Sajid and Zeeshan rock LUMS!Published in 'Instep Today'
11th July, 2007
By Jazib Zahir
The dynamic duo of Sajid Ghafoor and Zeeshan Parwez descended upon the Lahore University of Management Sciences on July 7 – giving their audience a reason to let their hair down. It surely was a Saturday night well spent.
While Sajid and Zeshaan have been prominent in the Peshawar underground scene for some time and can regularly be spotted crooning on our television screens, their LUMS gig marked their live debut in Lahore! And thank goodness for that, considering the duo frequents Karachi for gigs and concerts more so than either Lahore or Islamabad.
The show was hosted in the central courtyard of the main academic building sealed by a tent in an attempt to thwart forecast showers. The organizers were students of the 'LUMS Music Society', a group of devoted amateurs keen to provide Lahore with avenues of entertainment. Telenor was the primary sponsor with the symbols of their newest service 'djuice' emblazoned around the venue. Like any show put on with a sound conscience, this one too had a humanistic bent with the crowd encouraged to 'open its hearts and empty its pockets' in support of the Agha Khan Memorial Trust fund.
Those who arrived by the designated hour were treated to the sight of Sajid and Zeeshan on stage conducting sound tests and warming up by playing short sections of their various hits. When the proceedings finally began, the audience was treated to the commendable amateur efforts of some local bands. The Aitchison College group warmed up the audience with two numbers, 'Cemetery Gates' and 'Crying in the Rain'. A group of LUMS students got the crowd bobbing its heads along with the catchy beat of a remix of Awaz's 'Jadoo Ka Charagh'. And a recent LUMS graduate, Ali Shahid, plucked the guitar while managing vocals that meshed nicely with a background flute.
Unfortunately, these early performances were plagued by long intervals since each group needed time to set up its equipment and undertake a basic sound test before it was ready to jam. Some of the amateurs also failed to account for the limitations of the electronic equipment and consequently, their crescendos were not received well by the audience. A portion of the crowd began to dwindle at this point.
Those who persisted were ultimately rewarded by the grand arrival of Sajid and Zeeshan. With their tools already meticulously tuned, Sajid and Zeeshan wasted no time in getting down to work. They announced their arrival by breaking into one of their lesser known songs, 'Free and Underestimated'. Sajid had the composed presence of a true professional behind the microphone. He strummed his guitar serenely while launching his powerful vocals at the delighted audience. He had significant command of his pitch in the presence of sensitive electronic equipment and it showed in the high fidelity of the sound produced.
This number was followed up by one more familiar to the audience, 'Freestyle Dive'. This song was distinguished by Zeeshan's contribution to the vocals, as he lifted his gaze to the heavens periodically and reverberated Sajid's words. But at no time did he desert the delicate devices at his fingertips. As the group techie, Zeeshan is responsible for all things electronic. This includes the dexterous use of the keyboard-cum-synthesizer to generate the pulsating techno beats that distinguish this brand of music. Courtesy the projector screen, members of the audience were treated to a close-up of the intricate dance of his fingers through each song. He managed to mix things up with a blend of scratches, riffs and slow beats that punctuated the beginning and end of each song.
'Deserts' allowed Sajid to exhibit his versatility as he relieved himself of the guitar strings briefly to draw a harmonica across his lips. The mellifluous chirps provided a special ingredient absent in most contemporary music forms. This song was slower and softer than the others and had the audience swaying with cell phones aloft, either to record the performance or just to generate some illumination of appreciation.
Sajid chose to swap guitars as he launched into a rendition of 'My happiness'. The audience responded with hoots of recognition. This was Sajid at his finest with this song allowing him to demonstrate the depths and flexibility of his vocal chords. Zeeshan, as always, patched in the gaps in the vocals with a jiggle of electronic beats. The lights joined the fun here, blinking and changing color to render a psychedelic touch. The encore was a stirring performance of 'King of Self' - the hit that initially launched the duo to prominence. This version was distinguished by a protracted jam that had much of the crowd swaying.
In all, Sajid and Zeeshan played seven songs while engaging in friendly chatter with the audience and fitting in a pitch for their album One Light Year at Snail Speed. They will be in town for at least a few more days so you may hear of another Lahore performance very soon. Judging by how well the performance was received at LUMS, it may not be long before the duo is ready to transition to music as a full time occupation.
