Kamijee’s understanding of the music genre and his experience is collected in his new album, Jeevan. It spans over 10 tracks of diverse compositions that are inspired by classical and contemporary music.
The album also features eight musicians across each of these tracks, which goes to show the diversity available in one album. According to his website, “Jeevan is an album that explores various themes. But mostly it is about our true companion that goes with us on the journey of life. This companion is time.”
The title track features Rahat Ali on supporting vocals whereas the track itself is a power ballad complete with prevailing guitars provided by Sayyam from the band Gurus Trilogy. It immediately sets the tone of the album and is clearly the track which has received the most attention.
The following track, Tum Ho Khafa, features Ali Raza on vocals. Though the track is more of the same, it is the vocal camaraderie featured on the track between Raza and Kamijee that plays out interestingly. The lyrics of the song are provided by Shoaib Mansoor.
Kamijee has a unique sound, and at the beginning of the third song, at the strum of the sitar (played by Imdad), you realise the effort he has put in to make each song sound unique. Again, Sayyam’s guitars under careful direction by Kamijee, bring about a powerful force within the song. This time they are accompanied by the vocal rendition of Mohammad Ali.
Na Janey features Glen John (Gurus Trilogy) on vocals whilst Sayyam continues to rock it out on the guitars. The track has a foot-tapping melody, making it probably the most infectious track on the album.
Arooj Aftab is featured on the ever-so-tricky English track. It’s not surprising that Kamijee ventures towards the English language on this album, he’s spent the last six years abroad and the album itself is available on iTunes and Amazon. Unfortunately, this is one track sticks out like a sore thumb. Not because it’s bad, but because it has a feel unlike any of the other tracks. But a good effort put into it nonetheless.
Half-way through the album is You & Me, a track that shows off the musical prowess of Kamijee. A pure fusion and progressive track, it is short and sweet, which makes you want to put it on repeat.
Rahat Ali joins in again on Har Dum, a special track as it features Oud Guitars as played by Naser Mua. The sound of the album changes drastically here and gone are the harsh, loud and rocking guitars. In its place is a much mellow sound as Kamijee lets us hear his melancholy side.
Yeh Shaam features Hamza Jameel on vocals as Sayyam returns for guitar duty. One of the poignant Vital Signs tracks, it has been covered on and off by various young bands. Kamijee’s cover doesn’t sound drastically different, however it does sound more rocky compared to the ballad that it originally was. Definitely an interesting cover to listen to.
And now for the remix. DJ Ali Mustafa provides a sped-up, remixed, popped up version of the title track, Jeevan. Clearly a bid to try on the Indian market, the song feels rather like a cheaper version of the title track which is light years ahead.
Finally, at the end of the album there is a track written especially for Junaid Jamshed. Allah Hu is a somber yet powerful number written by Kamijee himself. It sounds as if at the end of the album he is giving thanks for the chance given. It makes sense as this album is a worthy listen from start to finish.
2.5.10
25.4.10
The Return to the Moon
It has been described as one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century. Thanks to a combination of masterful engineering, the enduring human spirit and a dash of political rivalry, man travelled and walked on the moon.
Amid war in the Far East and racial tension on the home front, President John F. Kennedy announced an ambitious plan to send a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. It was a challenge to Nasa—a gauntlet thrown by Kennedy—to take a man to the moon and to return him safely back to Earth.
President Barack Obama is in a similar situation—two wars abroad, a growing economic crisis at home—and yet he has thrown no gauntlet. Obama's cancellation of President George W. Bush's return-to-the-moon mission has caused considerable ire amongst the scientific community and the men who have walked on the surface of the moon.
The Constellation programme has been cancelled and the Space Shuttle is about to be scrubbed. In its place, the Obama administration has decided on a long-term strategy for man’s return to interstellar space travel. In this strategy, there will be more dependency on private companies and other nations to shoulder American presence in space. At the same time there are plans to adapt lighter versions of the scrubbed launch vehicles.
However, these plans are not concrete. Nothing has been drafted, or papers been passed or signed. The proposal to return to manned spaceflight would start around 2025 and an eventual flight around 2030. The plan also adds six billion dollars for Nasa to invest in younger and eager companies that will assist them into space.
Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk is offering to fly Nasa astronauts into space within three years from now. His price tag of 20 million dollars is a bargain for Nasa which already has to pay 56 million dollars to Russia and almost 300 million dollars if it sends astronauts on its own. Musk’s company represents the generational shift in space flight exploration. People like Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bozos (founder of Amazon.com) are the new generation of space travel, far from the zenith of Nasa’s days of glory.
The response from Nasa’s experts has not been warming. ''It is the demise of American people in space except in someone else's vehicle. This is a catastrophe,'' says Apollo 17 Commander, and last man on the moon, Eugene Cernan. Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell added that, “The whole thing is flawed.'' And Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, responded to the plan in an email to the press that he had ''substantial reservations'' about the Obama plan.
With a volatile economic environment, combined with the American military budget on the rise, space travel and exploration have taken a back seat. The majority of the public are interested in jobs and a safe future for their children, rather than taking more steps on the moon.
Hence, it would make sense for President Obama to take such measures against space travel. At the same time, however, once the Space Shuttle retires and most of the Constellation programme is cancelled, there will also be job cuts at Nasa. In that instance, President Obama told Nasa workers, "The bottom line is, nobody is more committed to manned space flight, to human exploration of space, than I am. But we've got to do it in a smart way."
Man will return to moon and eventually take another giant leap towards Mars. Though Nasa and the astronauts of yesteryear have often romanticised reasons for returning, it is perhaps the sentiments of astronaut William Anders, who on Apollo 8 (man’s first mission to orbit the moon) took the memorable ‘Earthrise’ picture, that convey the need to return the best: "We came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth."
Amid war in the Far East and racial tension on the home front, President John F. Kennedy announced an ambitious plan to send a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s. It was a challenge to Nasa—a gauntlet thrown by Kennedy—to take a man to the moon and to return him safely back to Earth.
President Barack Obama is in a similar situation—two wars abroad, a growing economic crisis at home—and yet he has thrown no gauntlet. Obama's cancellation of President George W. Bush's return-to-the-moon mission has caused considerable ire amongst the scientific community and the men who have walked on the surface of the moon.
The Constellation programme has been cancelled and the Space Shuttle is about to be scrubbed. In its place, the Obama administration has decided on a long-term strategy for man’s return to interstellar space travel. In this strategy, there will be more dependency on private companies and other nations to shoulder American presence in space. At the same time there are plans to adapt lighter versions of the scrubbed launch vehicles.
However, these plans are not concrete. Nothing has been drafted, or papers been passed or signed. The proposal to return to manned spaceflight would start around 2025 and an eventual flight around 2030. The plan also adds six billion dollars for Nasa to invest in younger and eager companies that will assist them into space.
Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk is offering to fly Nasa astronauts into space within three years from now. His price tag of 20 million dollars is a bargain for Nasa which already has to pay 56 million dollars to Russia and almost 300 million dollars if it sends astronauts on its own. Musk’s company represents the generational shift in space flight exploration. People like Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bozos (founder of Amazon.com) are the new generation of space travel, far from the zenith of Nasa’s days of glory.
The response from Nasa’s experts has not been warming. ''It is the demise of American people in space except in someone else's vehicle. This is a catastrophe,'' says Apollo 17 Commander, and last man on the moon, Eugene Cernan. Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell added that, “The whole thing is flawed.'' And Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon, responded to the plan in an email to the press that he had ''substantial reservations'' about the Obama plan.
With a volatile economic environment, combined with the American military budget on the rise, space travel and exploration have taken a back seat. The majority of the public are interested in jobs and a safe future for their children, rather than taking more steps on the moon.
Hence, it would make sense for President Obama to take such measures against space travel. At the same time, however, once the Space Shuttle retires and most of the Constellation programme is cancelled, there will also be job cuts at Nasa. In that instance, President Obama told Nasa workers, "The bottom line is, nobody is more committed to manned space flight, to human exploration of space, than I am. But we've got to do it in a smart way."
Man will return to moon and eventually take another giant leap towards Mars. Though Nasa and the astronauts of yesteryear have often romanticised reasons for returning, it is perhaps the sentiments of astronaut William Anders, who on Apollo 8 (man’s first mission to orbit the moon) took the memorable ‘Earthrise’ picture, that convey the need to return the best: "We came all this way to explore the moon, and the most important thing is that we discovered the Earth."
