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Junoon on Peace Mission
April 25, 2003
Pakistan’s premiere Rock Band (it is really a Pakistani-American band) is still
very busy making music and continues to generate controversy, albeit on a
positive note.
And it is not just Ali Azmat’s hair (or the lack of it) that is in the news at
the moment because true to their core beliefs Salman Ahmad, Brian O’Connell and
Ali of Junoon along with their partners have once again been passionately
calling for peace amongst people and nations.
Although there has been almost a universal solidarity amongst musicians against
terrorism since 9/11, inclusive of Junoon’s English song “No More”, there has
also been widespread artistic negation of the war on Iraq reflected in the
recent Oscar Award presentations. But not much has been done or said on the
South Asian front. That is till now.
According to the BBC, Junoon will be performing on Saturday April 19, 2003 in
the city of Karachi and will be sharing the stage with Indian singer Anaida. And
if that in itself is not seen as significant by readers who may be accustomed to
Indian and Pakistani singers entertaining a mixed audience and sharing a musical
stage outside of South Asia, doing so in Karachi at this time is a big deal.
Because in the backdrop of cooling/worsening/healing relations, Indian and
Pakistani leaders just might benefit from such musical realism. Any conflict
between India and Pakistan is neither desired nor supported by the people in
either country.
So a big hand here for Junoon and Anaida for thinking like the people and not
the powerful in the two countries and for crossing the artificial frontiers of
musical creativity.
Ras H. Siddiqui
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