I want to shoot a music video in Pakistan: Jaafar Jackson

The 23-year-old talks about growing up with his uncle, the late Michael Jackson, and his experience in Pakistan

KARACHI: Jackson is a name synonymous with timeless music and exquisite dance moves. To, then, think that a son and protégé of the Jackson clan would make their way to Pakistan someday would be incredulous, right? Well, it was – up until last week.

Jaafar, the son of Jermaine Jackson and so, nephew to the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, was reported to be in Pakistan, as confirmed by his pictures on Twitter and Instagram. Scrambling to find ways to contact him, I stumbled upon a number and before day-end, was making my way to the address provided:  an imposing manor in a posh area of the city.

Photo: File

Ushered into the living room occupied by four men, I looked around. My eyes finally settled on the corner of the room, where sat the man of the hour himself, clad in all black with black sunglasses adding to his enigmatic aesthetic. Oozing subtle grace, Jaafar greeted me with that trademark Jackson smile and we began to talk.

Much like Michael, he is soft-spoken and far detached from what you would expect someone from the Jackson clan to be. “It (the attention because of the family name) was so normal to me growing up because that’s all I ever knew in my early and teenage years. Once I saw the love and support the world had for my family and realised the impact they had, it was incredibly inspiring,” says Jaafar.

The Jacksons kids have managed to maintain ties through many upheavals. “Having family gatherings at the Neverland Ranch growing up is something I’ll always remember. We would always be in the theatre and on the rides, having a lot of fun,” he recalls of a time when the estate wasn’t marred with controversy. The negative press is something that Jaafar avoids discussing, and for good reason.

Photo: File

His family name, however, is not all that Jaafar has to offer. The 23-year-old is chock-full of talent, something his father, Jermaine, made him realise. “I got into music at the age of 13. I was actually a golfer at first and got into music thanks to my father. He introduced me to his work and from then on, I kept practicing and collaborating with different producers and writers and taking it seriously. I actually created a whole album and released the song Got Me Singing too,” he says. The song currently boasts 5.29 million hits on YouTube.

Jermaine, who was 1/5^th of the iconic Jackson 5, handed his youngest son his own song to test the waters. “He actually gave me a Jackson 5 song, Touch, to practice and sing. He wanted to see if I could sing a whole song, and when I did, he saw potential in me and took me to the studio to teach me everything.”

Photo: Zeeshaan Shah, Omer Sheikh and Jaafar Jackson: File

Having such a successful father and an uncle who is widely considered the greatest music artist of all time must create a lot of pressure? “As far as trying to live up to the family name or what people might think is concerned, I never felt it. The only pressure I felt was figuring out what type of sound I was going to create - something that would make me different from my family,” states Jaafar. “I know I will always be compared because, of course, the name is so big. But I’m more focused on creating something that identifies with me, my sound, my melodies and my concepts.”

So, what brings Jaafar to Pakistan? He admits that had never been to this part of the world before. Sitting across from us in the same room is his childhood friend from Los Angeles, Omer Sheikh, who is indirectly responsible for the visit.  “I’d always been interested in coming here and learning about the culture. So, when the opportunity presented itself, we made it happen within weeks!” he says excitedly.

Photo: Jaafar and Zeeshaan: File

In the days that he’s been here, Jaafar has made his way from Islamabad to Lahore and finally Karachi. “Exploring the cities here and trying all the different types of food has been exciting. Each city has such a distinctly different feel to it. Islamabad is quieter while Lahore and Karachi are big cities so a bit like LA which I’m used to. But I’d say Lahore has been my favourite!”

In fact, Pakistan seems to have managed to strike a chord with Jaafar, so much so that he is planning to make it a part of his music. “I was introduced to a lot of beautiful scenery, some of which I haven’t been able to see but the pictures were incredible so I have ideas of shooting a music video here,” he reveals.  “I would really like to come back and see the parts I haven’t seen yet and educate more people back home about this side of the world."

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