January 04, 2009

The System can lead to a revolution in the music-appreciation culture in Lahore. The million dollar question is: will it sustain itself and create new values, or will we be looking at another corporate-controlled venture that’s as good as the money it gets?

The brainchild of a few musicians, The System is a new mechanism that will purportedly keep music afloat in dire times. Spearheaded by Farhad Humayun, it seems to be aimed at creating a culture of frequent concerts, to sustain the music fraternity. The second of such concerts was held at a swanky dining establishment that provided more ambience to the event than expected. Feeling more like a live music night held at a club, The System provided the people of Lahore with an alternative to eating in restaurants and at weddings.

At the moment, the most positive element of The System is its patronage of young or under-showcased talent. A young band with no single out in the market, Simt made its name when it won a rock competition earlier this year. Songs like Pyar di Ganderi are already well known and their original singles seem commercially viable. Though the set at The System could have used a rhythm section, the engaging Haroon Shahid and stoic Hassan Omer held their own, giving a taste of their band that in full partaking might become a pop icon!

Wajiha from the Lahore University of Management Sciences took the audience through a rather monotonous story that had Crazy by Seal and Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes plugged into the plotline. With a vocal tone that was very appealing, but a stage presence that fell flat, Wajiha, with some more experience, might become a welcome addition to the constantly burgeoning music scene of Lahore.

With a cello, violin and a new stylist, Call was brimming over with musicians on the 6’X10’ stage. While all of the other band members were on one page, Junaid was on another. With facial expressions and head tilts that belonged in a music video, Junaid sang Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls to a crowd full of impressionable youths – by now we are aware of the power of misled impressionable young adults: think all endorsements that have the face of Atif Aslam or Ali Zafar.

The System can lead to a revolution in the music-appreciation culture in Lahore. The million dollar question is: will it sustain itself and create new values, or will we be looking at another corporate controlled venture that’s as good as the money it gets? — Halima Mansoor