Dino talks music

The VJ-turned-singer discusses his latest track and the self-discovery that came with it.

KARACHI:

The VJ, who made phrases like ‘dost scene on hay’ and ‘party on hay boy’ a part of the Pakistani youths’ everyday conversation, is back on the music front with his latest single “Jaan Lo”. Dino Ali’s latest offering is a love song, but the singer managed to highlight the fun side of love with his light voice and jazzy tunes. Additionally, the black and white video of the song adds to the experimental side of this song and unlike his previous videos, this one doesn’t show Ali singing to a pretty girl.

From mellow “Merey Liye” to jazzy “Jaan Lo”

“I make music for myself and those who appreciate my voice. Each of my previous songs was a step towards discovering my signature sound,” states Ali. The versatile artist, who is on a journey to find the ‘deeper meaning’, believes that he has finally found his voice with “Jaan Lo”. While talking about the feedback his work has received, Ali confessed that criticism from polished musicians like Ali Azmat, Najam Sheraz and Ali Zafar enabled him to improve the quality of his projects. He adds, “Shani Haider, who produced my latest music video, is the man who helped me find my sound in the soul/Motown/RnB genre.”

Evolution of Pakistani music with Indus Music

With the current turmoil our country is facing and the way news channels have taken over, Ali thinks it has become very hard for musicians to promote their songs. “Frankly speaking contemporary music channels in Pakistan only want to make money. Many music channels are following the Bollywood music plus Bollywood masala technique to increase demand.” However, Ali is still hopeful as he believes that, “The recent dependence on the internet has enabled artists to promote their music through portals like iTunes. Whether it’s the US, the UK or even the Asian market, music has become popular via the internet, so my advice to upcoming musicians is that the internet is definitely where it is at.” He adds, “I believe Indus Music was the best time for music, from the initial boom of new music and bands in 2002 to the last batch of talent in 2005 — these three years were the promotion that the musicians of Pakistan needed and I’m very lucky to have been a part of that.”

What the future holds

Ali states that, “After eight years of TV shows, radio programmes, one album, two long plays, four music videos and travelling the world, I needed a break.” Currently, he is doing a radio show on the Asian network, Buzz Asia, in London. When asked if he will be making more music, Ali states, “Considering the positive feedback “Jaan Lo” has received, I also have a few collaborations in mind.”

Do modern VJs have what it takes?

Ali believes that the new generation of VJs does not have the originality to gather a fan following for themselves. “I have met a couple of these new kids who want to be VJs for two reasons: The first is the easy money and secondly, is the fame. They seem to have no knowledge or respect for music and this isn’t going to take them far,” states Ali. According to the artist, the reason why most people thought VJs like Anoushey Ashraf and Faizan Haque were special, was because they had a ‘what you see is what you get’ attitude, something which, according to Ali, is lacking with the “new kids”.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2011.