Maestro turns novice: Faisal reflects on ‘Jaadu’, his very own record label and Strings split

Singer is excited to be part of the 'new wave' of Pakistani music

KARACHI:

Faisal Kapadia has had a personal renaissance and it isn’t fuelled by the discontinuation of Strings, but rather, the continuation of something else. Jaadu, his first solo single since he and Bilal Maqsood pulled the curtain on Strings, is the result of an epiphany he had during Coke Studio 14, when he and Young Stunners churned out the masterpiece that is Phir Milenge. The singer had planned on travelling the world and investing in stocks before venturing into the show, as per my last conversation with him. But tables turned as soon as he realised, he had so much more to offer, and learn.

Faisal’s Jaadu takes off with a simple melody that quickly enters a sonic territory that he hasn’t previously explored. He seems comfortable in this musical space, though. “Khwaab sa ye jahan, neela sa aasman yahan / or tu he tou hai, har taraf, dekhun mein jahan, jahan,” he sings in his deep, raspy voice. Only Faisal’s baritone can blend seamlessly with the bass, as well as the electronic beat that overlaps it. “Kehkashan, ke sitaray, sab tumhare, sab tumhare / Kehkashan ke nazare, sab pukaren, sab pukaren / Jaadu hai tumhara, mujhpe sara, tum jab saath ho,” Faisal croons in the chorus, channeling a chivalrous and poetic charm. 

I had hoped listening to Faisal outside the Strings continuum wouldn’t be as disarming. Yet, he proves every time that his voice can make any song better. Not to say that Jaadu is a substandard song. It is a cool pop disco ballad reminiscent of the modern 80s aesthetic popularized by the likes of The Weeknd. The love ditty is simply made special by its soundscape and Faisal’s vocal abilities that occupy a fogged but idiosyncratic production, courtesy of Ahsan Pervaiz Mehdi. With an upbeat melody and groovy bassline, Jaadu culminates into a killer bridge and concludes with the chorus, this time, slower and more isolated, only to be enhanced by harmonies that reinforce the message of the song. Jaadu is well thought out and it definitely isn’t a try-hard attempt at fitting in.

Reboot, not reinvention

While Phir Milenge marked the return of Faisal to the musical sphere, Jaadu marks his rebirth. He talks about this with me in a decisive retrospect. “I remember March 25, 2021, when Strings concluded. I was doing nothing and I had no desire to do anything. 33 years in music, after that, one doesn’t want anything more. But then Coke Studio happened,” the singer shared in conversation with The Express Tribune.

Faisal sat across from me, his face glowing from the completion of his latest project, alongside the launch of his baby, his very own record label – 29 Records. “With Strings, we were looking at things from a broader level. When I worked with Young Stunners and Xulfi, I went back into the system. And I found the music industry to be very exciting.” Faisal feels that the contemporary music scene is reminiscent of the transformative wave of the early ‘90s that saw the rise of numerous bands. He further acknowledges Jaadu as a new beginning, a reboot rather than a reinvention. “The phase that the music industry is going through right now reminds me of the early ‘90s when suddenly there was a change of guard. And Phir Milenge has given me a sneak peek into this new wave.”

For those itching to compare Jaadu to Faisal’s Strings catalogue, the singer maintains, “Strings tried to reinvent itself because it was an entity that was there for 30 years. I’m new. I don’t have to reinvent myself. Whatever Strings gave me, I don’t take it as an advantage to me because I’m completely new and for me, there’s a new audience out there. The music industry is completely different now. I don’t have any advantage of my past to get into the scene.”

The Yeh Hai Meri Kahani singer, however, will consciously avoid doing things that he’s already done with Strings for the sake of trying new things. “I’ve sung a variety of songs over 30 years but people still associate me with Zinda, Najanay Kyun and all the dark ballads I’ve done. I wanted to come out of that because I’m actually a very happy person. I just wanted a happy, feel-good song and I think Phir Milenge was a good bridge between me now and me from Strings. Strings was a seasoned band with a signature sound. We had a feel, a direction, and we tried not to deviate from that. Now, I can do whatever it is that feels good to me and my art.”

