Jal (band)
Encyclopedia
Jal is a pop rock
band from Lahore
, Punjab
, Pakistan
. The band originally consisted of song writer, vocalist and lead guitarist, Goher Mumtaz and vocalist, Atif Aslam
. Founded in 2002, they first became popular playing in Lahore's underground music
scene with the release of their song "Aadat", which was a massive hit in Pakistan topping all local music charts.
The band initially achieved critical and commercial success with the release of their music video
"Aadat", directed by Umer Anwar, in 2003. After the success of the single, lead vocalist, Atif Aslam due to musical differences with lead guitarist Goher Mumtaz, parted ways with the band to pursue a career as a solo artist. This led Mumtaz recruit musicians Farhan Saeed
on vocals and Aamir Sheraz on bass guitar. The band's new lineup followed with the release of their debut studio album, Aadat
, in 2004. The album was declared as the best selling album of 2004 on Geo TV
by the record label Sadaf Stereo. Soon after wards, the band recorded and released their second studio album Boondh
in 2007, which topped several music charts in South Asia
. The success of both the albums has led the band to achieve several awards, most notably winning the MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist India
in 2006. Jal are currently working on their third studio album which is expected to be released in mid 2011 in both Pakistan and India.
Jal are one of the most commercially successful and influential rock music groups of all time in Pakistan. Also, the band is well known for being one of the few contemporary Pakistani music bands to have fused Urdu musical vocals with modern pop music
.
met each other while the latter was studying at the PAF College in Lahore
, Punjab
, Pakistan
, in 1998. Together the pair started to practice and doing small gigs for their friends. The duo used to perform cover songs of famous local rock bands, such as Junoon and Strings
at their concerts. The band then soon started to perform at larger audiences such as in schools, colleges and local restaurants. Thus, this began the original line up of Jal to form.
, Punjab
, Pakistan
in 2002 by vocalist, lead guitarist and songwriter Goher Mumtaz and vocalist Atif Aslam
. The band then went on recording their first song "Aadat" at Mekaal Hasan
's Digital Fidelity Studios in Lahore. The song was released and was made available for download on the internet through many musical websites in Pakistan. The song became very popular on these musical websites and enjoyed the status of being one of most downloaded Pakistani song on the internet for quiet some time due to its extensive popularity. This was followed by the song garnering consistent airplay on many local radio stations.
Soon after wards, the band started to gain popularity in Lahore's underground music
scene and gained a large cult following
due to the success of their song "Aadat". The band then went on releasing the music video
for the song, directed by Umer Anwar, through ARY Digital
and The Musik
, in December 2003. This saw the single top all local music charts, receiving an amazing amount of air time by all the music channels. The video was soon rated as the 4th best video of the year 2003 by ARY The Muzik, within days of its release. The success of the song immediately led the band to receive many concert offers, which was also partly due to the song's rating to date on music channels.
However, by the end of December, in 2003, Atif parted ways with the band due musical differences, with lead guitarist Goher Mumtaz, to pursue a career as a solo artist. This led Goher recruit musicians Farhan Saeed
on vocals and Aamir Sheraz on bass guitar. Farhan was suggested by Sultan Raja, bassist of Call, who introduced him to Goher and thus joining the band as its vocalist. By this time the band, with a new line-up, re-did the song "Aadat" as it's video was already being aired on local music channels with the former lead vocalist, Atif Aslam, voice.
, and started to work on their first album. The album was composed by Goher and was produced by well known musicians Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan and Mekaal Hasan
, previously produced the band's debut single "Aadat" which was a major hit in both India
and Pakistan
. Jal then went on recording and releasing their debut studio album, Aadat
, through the record label Sadaf Stereo, on September 27, 2004. Mostly all singles from the album did really well at the local music charts, most notably "Aadat" which topped the charts and stayed at the top for two weeks. Where as, five other songs from the album received Top 40 airplay on radio and music channels in Pakistan. Sales of the album were such that it remained at the top of the Pakistani music charts for several weeks after its release. The album was declared as the best selling album of 2004 on Geo TV
by the record label
Sadaf Stereo. This was followed by the album being released in India
by HOM Records, where it did really well in the market and was highly acclaimed due to its success in the country as well. In October, Jal released their second single "Lamhay" music video
, from their album, directed by Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan. On November 11, Jal went on performing at Lahore Grammar School 55-Main
branch along with Call. In December, Jal received a special award by Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital
in recognition of their support and efforts to raise funds for fighting cancer in Pakistan.
Atif Aslam
, released his debut solo album Jal Pari
, after he left the band, which included few songs from Jal's first studio album. This led to a dispute between Atif and Jal about who owned the rights to the songs as Goher took the dispute to court. However, the final statement from the court went in favour of both the artists as the songs which were included in both the artist albums were compositions of both Atif and Goher. Thus, the dispute ended between the two musicians.
On February 2, 2005, Jal performed a charity concert for the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami victims at Alhamra Auditorium
in Lahore. In the same year, the title track "Aadat", from their debut album, was remade for the Bollywood
movie Kalyug
, directed by Mohit Suri
and produced by Mahesh Bhatt
. Also, Jal band members established themselves as one of the most popular and commercially successful band in Pakistan, as their debut album continued to top the music charts locally, and the release of their single "Lamhay" turned out to be another successful single by the band in 2004, and even a year after its release. The song created controversy as a remix version of the song later appeared in the Bollywood movie Zeher
, released in March 2005. Jal accused the film producer
s of stealing
their song, "Lamhay". In response to this accusation, the music director for the movie, Anu Malik
, credited himself for only "re-creating" the song on the album, but there was still a heavily noticeable resemblance. Roop Kumar Rathod
is credited as the "composer" for the song, while the original composer of the song is vocalist, lead guitarist, Goher Mumtaz, of the band. However, Atif Aslam, who sang the song for the movie, faced legal problems over the band name "Jal" with the existing members.
