Aag Alive Press Conference – Instep Today

October 15, 2009

Rock For a Cause

Pakistan’s Woodstock is announced via ribald antics and an enviable camaraderie

Ali Azmat, Shiraz Uppal, Noori, Fuzon, Hadiqa Kiani, Laal, Jal, Call and more will play live at the 12 hour Aag Live show

Hani Taha Salim
Lahore

One doesn’t expect much from a press conference except for the usual question-and-answer session and perhaps some excitement if someone hurls a shoe at the chief speaker. But just because we didn’t have anyone willing to take the Muntadar al Zaidi route, it doesn’t mean that its not possible to have a music-related press conference that was irreverent at best and insolent at worst.

Aag_FuzonAfter all, we always have Ali Azmat to bank on, and if he doesn’t rise to the occasion (which is rare) then a new and rather reclusive contender, Shallum Xavier. They’re to credit for a highly amusing evening that saw the announcement of a concert in Lahore on October 25. The Aag Live concert will see 22 musical sensations from Pakistan playing for 12 hours straight which would be aired worldwide.

It is an impressive initiative taken by the music industry to battle the current turmoil and hold this massive event as a stoic reminder that they stand united for Pakistan. Imran Aslam made a rather poignant opening with references to ‘flower power’ and the ‘Woodstock festival of music: 3 days of peace and music in the United States’ that was a string of concerts held as a peace initiative during the 1970s.

The press conference attempted to quell, among other things, the most urgent issue of security in the country by showing the strength and unity of the music industry and explain the measures taken to ensure that the event is a resounding success. Popular stars such as Shiraz Uppal, Hadiqa Kiani, Ali Azmat and Amanat Ali Khan along with bands such as Noori, Fuzon, Jal, Call and Laal spoke of a united Pakistan to combat terrorism and of using our music to show to the world that Pakistan is a lot more than a “theatre of war”, as Ali Azmat put so eloquently.

Aag_Ali-Azmat“Even those musicians who do not often perform live, will also be performing”, mentioned Ali Noor, which will add a greater force to the concert. And as Xulfi of Call astutely remarked, “We have lost the ‘fun’ element in our lives with all that is going on in the country, and perhaps this event will dispel that”. But most importantly as, Shiraz Uppal identified “This will be the very first time that we will all listen to just Pakistani music for 12 hours straight”, an insightful critique of how much Bollywood has taken over our lives.

The event also unifies the younger entrants of the industry such as Amanat Ali Khan and Noman Javed with seasoned counterparts such as Ali Azmat and Shiraz Uppal, which is a significant development in that it shows that the industry is growing and holds promise.

But although there was great optimism and talk of unity at the conference, the security concerns were still paramount on many minds which Aag TV‘s Wajahat Rauf put to ease by stating that “The city government was in full support of this move and guarantees stringent security measures.”

Aag_UnitedThis concern seemed to play most heavily on a very turquoise air hostess uniformed, Hadiqa Kiani. Kiani also had to defend her latest video as a reporter accused artistes of going across the border and selling out to India.

But the cherry on the cake has to be the constant jibes that Ali Azmat kept hurling at whoever was speaking, in his typical candid way and those speakers then responding to Ali’s witty insolence from the podium itself! Although many seemed rather irritated at Ali’s wise cracks, it served to lighten the entire mood and add that much needed element of ‘fun’ to the evening. Later however, Shallum’s “Immu‘s gone to take a leak” comment (when Fuzon was invited to the podium) completely broke all semblance of order and etiquette in a formal setting which led to great convulsions of laughter coupled with shrieks of horror. Shallum also effectively utilized the moment to take a shot at Fire Records by saucily stating that ‘very conveniently only those artistes that have signed with Fire have been invited to play at the concert’. A comment that either totally escaped its pointed target at Fire’s CEO Dr Akbar Yezdani, or he shrewdly chose to miss, much to Shallum’s disappointment.

Nonetheless, it was a grand reunion of the country’s musicians and their unity and camaraderie is proof that no matter what, they will always be there to entertain us. And that itself is reason enough for us to stay optimistic.