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The News International: Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister
Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister
By Huma Imtiaz
A prominent monthly magazine two years ago published a pull out poster with the who’s who of the Pakistani music industry. One of the striking features of the poster was that amidst an odd 50 musicians, only one was female i.e. Hadiqa Kiyani. Perhaps the word to use here would not be striking, but rather alarming; 60 years down the road, and we have yet to boast of a proper group of female musicians?
To an outsider, that would be a warning sign, but to members of the music fraternity, it was nothing unusual. Stereotypes, social pressures and lack of music training schools have all contributed to the fact that there was no successor to Nazia Hasan, Runa Laila and even Hadiqa Kiyani.
But that was 2004, and things are a-changing. Thanks to the internet and the smattering of restaurants/hangouts where musicians can jam cropping up in metropolitans, there has been an outburst of talent from the XX chromosome-d population. Instep profiles the pick of this new crop…
Annie
Genre: Pop
Claim To Fame: The way she moves
Annie came into the limelight with her single ‘Mahiya’. She appeared to be a one hit wonder, but thanks to the heavy airplay the video got, Annie has been embedded in the minds of Generation X. A mediocre album, and a new look in her latest video ‘Princess’ later, she seems to have carved a permanent place for herself. She does have the looks and persona to be the desi Britney Spears, who is also Annie’s role model. Her debut album Princess is (at best) a mediocre effort but the success of ‘Mahiya’ has made people buy her album regardless. The only way Annie will make the journey from forgettable to unforgettable is if she works on her vocals and more importantly, her music.
Verdict: Annie has attracted the attention of the masses, with an average song like Mahiya. However, if she wants to sustain her position, she had better take some vocal lessons, and fast. Annie also needs to start performing live – performing on DAT will not bring audiences at her feet, especially since the ability to perform live makes up a huge part of any musical career.
Rubya Chaudhry
Genre: Alternative
Claim to Fame: Actress/Model
Rubya Chaudhry has made her mark as a model, VJ and TV actress, but she first came to my attention when she performed on the Rola single ‘Mujhe Yahan Se Utha Ke Wahan Rakh Do’, where her voice takes on a tone reminiscent of the burning revenge of Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. While Rubya’s forte seems to be modeling and acting, she is a permanent member of Uns Mufti’s brainchild Rola, and according to Uns, is featured on a number of songs in the album. She’s also been singing in Urdu, which gives her a wider audience, and has steered clear of cover songs and two minute performances at award and ‘cultural’ shows. The Rola album is due to be released sometime this year, so fans and foes alike have to reserve judgment till then.
Verdict: This multitalented woman has the potential to go a long long way – she’s sexy and smart, and most importantly, has a voice that is unforgettable!
Remember a music video that aired sometime back on local music channels? A woman, in long dyed hair, screaming on the top of her lungs, trying to attract the attention of the men encircling her on motorcycles? Remember the sight of Abeer head banging that made one want to slice their own necks?
Abeer
Genre: Don’t know, couldn’t care.
Claim to fame: Horrendous vocals, eardrum shattering music
Remember a music video that aired sometime back on local music channels? A woman, in long dyed hair, screaming on the top of her lungs, trying to attract the attention of the men encircling her on motorcycles? Remember the sight of Abeer head banging that made one want to slice their own necks?
Verdict: If you still remember it, please contact the directors of Men in Black to gift you with a memory erasing gizmo, and delete all memories of Abeer from your mind.
Sandra
Genre: Pop
Claim to Fame: Thumkas and jhumkas
Sandra is Pakistan’s answer to the dancing queens seen in remix videos from across the border. While her musical talents are below average, her dance moves can give Shakira and Jennifer Lopez a run for their money. This Pathan singer again burst on to the scene with her video ‘Jaan – e Jaan’ on the local music channels, and since then she has been seen performing on various award shows. While Pakistan is in dire need of someone who can shake their booty ala Beyonce, Sandra ends up looking tawdry, instead of classy like Shakira. Perhaps if a good stylist such as Nabila or Tariq Amin took her under their wing, she might end up surprising the nation.
Verdict: Great moves, no voice.
