Pakistan’s prestigious and most awaited Awards show – Lux Style Awards 2011 – nominations have been announced in 22 Television, Music and Fashion Categories.

This time, Music categories have only 3 nominations (it used to be 5 nominations before), which reflects the lack of releases during the year 2010. As per the press release for Awards Show, the music jury preferred to leave the nominations blank than recognize ‘mediocre‘ work. The music jury of Lux Style Awards had the objection that Pakistani Bands and Singers only released Singles rather than Complete Albums. There were no concerts, so most of their work was appeared overseas, specially in neighboring country, India. (more…)

Rohail Hyatt’s vision has been a major factor – besides Standard Chartered Priority Night and Uth Records – in revolutionizing the music industry of Pakistan. The days of our artists being sidelined by the neighboring entertainment industry were over as Coke Studio opened up with a bang!

And over a period of time, the amazing show that we call “Coke Studio” has produced some of the brightest stars of Pakistan to the entire world. Not only that, it has also helped promoting the music scene of Pakistan like no other.

As of today, Coke Studio has aired three successful seasons, and today we are gonna take you back to the very first one: (more…)

House Band Members of Coke Studio are an integral part of this premier music show and they have contributed a lot in the musical performances of legendary stars as well as aspiring new musicians who are featured in the Studio.

Coke Studio Season4 also has some great line up of in house experience band members, these include:

• Asad Ahmed (Karavan),
• Babar Khanna,
• Louis J. Pinto a.k.a Gumby (Noori),
• Jaffer Zaidi (Kaavish),
• Javed Iqbal,
• Kamran Zafar a.k.a Mannu (Ali Azmat),
• Omran Shafique a.k.a Momo (Mauj),
• Rachel Viccaji,
• Zulfiq Ahmed Khan a.k.a Shazee,
• Sikandar Mufti (Co-Ven),
• Zoe Viccaji etc.

Following are their latest Pictures from Coke Studio Season 4, as gathered from Coke Studio Official Website: (more…)

Picture Courtesy: Coke Studio

Let me take you back to the first season of Coke Studio. Not many bigger names were there except Strings, Ali Azmat and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. There was a new band that performed a ‘Single’ at the very first season of Coke Studio. The track name was ‘Paheliyan’ by the band MAUJ and it was the band of OMRAN SHAFIQUE , who later got some huge applause and fame as a house band member of Coke Studio. And now he is very much renowned all over Pakistan for his Guitar Playing Skills and UTH RECORDS. Right?

There has been only one drummer in the house band members of the Coke Studio. The name is quite famous and the guy is also so hilarious (anyone can say that after watching him in UTH Records). (more…)

Photography By Bilal Khan

www.forwardmedia.com.pk

Copyright © 2010 Forward Media All Rights Reserved

Noori , Ali Azmat , Faraz Anwar & Mauj at the IVS – Sound of Hope Concert (17th Oct 2010)

Photography By Anushay Furqan

By Salman Siddiqui

salman@pakium.com

HOWDY readers…..

I was just wondering what should I be writing about next which could reflect the general interest level of present music scene and i came up with a brilliant idea.Lets talk about the prestigious Coke Studio. Well as many of you people might not know that our beloved Coke Studio has a Gigantic line up, its Big. Here, have a look :

Asad Ahmad (Guitar), Babar Khanna (Percussion), Jaffer Zaidi (Keyboards), Javed Iqbal (Violin), Kamran ‘Mannu’ Zafar (Bass), Louis ‘Gumby’ Pinto (Drums), Natasha De Sousa (Vocals), Omran ‘Momo’ Shafique (Guitar), Saba Shabbir (Vocals), Sikander Inam (Dholak), Waris ‘Baloo’ Ali (Percussion), Zulfiq ‘Shazee’ Ahmed Khan (Percussion). Guest Artists include: Baqir Abbas (Flute), Gul Mohammad (Sarangi), Gurpreet Chana (Tabla), Rakae Jamil (Sitar), and Sadiq Sameer (Rubab).

To add up a little, I will like to share that these people ( in the Line-up ) are very much talented. Some of them like Babar Khanna,Jaffer Zaidi,Javed Iqbal,Louis ‘Gumby’ Pinto, and Omran ‘Momo’ Shafique are like Veterans at their work.(sorry if I omitted worth mentioning names) (more…)

Mauj’s Debut Album hit the market with Mona’s Video

By Danish Mughal

(danish@pakium.com)

Mauj Band’s most awaited debut album is finally out in the local markets, with the video of “Mona” hitting the screens. The debut album “Now in Technicolor” had already been put online for sale on Amazon last year. Fire Records – the strongest Record label in Pakistan – is releasing the album in Pakistan after almost half an year of its Online Release.

We haven’t got actual album in our hands yet but the track list of Online Album Release is as follows: (actual album might contain some bonus songs as well)

1. Khayal
2. Awaaz
3. Aye Na Aye
4. Baat Barti Gayi
5. Hasratein
6. Mona
7. Kal Kya Pata
8. Khushfehmi
9. Pyar Ka Jadoo
10. Paheliyan

Watch out the culture oriented music video of “Mona” in which Omran can be seen again in an amazing role (again surrounded by girls : p )