S@llu
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Number of posts : 151
Age : 34
Registration date : 2008-05-09
 | | Subject: Latest Interview: Touching base with Strings Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:10 am | |
| Latest Interview: Touching base with Strings
For the record, Strings remain pop’s most reliable and melodic torchbearers. Their comeback album, Koi Aanay Wala Hai, which released last year, has done extremely well for itself and for the band, epitomizing them to new heights of stardom.
And rightly so. Koi Aanay Wala Hai was experimental and edgy, scorching at times and intensely beautiful at others. The balladry of Faisal Kapadia and punkness of Bilal Maqsood was spread in equal measure throughout this record.
The fact, however, remains that despite a successful comeback; Strings have been unable to begin a massive tour of Pakistan.
“With so much uncertainty and instability in the country, concerts have decreased. And we ourselves weren’t in the frame of mind,” says front man Faisal Kapadia.
And Strings aren’t the only ones who have been unable to hold massive concerts. The past year has seen album releases from Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, Ali Azmat, Strings, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Zeb and Haniya and Shehzad Roy. Yet concerts have been minimal.
“Every time one plans a show, something happens in the country and there is a delay,” voices Faisal. This is a view that stretches throughout the music industry. All artists voice the same concerns and attribute lack of shows to political and economic uncertainty.
Strings, though, don’t give up that easily.
“Muharram has just finished. We’re getting our motivation back. So we definitely want to do a Koi Aanay Wala Hai tour. We want to do simultaneous concerts all over Pakistan. We don’t want to do just one-off shows but a full-fledged tour.” And in the meantime, Strings have thrown their weight behind Hamara Karachi Festival ‘09. They recently performed at North Nazimabad as part of the festival and are performing again at Sea View on March 8.
Both Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia realize that without consistent concerts and an environment where news channels remain the focal point of everyone, music videos are the strongest and most effective mode of communication with fans.
And when it comes to videos, Strings are pros. Since the release of their album Duur in 2001, they have delivered some of the most iconic videos of the decade. With Koi Aanay Wala Hai, Strings are continuing on their spree of music videos.
Videos for the singles ‘Koi Aanay Wala Hai’, ‘Humsafar’, ‘Jago’, ‘Aakhri Alvida’ and ‘Yeh Hai Meri Kahani’ have been out for a while and each video instantly grabs attention. It is easy to catch the band on airwaves.
Now Strings are planning two more videos.
“We’re planning to shoot two videos - ‘Keh Do’ and ‘Titliyan’ - and we’re talking to Umar Anwar and Soheb Akhtar,” explains Faisal Kapadia.
The India connection
In the wake of the Mumbai attacks, bands/artists across Pakistan are rethinking strategy. India is no longer a viable option, at least for the time being.
Strings understand this fact and the trickle-down effect on the industry.
“We were in fact going to India in November but when the Mumbai attacks happened we didn’t go. The aftermath of the Mumbai attacks has had an impact on the cultural exchange between the two countries,” explains Faisal.
No artist understands the importance of India better than Strings. Other than Junoon and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Strings were one of the first few artists to venture across the border. Over the years, Strings have built a loyal stable of fans, which includes Indian actors Sanjay Dutt and John Abraham.
Not only is it a much bigger venue for performance, it is also a space where Strings have, over the years, signed on projects that solidify their position with fans in India and beyond.
In 2004, ‘Najaane Kyun’ featured on the soundtrack of Spider-Man 2. Soon after Strings composed ‘Yeh Hai Meri Kahani’ for the Sanjay Dutt-John Abraham starrer Zinda. Both actors featured in the music video. In 2007, Strings once again worked with Sanjay Dutt for ‘Aakhri Alvida’ which was featured on the soundtrack of Shootout at Lokhandwala. Their comeback single in 2008, ‘Koi Aanay Wala Hai’ featured John Abraham in the video.
“We’ve been going to India to perform for years and we’ve always been welcomed there. But I was watching some Indian news channel after the attacks and it was just disappointing. It was aggravating and it was affecting the viewpoint of the Indian people. Post-Kargil, it has taken seven to eight years for cultural exchange to thrive between India and Pakistan. Perhaps now we will have to retrace our steps and restart again,” says Faisal. And until that happens, Strings will continue with the rest of the world as their stage. “We’re planning a tour of the US. After that, UK and other European countries will follow,” concludes Faisal
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Salman
Adminstrator
Number of posts : 98
Age : 33
Location : Mamourah,Rak
School : Indian School 2008-2009
Registration date : 2008-05-09
| | Subject: Re: Latest Interview: Touching base with Strings Mon Mar 16, 2009 1:28 pm | |
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