Rooted in Tradition

Even as bands from Pakistan make an impact in Bollywood,Mekaal Hasan Band prefers to work on its own terms.

For a country where gigs are an aggressive affair thanks to the American grunge inspiration layered with the nation’s political turmoil or border on pop with guitar-based traditional sounds mixed with contemporary beats,Pakistani outfit,Mekaal Hasan Band,comes as a whiff of fresh air.

A name not as popular as its contemporaries like The Strings,Junoon and Jal,the band,started by guitarist Mekaal Hasan,has preferred to remain low key. We are not a pop band and have taken a conscious decision of not joining Bollywood. Moreover,the indifference from barely existing record labels in Pakistan has not helped us much, says Mekaal Hasan,lead guitarist of the band that is in India to record for shows to be aired on MTV. The five-member Pakistani jazz outfit will perform in a private concert in Gurgaon,today,and in Delhi on January 11.

In the news last year for being denied a visa to visit India,the band is known in the country for using noted author Amrita Pritam’s poetry in their music,where eastern tunes and mysticism blend with rock,funk and improvised textures of jazz. I was so touched by what Amrita Pritam wrote on Partition that I had to write tunes for it. We always enjoy performing in India, says Hasan,whose music is an eclectic mix of classical bandishes,thumris and ghazals with contemporary beats and a jazz touch.

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With Javed Bashir on vocals,Mohammad Ahsan Pappu on flute,Aamir Azhar on bass and Kami Paul on drums,the band wants to retain its individual voice. “We are not going to churn out typical Bollywood item numbers. We will only work in Bollywood if we are allowed to compose,” says Hasan.

In the meantime,the band is also ready to launch its third album titled Aandolan,which will release next year. This will have poetry by Baba Bulleshah and Amir Khusrau,apart from classical bandishes in raag Megh and raag Champakali. It will be heavy in terms of chord structures,ragas and poetry, promises Hasan.

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