There was a time when those oppressed by the summer heat would find ready refuge in the air-conditioned cinema halls. We are long past that era of languid pleasure-seeking. First the cinema houses gave way to commercial plazas as well as to commercial theatre in places, and now we learn that even these stage plays are finding it difficult to sustain themselves. Yesterday's report in Dawn about stage plays in Lahore indicates just how difficult it has become for those associated with theatre to keep the show going. Quality is said to be an issue. Quantity, where half-a-dozen plays compete for audiences everyday in Lahore alone, could also be a problem.

The name Omer Nadeem may not ring too many bells among the larger audience, but the fact of the matter is that this guy has been around long enough to work with some of the major music acts of Pakistan these days including Atif Aslam.
Although fame has eluded him from time to time he is now ready to expose his real talent and take the level up a notch.
It was when he was 12 that his interest in music began to increase. He was friends with Haider Haleem at the time and Goher Mumtaz would come to Haider’s place to give him guitar lessons. In such circumstances Omer was, more or less, a self taught guitarist, his own passion driving him to observe and learn what he can by himself.

Sunday marked the 12th death anniversary of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Shahenshah-e-Qawwali and a legend in his lifetime, who had worked with iconic names in the Western music like Eddie Vedder, Peter Gabriel and progressive guitarist and producer Michael Brook.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the man who made his country proud of him all over the world, made a great impression on the music scene with mingling of Eastern poetic music with that of the West, a private TV channel reported.

He was an excellent singer possessing a six-octave vocal range and could perform at a high-level of intensity for several hours. He brought Pakistani Sufi music to a huge international audience until his death over a decade ago. Born into a family with a centuries-long tradition of Qawwali singing, Khan began recording in the early 70s after ignoring his father's wishes that he should pursue medicines.

After moving a lot in the underground music scenario and pushing my way through many claiming to be great acts, I stumbled upon a bloke who did not say much at all - a little surprised in a pleasant way I inquired what was his band all about - hesitantly and in a very cultured manner he began to tell about the band called Lagan. As it turned out the band was not a new outfit at all and my talking partner turned out to be the spokesperson of the band.
We talked and talked for what seemed an eternity - music is such a topic that it drowns you in itself - and voila there we were. Promised to meet another day we parted ways - eventually to meet up in a few days and sit down for this interview.
The affable Farhan led me to the dim lit sitting room in Saad's house and after a bout of cold drinks we got down to business. As Saadi and Farhan were detailing the progress of Lagan, Sami walked in and now the trio was assembled. To my utter surprise the lads turned out to be a strictly non smoking brotherhood.

Lahore: Following the successful release of his third studio album 'Beetaye Pal', Ali Sher introduces his work as a composer on a collaborative single with Rafaqat Ali Khan entitled 'Ishq'.

Originally written by Ghulam Farid Khan, Ali's composition is inspired by the Sindhi Bharwain Rag and is a fusion of both Eastern and Western instruments such as Ethnic Percussions, Muted Guitar, 'Tabla', 'Dholak' and 'Duff'. He has also incorporated African instruments such as the 'D.Jembe' and 'Congo'.

Rafaqat Ali Khan, who hails from the illustrious Sham Chaurasia Gharana is renowned for his work in various Bollywood productions including the Hrithik Raushan hit 'Krrish'. In harmony with his family generational legacy, Rafaqat Ali Khan brings the classical 'Khayal Gayeki' inspiration and tradition to Ali Sher's composition.

Speaking about this collaboration, Ali Sher has said, "I've always wanted to collaborate with Rafaqat Sahab, but never got a chance. I've seen him perform numerous times, and have been mesmerized by the depth and passion with which he sings. I believe Rafaqat Sahab's 'Gayeki' is deeply rooted in our heritage and I am thrilled to be a part of 'Ishq'.

"This 'Kafi' style of singing has been around for over 100 years and belongs to my Gharana. Ali Sher has composed and arranged this song beautifully. He is an intelligent and passionate musician and we are currently planning on doing a whole album together." says Rafaqat Ali Khan on his collaboration with Ali Sher for 'Ishq'.

Recorded at Ali Sher's studio, Ishq has been roughly arranged based on the free form vocals of Rafaqat Ali Khan. With the release of this song, Ali Sher plans to collaborate with various classical and Sufi artists in the future to develop his work as a composer.

Connect with Ali Sher on FaceBook