A Booming Industry?

The last 5 years has seen a significant intensity of musicians displaying their talents. There are cafes such as one in Islamabad where musicians are encouraged to play their peices which gives them local recognition. Then there are the underground concerts (rockfests) from which the likes of EP and other have sprung up. There is among the youth a cult following, that is, there are the junoonies, the noories, the EP`s etc. From a musical perspective, Pakistan right now is producing some great music, which deserves acclaim. The UKs pop and the Bollywoods filmi songs and Pakistan`s rock following.

My point is that, our music industry is fast becoming one of pakistans institutions. The youth are begining to associate themselves to their bands. It is only fair that our musicians are given credibility and are offered opportunties to put their music in the international world. Pakistan needs to be on the map in a favorable light, and music is the best means to achieve such an end.

If one is to understand that the new media can be USED to spread crass taliban distaste for music as well as create more demand for learning of Classical music (as the SRGM serial on ZeeTV proves) amongst the youth. The powerful media is a double edged sword and hence it`s freedom must be preserved away from the hands of any state apparatus which would like to control dissent.
I would like to see expose` Tehelka of the various modus operandi adopted by the state apparatuses as well as the neo-mullahs in order to keep the public informed about the dangers of these getting out of hands of the common man.
It is heartening to see that Indian TV News Channel does a commendable job in creating an atmosphere where the law breakers are not tolerated but condemned. All the news channel air such stories regularly which force the state apparatus to take action.....Infact some of the channels are performing the state`s job of informing the public about some of the criminals who are on run......Great job!!!

Great article!

I agree with the fact that most Pakistanis don`t recognise their artists untill the Western or Indian media hails them, examples being NFAK and Junoon. However, I think its not because of the mentality of the Pakistanis. It has more to do with the exposure that the artists receive. In Pakistan, the media is not strong enough to market its artists the way Indian or Western media does. Marketing the artist well plays a big role in the appreciation that the artist receives.

Second, the government needs to play a significant role if the Pakistani music industry is to go anywhere. It needs to crack down on piracy and establish a system where artists get due royalties and donot need to rely on corporations to finance their videos and albums. Unless that happens, we will not be able to foster the growth of our artists and make them internationally recognised.

Third, and most importantly, an awareness about music being a positive thing should be created among the masses living in rural areas, particularly the tribal areas. With MMA enforcing a ban on music, the government needs to ensure that the people understand how music can act as a catalyst of change and harmony. The sufis used it to unite people of different religions. Yousuf Islam used it to spread the message of Islam. Junoon used it to become rich!