American jazz group to perform with Fuzon

Group will perform a "friendship song" being co-composed by Ari Roland and Fuzon.

KARACHI: The Ari Roland Jazz Quartet (ARJQ), a sound and a name not just well recognised on the streets of New York but all over the US, have returned to Pakistan and intend to perform alongside popular Pakistani band, Fuzon.

The group announced that they would perform at two concerts over the next five days in the city at a press conference held at the Avari Towers on Thursday.

The band, tied together by similar melodious interests, consists of four members including Ari Roland on double bass, Chris Byars on tenor saxophone, Zaid Nasseer on alto saxophone alongside Keith Balla on drums.

Ari Roland last performed in Pakistan back in 2009. Banking on their experience from their last trip made their decision to return easy. “Pakistani music is beautiful, we may not understand the words, but we can always tell when something is well done,” continued Roland, whose dedication to Jazz music directs him to encourage International Jazz programs consisting of young artists from across the world.

Their decision to pair with Fuzon was due music reasons, “Although there may be a language barrier, but when we are playing music together we are transformed into brothers and sisters,” explained Roland. This also means that the group needs to learn the new songs quickly “we are learning Fuzon’s songs,” they said.

As a part of the US mission in Pakistan, artists from across the US are encouraged to travel to Pakistan to gain a greater understanding of its people and vice versa.

Fuzon and the ARJQ are currently working towards a friendship song in what is considered to be a step forward in order to weaken the barrier between their styles of music. Fuzon has created the music and lyrics, for this “friendship song”, while the musical arrangements will be the result of a collaboration between the two resulting in a meld of eastern and western musical composition.

Roland went on to mention the success of a famous Pakistani song “Dil Dil Pakistan”
in New York. “It is always welcomed, and it tends to receive a positive response from the audience”