29 Records

Faisal has released Jaadu via 29 Records. When asked about his motivations and what he aims to achieve with the label, he said, “I’ve never been a record label owner so I wanted to release my music through this label first. I’ve to learn the tips and tricks and then apply them to the work of new and emerging artists.” The singer maintains that he hasn’t started the label to make money. “It is purely for the passion of music. With every release and every artist, I’ll be learning something and I’m just in a phase where I want to learn as well as use my experience of 30 years to help new talent.”

With Strings, Faisal and Bilal had worked with multiple labels, including EMI, Fire Records, and Sony BMG. And while that served as an advantage to them, many artists that surfaced in the late 2000s and 2010s were not presented with similar opportunities. In 2021, EMI Pakistan shared with The Express Tribune that it had finally decided to invest in new music. But while its extensive library reserves exclusive rights to the music of maestros, the company has often come under fire for relying on the licensing of previously copyrighted music and not investing in anything new.

When asked about inactive labels in Pakistan and the reason behind international labels finally investing in local artists – Sony having signed Taha G and allegedly Hasan Raheem, Universal having signed Asim Azhar and allegedly Kaifi Khalil – Faisal reflected, “Pakistan’s music industry has always been a success story. Even in our days, labels just functioned as distributors, because artists would make music, promote music and make music videos. But we just needed somebody that could manufacture physical copies of our work in the form of CDs and cassettes to distribute it. Labels then were not investing in an artist’s growth. And to be fair, 20 years back, I couldn’t have opened up a label myself because I didn’t have the infrastructure to manufacture physical copies and distribute. Now, because of streaming, it’s all become so easy.”

He further elaborated, “We’ve released albums through Sony. So, I have been talking to them regarding Pakistani music. I know it’s happening and it’s great to see that. I know Coke Studio has played a huge role because Pasoori became so big, followed by Kahani Suno, which wasn’t even part of Coke Studio. Even Abdul Hannan’s journey. These are amazing facts and figures and I’m glad that label companies are recognizing them. I think everybody’s playing some significant role. Even Spotify has played a huge role. If there were still those physical CDs and albums it would’ve still been very difficult for label companies to come in, have a plant here, have an existence. Because distribution is a hassle. Right now, because of streaming, you can do whatever. These are exciting times, and the label that I’m launching is going to play a very small role.”

Faisal highlighted that because he’s not looking to make money through his label, he’s not looking to sign artists. “I’m just planning to release music. I’m not buying any artist. I can just give new artists that inspire me, wings to fly. I have no ulterior motive to bind them. The label can offer monetary support. It will invest in the marketing and promotion of new artists. But it’s going to be a very slow journey. Not everybody can get Coke Studio or a big platform or OSTs. So, we can just try and give them [artists] some kind of a kickstart.”

Rewind back to Strings

Faisal held that he had never imagined Strings would part. “Even if you had asked me five years ago, I would say no, not anytime soon. But I’d like to thank God for imparting this wisdom upon me and Bilal, to know the right time to end things. That is also very important for a band. Strings could have become irrelevant in the way that bands like our childhood heroes, U2 and Aerosmith, are not. They exist but they don’t make new music anymore, they don’t need to. In the West, you have the liberty to tour for a quarter or six months, every two years. That’s because they are financially stable through touring fees, royalties and other record deals. Over here, we have to perform every week to sustain ourselves. That’s what we used to do as well. The past 20 years we had been performing every other week and that just exhausts you. Now Bilal and I are both in a place where we can sit back and try other things.”

The Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar crooner feels that the best part about Strings calling it quits is that it concluded without breaking up. “There wasn’t anything left unsaid, no regrets, just closure. I remember when we announced it, the minute I posted it from my account I cried for five hours. My wife was there to see me through it. Strings has always been my identity and it felt like I didn’t exist anymore. It was a conscious decision, yet I was devastated. Slowly it began sinking in that it was over. And since then, it’s just been about cherishing the moments. I’m glad it’s nothing but happy memories.”

Listen to 'Jaadu' here: 

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