okay.
http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smile.gif
hmm an article came out on the guys just today written by our very own paper .. the toronto star.
gotta admit, i felt so much better after reading it ! it’s like, you get a diff, refreshed view from it all, and it was very kewl reading, that’s all. but, er, i kinda took out some pieces so if u wanna catch the whole article, it’s on torontostar.ca :
**Pakistan’s Junoon is bringing its revolutionary music to Toronto **
Nicholas Keung
STAFF REPORTER
Junoon plays the kind of music that would get them arrested in Pakistan.
But the three-member rock band’s unique blend of South Asian soul music, infused with political overtones, will attract 16,000 people to the Molson Amphitheatre on Sunday.
While Junoon - which means obsession and passion in Urdu - isn’t a name that registers with North American music fans, they are a household name for Greater Toronto’s 500,000-strong South Asian community.
…
``With so many negative stereotypes about people from South Asia, these guys will be great ambassadors to negate that image.‘’
…
What makes the band so special and appealing, Junooni Jayesh Gur says, is their fusion of Western style into the traditional Sufi soul music.
Their music, in Urdu and Punjabi, is an eclectic mix of ‘70s rock, traditional folk melodies, ballads and jazz with the occasional quote from the Qur’an.
…
``Their music really speaks to the people. Some of their songs bring back sweet memories of our home country.’’
..
Junoon’s first hit album, Azadi, released by EMI in 1996, emphasized revolution and freedom, and their strong political views have since been their trademark.
Songs from the album - such as Jazda-e-Junoon'' (Spirit of Passion), which encouraged people not to give up on their desires, and Eh-Tesaab’’ (Accountability), which demanded integrity of bureaucrats and politicians - angered Pakistan’s government.
In the late 1990s, Junoon criticized nuclear arms proliferation in South Asia in interviews with the BBC and CNN, forcing Pakistan’s government to ban their music on air.
``They like to ruffle feathers. Maybe that’s what gives them something extra apart from just their music. There’s an appeal to it in a society that’s restrictive,‘’ said Qamar Hussain, 35, an investment adviser from Pakistan who lives in Toronto.
``They touch on things that are deep in meaning, so the listeners can take something away from their songs.‘’
``People are excited about it. If you like world music, you will enjoy what they have to bring,‘’ said Bhandari, whose family came here from New Delhi four years ago.
…
The television journalist says Junoon’s music just grows on its listeners. She sums up their music in two words: moving and soulful.
``For most music, when it’s finished, it’s finished. Junoon’s music has a lot more meanings than entertainment value. It has something in it that you can hold on to.‘’
[This message has been edited by aphrodite (edited July 20, 2001).]