Thank you for the music

With hundreds of comments rolling in on music discussion forums as the news of their joint venture broke online in May, Strings and Atif Aslam’s song “Ab Khud Hei Kuch Kerna Parega” and its video is eagerly awaited by their fans.

On the top of a sixteen-floor, high-rise building in Karachi, the shooting of the video was scheduled to begin with Jami as the director.

Speaking to The Express Tribune before the start of the shoot, Atif Aslam said, “Definitely, I am very excited about it.”

Faisal Kapadia, lead singer of Strings, added, “Yes, excitement is there because a collaboration of two is there. That makes it all the more exciting.”

The theme of “Ab Khud Hei Kuch Kerna Parega” underlines the dark reality that the country is facing. With political force, its apathy to deal with the decaying political situation in Pakistan and unstable security conditions, the song itself is an inspiration to deal with ongoing troubles.

With motivational lyrics, the song is meant to bring  positive energy to the young crowd, to stand up for themselves and do something about the ongoing situation.

All three artists appeared in black outfits to match the theme of their video’s second part of the shoot. According to Bilal Maqsood, lead guitarist of Strings, the choice of black was to give a broader perspective and a complete picture of what musicians feel as they invite the youth to take action against social and political instability.

With Strings’ videos shot in unconventional locations like deserts and railway stations, the roof top of a partly constructed building was not a matter of mere choice. Jami, who has also directed Strings’ video for “Duur”, wanted to capture a broader view of the city. Absar, first assistant to Jami, told The Express Tribune, “We wanted to stand atop a high-rise building, from where we could see the city in the backdrop to give a complete picture to the concept.”

After a series of retakes, the shoot completed as the sun began to set. Meant for a timely cause, the artists hope it brings the same inspiration among the audience that the musicians have tried to capture through their audio and video, alike.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2010.