"You fall in love with the lyrics"

By Azera Rahman - IANS/Telugu Portal - Hyderabad,Andhra Pradesh,India

Monday, December 25, 2006

Its passé to invite a local rock band to perform in the college festivals of Indian universities these days. If you want the fest to rock, invite one of the Pakistani bands.

Music, as they say, transcends barriers. Probably this is why, despite all the political war of words and the booing on the cricket field, there's no stopping a young Indian fan from head-banging to a Pakistani musician's tunes on the stage.

When Goher Mumtaz of the rock band Jal, sings "Ab to aadat si ho gayi hai" in one of Delhi University's college fests, the entire campus croons along.

Whether it's the simplicity of the lyrics or the youthfulness of the sound, their music appeals to the Indian ear immensely. Most of these bands, be it Jal, Junoon or Strings, play soft rock with a hint of Sufi, a genre of music fast becoming a craze in India.

"You fall in love with the lyrics of their songs which are so meaningful, unlike most of the Bollywood numbers these days. And, the music is a mix of Sufi and rock. What else could you ask for?" remarks Rima, a die-hard fan of Jal.

Cashing in on this trend, Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt readily bought one of Jal's compositions, "Woh Lamhey", and used it in his movie "Zeher". The song became a top chartbuster in no time.

The fact that Jal was booked for live concerts for two whole months, covering 11 cities and 21 shows, testifies their immense popularity among the country's youth. When the band came to Delhi University to perform at Hindu College's fest Mecca and Gargi College's Reverie, they invited jam-packed auditoriums and a roaring crowd.

Jal and Strings got an amazing response when they went down south to perform at Unmad, the fest of Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIM-B).They also went to Hyderabad in September to sing at the Chaithanya Bharahi Institute of Technology's (CBIT) biennial fest, Carpe Diem.

"They were the highlight of the fest this year and very rightfully so. Their music is awesome!" Shuaib, a second year student of CBIT, told IANS.

Awaiting them this year are the girls of Janki Devi Memorial College in Delhi who simply can't have enough of their music. Says Mukuta Sharma, a student: "Their songs are simply the best. Although I have downloaded all their numbers on my PC, I can't wait to hear them live!"

Says Farhan, the lead vocalist of Jal: "Being a Pakistani band, coming to India and not just performing but also being popular and sought after is a dream come true."

It's never easy rooting for Pakistan anywhere in India. But when Faizal, the lead vocalist of Strings, sings "Main teri tu mera jaane saara Hindustan", the already charmed audience screams back the same with "Pakistan" at the end!

So is love for their music the only factor for this new culture of inviting them to all the college fests?"No. Another important factor is the college budget which is becoming fatter every year," says Smita Mitra, media coordinator of Janki Devi Memorial College.

For a well-organised college fest, the budget could be anything between Rs.300,00 to Rs.1.2 million. So while innumerable rounds of peace talks continue to be held between the two countries, these young musical ambassadors from across the border have long come and bridged the gap with their music.