Amir Sami, Nasir Beraj Mahdi and Zeerak Khan belted out patriotic songs for August 14. Whereas, Humaira Arshad, Rabi Peerzada, Anwar Rafi and Naseebo Lal are in the process of recording their tracks for Eidul Azha.
Lahore's music studios are reportedly making good business too, courtesy the inflow of artists who are composing and recording their own music videos.
Lahore was once considered the hub for music composing. While this is unfortunately not true anymore, studio owners have been rigorously trying their part to keep their workplaces operational. Talking to The Express Tribune, they expressed happiness over improving conditions in the music industry, which means comparatively better business for them.
“There was a time when music companies and studios were flooded with people and it is very depressing to see only a few studios left open within our nation, especially Lahore. I appreciate that they closed their businesses down due to the crisis, however, they left no hope," said lyricist Altaf Bajwa.
He continued, "The crisis within the film industry was worse than that of the music field and it is heartwarming to see its revival. Similarly, I am hopeful for the music scene to flourish and reach its peak in the coming years."
Bajwa believes it is the responsibility of the government to take notice of the situation and carry out necessary action for the betterment of the industry.
Ahead of Independence Day this year, Baig and Abbas released music videos, which quickly gained popularity. Now, they are working on more music for Eidul Azha. In terms of financial relief, this has been extremely helpful for studio owners who kept their businesses open despite of the dying music industry. Keeping in mind the famous saying, 'patience is a virtue', they are finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. “For years we have not been getting much work. This year around, two big celebrations have come within the same month, with many big artists contacting us for the release of their songs, which means good business for us," said music composer and director Raza Shah, who owns Sargam Studios in Lahore.
He continued, "It's true that, a decade ago, our work was booming after which we quickly saw a crisis. Signers within Lahore went silent, avoiding the release of songs. However, we chose not to shut our studio down, in the hope that we will see that golden era again. Some famous artists did keep in touch though, namely Lal and Rafi who were regular visitors, so I am honoured to be able to record their songs once again."
Shah went on to express that it was disheartening for them to see the music circuit suffering, more so as they saw the revival of the film and TV industries but no one seemed to care for their field.
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Lahore's music industry has been in crisis for some time now. The past few years have been on a downward spiral for studio owners, music composers and singers, partially due to various issues plaguing the film industry. However, recent developments appear to be improving the market gradually.
2018 has witnessed a plethora of singers, both junior and senior, producing quality work. The churning out of back-to-back songs for Independence Day and Eidul Azha this month, has raised expectations for the city's technical experts and studio owners who remain satisfied and hopeful for a fruitful year.
Artists such as Waris Baig, Shabnam Majeed, Nadeem Abbas, Amir Sami, Nasir Beraj Mahdi and Zeerak Khan belted out patriotic songs for August 14. Whereas, Humaira Arshad, Rabi Peerzada, Anwar Rafi and Naseebo Lal are in the process of recording their tracks for Eidul Azha.
Lahore's music studios are reportedly making good business too, courtesy the inflow of artists who are composing and recording their own music videos.
Lahore was once considered the hub for music composing. While this is unfortunately not true anymore, studio owners have been rigorously trying their part to keep their workplaces operational. Talking to The Express Tribune, they expressed happiness over improving conditions in the music industry, which means comparatively better business for them.
“There was a time when music companies and studios were flooded with people and it is very depressing to see only a few studios left open within our nation, especially Lahore. I appreciate that they closed their businesses down due to the crisis, however, they left no hope," said lyricist Altaf Bajwa.
He continued, "The crisis within the film industry was worse than that of the music field and it is heartwarming to see its revival. Similarly, I am hopeful for the music scene to flourish and reach its peak in the coming years."
Bajwa believes it is the responsibility of the government to take notice of the situation and carry out necessary action for the betterment of the industry.
Ahead of Independence Day this year, Baig and Abbas released music videos, which quickly gained popularity. Now, they are working on more music for Eidul Azha. In terms of financial relief, this has been extremely helpful for studio owners who kept their businesses open despite of the dying music industry. Keeping in mind the famous saying, 'patience is a virtue', they are finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. “For years we have not been getting much work. This year around, two big celebrations have come within the same month, with many big artists contacting us for the release of their songs, which means good business for us," said music composer and director Raza Shah, who owns Sargam Studios in Lahore.
He continued, "It's true that, a decade ago, our work was booming after which we quickly saw a crisis. Signers within Lahore went silent, avoiding the release of songs. However, we chose not to shut our studio down, in the hope that we will see that golden era again. Some famous artists did keep in touch though, namely Lal and Rafi who were regular visitors, so I am honoured to be able to record their songs once again."
Shah went on to express that it was disheartening for them to see the music circuit suffering, more so as they saw the revival of the film and TV industries but no one seemed to care for their field.
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