28.3.10
SYMT - Direction Defined
The event attended by the local glitterati started fashionably late. Though once it started, it seemed like there was no stopping it as the band performed its single, Zamana, and the video for the song was also showcased. More songs were introduced and the event ended with a night of house music courtesy a DJ and a dance floor.
But that’s not what Symt is about. The band aims to be the next progressive and modern Pakistani rock band, and its sound is interesting to say the least: its rock, its loud and most importantly it’s catchy. Haroon’s vocals and Hassan’s guitars aren’t the only thing that had the audience’s interest piqued. Produced by Overload’s Farhad Humayun, the band’s rock sound is formidable if not loud. It resonates the same way Noori broke onto the scene with their first couple of songs, especially that of Suno Ke Main Hoon Jawan.
Joining Farhad is Mahmood Rahman also from Overload, taking over duty on the bass. Together, there is a certain harmony in the band. It may seem that Mahmood and Farhad are merely for support, however it is their contribution that makes the sound of Symt complete.
The upcoming album of the band is mastered by Shahi (Shahzad Hasan) and if Zamana is any indication of what the sound of the album will be like then Symt’s album will be something different, unique and a must-have.
Haroon’s singing is quite unique in the sense that his voice, though not as unique as say Atif Aslam’s, has the grunge and yearn of another Ali Azmat in the making. Similarly Hassan’s rock guitars riffs complement the Urdu lyrics (a feat very bands have achieved).
The video is directed by recluse director Kamran Yar Kami. His previous venture, Hamesha, remains embedded in the minds of viewers across Pakistan. Kamran uses the same translation with Symt’s Zamana and transforms it into a bright and eccentric video. As mentioned, the band does emulate the feeling Noori brought in with it when it came round, but Symt takes it a bit further and somewhat darker. This definitely exudes itself in the video, especially if you compare with it Noori’s where you had people dancing around with the band. Symt’s is much darker in tone but quite similar.
The event showcased a band that is eager to prove itself with a strong Pakistani rock sound that has evolved from bands such as Noori, Call and eP. To coin an overused phrase, it’s a breath of fresh air amid an industry that seems to find itself troubled with the times and record label issues.
But that’s not what Symt is about. The band aims to be the next progressive and modern Pakistani rock band, and its sound is interesting to say the least: its rock, its loud and most importantly it’s catchy. Haroon’s vocals and Hassan’s guitars aren’t the only thing that had the audience’s interest piqued. Produced by Overload’s Farhad Humayun, the band’s rock sound is formidable if not loud. It resonates the same way Noori broke onto the scene with their first couple of songs, especially that of Suno Ke Main Hoon Jawan.
Joining Farhad is Mahmood Rahman also from Overload, taking over duty on the bass. Together, there is a certain harmony in the band. It may seem that Mahmood and Farhad are merely for support, however it is their contribution that makes the sound of Symt complete.
The upcoming album of the band is mastered by Shahi (Shahzad Hasan) and if Zamana is any indication of what the sound of the album will be like then Symt’s album will be something different, unique and a must-have.
Haroon’s singing is quite unique in the sense that his voice, though not as unique as say Atif Aslam’s, has the grunge and yearn of another Ali Azmat in the making. Similarly Hassan’s rock guitars riffs complement the Urdu lyrics (a feat very bands have achieved).
The video is directed by recluse director Kamran Yar Kami. His previous venture, Hamesha, remains embedded in the minds of viewers across Pakistan. Kamran uses the same translation with Symt’s Zamana and transforms it into a bright and eccentric video. As mentioned, the band does emulate the feeling Noori brought in with it when it came round, but Symt takes it a bit further and somewhat darker. This definitely exudes itself in the video, especially if you compare with it Noori’s where you had people dancing around with the band. Symt’s is much darker in tone but quite similar.
The event showcased a band that is eager to prove itself with a strong Pakistani rock sound that has evolved from bands such as Noori, Call and eP. To coin an overused phrase, it’s a breath of fresh air amid an industry that seems to find itself troubled with the times and record label issues.
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