Will Faakhir’s career be uplifted for good?

Singer talks about his album release and US/Canada tour.

KARACHI:

Singers Haroon Rashid and Faakhir Mehmood, along with guitarist Asad Ahmed, are known for bringing a relatively short but jubilant period in the history of Pakistani pop music with their band Awaz. Be it a classic like Diya Jalta Raha or the very patriotic Hai Jawan, most of their music still seems fresh despite the fact that it has been 15 years since they first came out. However, the band soon separated — Ahmed carried on with his passion for rock music whereas Haroon and Faakhir started their solo careers, with Faakhir being the clear winner between the two of them.

Last year, Faakhir did what most of his peers in the music industry would be reluctant to do — he released an entire music album. At a time when singles and videos are the major trends of the industry, he released his album Allah Karay along with a couple of videos which indicated his comeback but failed to leave a lasting impression on the audience.

“It has almost been a year and a half since the album released and the response has been overwhelming,” Faakhir tells The Express Tribune. “It has put me back on the map and connected me to my fans again through concerts worldwide.”

Faakhir’s second-last album, Mantra, took the audience by storm and sold like hot cakes in the market but his latest album did not create much of an impact and was slightly below the bar that he had set himself. “Although the dynamics of how music [albums] are sold and marketed have changed in a big way since Mantra came out, this album managed to garner attention from a lot of new fans,” he claims.



Faakhir, who like many others, may have been subdued due to the developing interest of audiences in international music, believes that releasing albums in the wake of uncontrollable digital piracy has made things really difficult for musicians. Also, the invasion of Bollywood music has virtually killed the Pakistani music industry that was once known for producing tons of original music albums and quality songs on a regular basis.

After a long and exciting tour of the US and Canada, Faakhir recently returned home happy with the amazing response he received. He elaborates on the importance of having tours in these times when making music has become economically unfeasible. “These concert tours act as life lines for us, especially in the absence of a royalty structure,” adds Faakhir. Although, it was his second tour in the North American region within two months, he seems more content with the one that took place in Toronto. “The concert in Toronto was a huge success and truly an unforgettable experience. I sang for over two hours in front of a packed audience of 10,000 people,” he shares.

His playlist also seems to have evolved with time. What was rather a welcome respite for him was that the organisers did not want him to sing any Indian songs and instead, sing his own creations. “I sang songs from all my solo albums — my Awaz albums and some Pakistani covers. However, the ones that really got the crowd going are Allah Karay, Mahi Ve, Tauba Hai, Dilruba, Sub Ton Soniye and Deewana, to name a few,” says Faakhir.

While his career may have just received an up thrust because of his latest album and back-to-back concerts, Faakhir’s stability as an artist is still very doubtful as many of his fans and contemporaries believe that he seems to be hanging on to a drowning ship. The important question is that in times when people are blown away by online sensations, will his career wrap up like his previous band member Haroon or will he keep on making short and sweet attempts like Ali Haider?

“That’s their [critics] problem. Everyone’s entitled to their opinions. I believe a class artist matures like fine wine and his music gets better and more soulful with time and experience,” he says.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 26^th, 2013.

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