--Photos by Wasim Sajid
While Sajid and Zeshaan have been prominent in the Peshawar underground scene for some time and can regularly be spotted crooning on our television screens, their LUMS gig marked their live debut in Lahore! And thank goodness for that, considering the duo frequents Karachi for gigs and concerts more so than either Lahore or Islamabad.
The show was hosted in the central courtyard of the main academic building sealed by a tent in an attempt to thwart forecast showers. The organizers were students of the 'LUMS Music Society', a group of devoted amateurs keen to provide Lahore with avenues of entertainment. Telenor was the primary sponsor with the symbols of their newest service 'djuice' emblazoned around the venue. Like any show put on with a sound conscience, this one too had a humanistic bent with the crowd encouraged to 'open its hearts and empty its pockets' in support of the Agha Khan Memorial Trust fund.
Those who arrived by the designated hour were treated to the sight of Sajid and Zeeshan on stage conducting sound tests and warming up by playing short sections of their various hits. When the proceedings finally began, the audience was treated to the commendable amateur efforts of some local bands. The Aitchison College group warmed up the audience with two numbers, 'Cemetery Gates' and 'Crying in the Rain'. A group of LUMS students got the crowd bobbing its heads along with the catchy beat of a remix of Awaz's 'Jadoo Ka Charagh'. And a recent LUMS graduate, Ali Shahid, plucked the guitar while managing vocals that meshed nicely with a background flute.
Unfortunately, these early performances were plagued by long intervals since each group needed time to set up its equipment and undertake a basic sound test before it was ready to jam. Some of the amateurs also failed to account for the limitations of the electronic equipment and consequently, their crescendos were not received well by the audience. A portion of the crowd began to dwindle at this point.
Those who persisted were ultimately rewarded by the grand arrival of Sajid and Zeeshan. With their tools already meticulously tuned, Sajid and Zeeshan wasted no time in getting down to work. They announced their arrival by breaking into one of their lesser known songs, 'Free and Underestimated'. Sajid had the composed presence of a true professional behind the microphone. He strummed his guitar serenely while launching his powerful vocals at the delighted audience. He had significant command of his pitch in the presence of sensitive electronic equipment and it showed in the high fidelity of the sound produced.
This number was followed up by one more familiar to the audience, 'Freestyle Dive'. This song was distinguished by Zeeshan's contribution to the vocals, as he lifted his gaze to the heavens periodically and reverberated Sajid's words. But at no time did he desert the delicate devices at his fingertips. As the group techie, Zeeshan is responsible for all things electronic. This includes the dexterous use of the keyboard-cum-synthesizer to generate the pulsating techno beats that distinguish this brand of music. Courtesy the projector screen, members of the audience were treated to a close-up of the intricate dance of his fingers through each song. He managed to mix things up with a blend of scratches, riffs and slow beats that punctuated the beginning and end of each song.
'Deserts' allowed Sajid to exhibit his versatility as he relieved himself of the guitar strings briefly to draw a harmonica across his lips. The mellifluous chirps provided a special ingredient absent in most contemporary music forms. This song was slower and softer than the others and had the audience swaying with cell phones aloft, either to record the performance or just to generate some illumination of appreciation.
Sajid chose to swap guitars as he launched into a rendition of 'My happiness'. The audience responded with hoots of recognition. This was Sajid at his finest with this song allowing him to demonstrate the depths and flexibility of his vocal chords. Zeeshan, as always, patched in the gaps in the vocals with a jiggle of electronic beats. The lights joined the fun here, blinking and changing color to render a psychedelic touch. The encore was a stirring performance of 'King of Self' - the hit that initially launched the duo to prominence. This version was distinguished by a protracted jam that had much of the crowd swaying.
In all, Sajid and Zeeshan played seven songs while engaging in friendly chatter with the audience and fitting in a pitch for their album One Light Year at Snail Speed. They will be in town for at least a few more days so you may hear of another Lahore performance very soon. Judging by how well the performance was received at LUMS, it may not be long before the duo is ready to transition to music as a full time occupation.
--Photos by Wasim Sajid
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