Rabi Pirzada
Genre: Punjabi Pop
Claim to Fame: Making out with the mike
Originally from Lahore, this 20 something has been making definite ripples in the music scene with her mediocre sound and bubbly looks. It’s not that Rabi is anything to write home about – it’s just that sexuality has never been so overt in our female musicians. An album and a couple of low budget videos under her belt, Rabi desperately needs a makeover. Her look is OTT. She sings in Urdu and Punjabi, and adds a couple of English lines here and there perhaps to stay in touch with Bombay Rockers or closer
to home Annie. Her latest musical effort ‘Mujhay Ishq Nay Mara Hay’ is very pedestrian but the real success of the song lies in the way Rabi moves, struts her stuff and thrusts her ample assets. So if she can’t sing and is no style icon, what makes this girl tick? Her stage presence is full of energy and that makes her popular among the channel show audiences. Think Komal with tighter clothes… ba ba boom!
Verdict: Rabi is average at best. The desperate dearth of female singers is responsible for making her big enough to get decent coverage. That said, being bubbly and bootylicious and having a stage presence may just ensure she’s here to stay.
Arooj Aftab
Genre: Independent Pop Based on Contemporary/World Vocal Technique
Claim to Fame: Cover of Aamir Zaki’s Mera Pyaar
The song ‘Mera Pyaar’ by Aamir Zaki has achieved somewhat of a legendary status in Pakistan, perhaps due to the fact that it is one of the few singles that Aamir ever released. While the pain in Zaki’s voice is hard to match up to, a female singer from Lahore managed to ace it. Arooj has been recording cover songs for the past three years now, of which two notable examples are Pink Floyd’s ‘Comfortably Numb’ and Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’. The songs got heavy airplay on the local radio stations as well, hence helping Arooj build up her fan base. Arooj won an online music scholarship at Berklee College of Music, and is currently pursuing a four year degree there. Her only original number that was released on the internet is ‘Walking’, which did receive much praise, but then again, one song does not maketh an album. Arooj is yet to release a music video, but has been featured on the popular show On the Fringe, hence giving her some exposure to the general population. Currently she’s studying vocal technique with classical singer Sara Zaman, and working on her debut album.
Verdict: While Arooj is talented, she still needs to go a long way, considering tthat she oesn’t really have original material yet. It remains to be seen whether Arooj will make it big amongst the mainstream, especially since she sings in English, which greatly limits her audience range. However, after the success of Sajid and Zeeshan, she might have a good shot at amassing a loyal fan following in Pakistan.
Haniya and Zeb
Genre: Acoustic/Fusion
Claim to Fame: The single ‘Chup’
The single ‘Chup’ was floated around on the internet some two years ago. Strangely addictive, the song floats into the recesses of your mind and makes a permanent place for itself. Behind this addictive number were two girls – Haniya and Zeb, incidentally cousins, hailing from Islamabad, who started composing music seriously in college. Since then, fans have been breathlessly awaiting what this cousin duo will release next. Following the highly positive response from fans, Haniya and Zeb have continued on the musical journey, and have recorded a few rough tracks with Mekaal Hasan, unmixed versions of which are available on the internet.
While their website is no longer functional, their songs are available for download on soundclick.com. The striking feature about this duo is that unlike other underground musicians, they have not performed a lot of cover songs, hence setting them apart from the rest of their brethren. That aside, their songs are in Urdu, which gives them a wider audience, especially in the long run. Haniya is currently abroad and Zeb is learning classical music, but come September, they plan to start working on their album.
Verdict: This duo is extremely talented, and while their music may not be what the masses want, they can certainly cater to Generation X, the safest target audience these days.
Conclusion:
It is sad that one hasn’t heard of any established female artist like Hadiqa promoting fellow female musicians, since these young women need all the encouragement and help they can get, considering the fact that there are no established music schools like Berklee College of Music in Pakistan. Female musicians on the other hand need to realize that things in terms of perceptions and stereotypes will take some time to change. Sitting in a dark basement crooning away to your friends will not change stereotypes, it’s only when they put their selves and their music out there, will they have a chance to educate an entire generation and expose the bhangra loving masses to different genres of music. If Entity Paradigm could expose half of the teenage population in Pakistan to a band like Tool, these girls can do it too.