Pakistani Music and Songs

There's never been a doubt about Najam's phenomenal and original talent. The range of his opera-like vocals has received critical acclaim throughout his 15-year career in the local music industry. There's never been a doubt about Najam's phenomenal and original talent. The range of his opera-like vocals has received critical acclaim throughout his 15-year career in the local music industry. However, it's his flip-flop in terms of switching between various genres of music that has come under controversy.

From his Inn Se Nain pop debut album days in 1995 to his rock effort Rakh Aas with Karavan in 1997, a bombed Bhangra album later on and until recently his sudden focus on recording naats, it remains debatable whether the trend displays versatility or confusion. Critics often wonder whether the haphazard shifts are signs of evolution or soul searching.

His latest self-titled album, Najam, which was launched first in India last April and just a couple of weeks back in Pakistan, is essentially commercial pop that dabbles richly in lovey-dovey ballads. All 10 songs feature UK-based musicians, including the popular songwriter Chris Eaton who produced the album.

Chairay Munn Ke Taar stands out for its snappy percussion beats recorded with Miles Bould and Paul Evans on drums. Najam gives a soft vocal treatment to the number which is complimented by Dan Wheeler's guitar work, who makes a conscious effort in not going in an overdrive in the solo section.

Dil Tumhara Bhi Hai features Nu Soul vocalist Natalie Williams, who not only sings a few lines in English but also hums along Najam in the chorus part. The song has a sweet melody with interesting synthesisers.

Jaa Re Jaa is a soulful track about a spurned lover and the eternal adoration of his beloved. The mellow song begins with rhythms on the acoustic guitars and has a soft wailing electric guitar lead part in the middle. Mahiya is another song with potential in which Najam belts out a high-pitched alaap, Allan Faqir-style. The lyrics are a nice mixture of Urdu and Punjabi verses.

Th starting riff of Mera Yaar Bina Dil reminds one of the ending note of Guns ‘n' Roses' Don't You Cry song. Though this is no rock number and Najam is no Axl Rose belting out a love song in Punjabi (imagine that), the track sounds nice and has commercial value.

From his Inn Se Nain pop debut album days in 1995 to his rock effort Rakh Aas with Karavan in 1997, a bombed Bhangra album later on and until recently his sudden focus on recording naats, it remains debatable whether the trend displays versatility or confusion. Critics often wonder whether the haphazard shifts are signs of evolution or soul searching.

The main featured song of the album is Khwaboon Ke Rishte, which has been written and composed by veteran musician Aamir Zaki. The song starts with an upbeat rhythm guitar riff and is about failed relationships between man and woman, and how such perfect matches exist only in dreams and fairy tales. The Made-in-India video of the song has come under a lot of flak recently, which stereotypes teenage guys as losers and stepdads as evil monsters who take advantage of innocent girls.

Defending the video at a press conference in Karachi, Najam said the intention of the video was to educate people about what he called a prevalent feature of our degrading society.

The spokesperson from the record company FireRecords was adamant in portraying Najam as the music industry's Che Guavera, and went on tell a story about how he and his wife decided to make his kids watch it in order to open up their minds. Another record company guy claimed sheepishly that the intent was not to make a masala video to grab the attention of viewers.

Needless to say, none of them could come up with a convincing argument. In fact the video comes across as any other commercial video that uses sex as an element to sell pop tunes. Also, it's unnecessary to depict Najam as a holy man out to change the world.

Even though Mobilink has not sponsored Najam's album (they chose Strings instead), Hum Bolain Mohabbat Ki Zuban, the song which was used as an ad campaign by the telecommunication company, has been included. Other songs are Chorin Na, Love You More Than Anything and a club remix of Khwaboon Ke Rishte.