On April 30, Jal due to the success of their debut studio album won four awards and received two nominations at the Indus Music Awards. The band won the "Best Lyrics", "Best Composition" and "Best Song" awards, for their song "Aadat", along with the "Best Band" award at the music awards. Also, the band were nominated for the "Best Music Album", for their debut album and also the "Best Composition", for the song "Lamhay", award. On September 24, Jal received a nomination for the "Best Song" and "Best Lyrics" award for their song "Lamhay" and also received an award for the "Best Pop Group", for their debut album Aadat, at the Sahara Sangeet Awards
, held at Oakland Arena
in Oakland, California
, United States
.
In 2006, Jal's music video for the song "Ik Din Ayega" was declared as the second best video among the top 100 videos selected by ARY Musik channel. On March 31, 2006, Jal once again went on performing at Alhamra Auditorium
in Lahore. The following day, the band went on performing at Nawabshah District
, for the first time. Soon after wards, the band then went on performing across border in neighbouring country, India, at Modern School, New Delhi on April 7. On May 6, Jal won the MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist India
at MTV Asia Awards 2006
held at the Siam Paragon
in Bangkok
, Thailand
. The band also performed their song "Aadat" live at the music awards. After a month, on June 10, Jal went on performing live at Defence Club and Arts Council Karachi, in Karachi
. Followed by performing live in the capital city of the state Andhra Pradesh
, in Hyderabad, India. On December 15, Jal performed live in front of a crowd of 15, 000 audiences at Tundikhel
for the first time in Kathmandu, Nepal
. The band opened their act by performing "Teri Yaad", followed by the massive hit "Lamhay" and also performing many cover songs like "Lal Meri Pat". On December 23, Jal released a video album Woh Lamhay, which included music videos released by the band and remixes of the songs "Aadat" and "Lamhay" by Dr. Zeus, through the record label HOM Records.
, becoming the first South Asian band in history (along with the Pakistani pop rock
band Strings
) to create a working relationship with the famed guitar manufacturers. It was reported that according to the deal, Jal will exclusively use Gibson guitars during concerts, studio recordings and music videos. Furthermore, Jal will act as brand ambassadors to Gibson. In return, Gibson will sponsor the varied endeavours of the band and also provide concert halls and equipment as and when required. Following this, Jal also became the brand ambassadors for the Abu Dhabi
based mobile telecommunication company, Warid Telecom
. In the same year, Jal entered the recording studios to work on their second studio album release. The mixing and engineering of the album was done by Mekaal Hasan
and Goher Mumtaz. The album was recorded at Digital Fidelity Studios in Lahore
, where the band also recorded their debut album Aadat
in 2004. All songs on the album were composed and written by Goher Mumtaz with the exception of one track, which is written by Farhan Saeed
and the album was produced by Mekaal Hasan. On December 14, Jal went on releasing their second studio album Boondh
, through the record label Fire Records
, sponsored by Warid Telecom. Farhan Saeed
, the lead vocalist of the band, explained the title of the album Boondh is not the name of any song in the album, but is basically the theme of the album and covers all the songs in it. The name suggests that we as a band are just like a small droplet of water in the sea of music, which covers Pakistan, Asia and the entire world where our music is heard. It is our small contribution to the sea of music," said Farhan. This was followed by a live tour, mainly in South Asia
, with concerts all over Pakistan
, and a few places in India
. The following day, Jal released their first music video of the single "Sajni" from their second album, directed by Bilal Lashari. The single was a major hit all over Pakistan, topping all of the charts in the country, just after a month of its release.
In 2008, Jal were signed to Unilever
as they became the brand ambassadors for Wall's ice cream
. On February 19, Jal released the video of their new single "Chaltay Chaltay" featuring Bollywood
actress Amrita Rao
. The single later appeared as a bonus track on the band's second album, when re-released on February 26 in Pakistan
and March 26, internationally. Jal's second album Boondh became an instantaneous hit, winning the Lux Style Award for "Album of the Year". The song "Sajni" from this album also won the Best Song and Video of the Year awards at the same ceremony. On June 14, Jal won the "Best Song" award for the song "Chaltay Chaltay" at The Musik Awards. This was followed by Jal traveling to Toronto
, Canada
, performing at Markham Fair Grounds in South Asian Mela, on June 15. Then going to performing live at Corianthas in Pune
, India
. On July 13, the band once again traveled to Canada this time performing at the Wonder Land in Toronto. Followed by a number of concerts in Pakistan and India and then traveling to perform at Rådhusplassen in Oslo
, Norway
, on August 24. Jal's video "Sajni", directed by Bilal Lashari, went on winning the 'Best Pop Video Award' at MTV Video Awards 2008. In November, Jal released the music video of their fourth single "Moré Piya", from Boondh
.
On April 9, 2009, Jal went on performing at Qurum City Amphitheatre
in Muscat, Oman
, for the first time. In May, Jal won the 'Best Ballad' award for their single "Moré Piya" and were nominated for the 'Best Band' award at the first MTV Pakistan Video Awards
. The band continued to go to new heights. From performing at the Club Elegnate in Dubai
, to performing at Exposition Park
in Los Angeles
. The band also performed at various famous educational institutions, including places like George Mason University
. In November, Jal released the music video of "Humain Itna Pyaar". This was followed by the band performing at various concerts throughout Pakistan and neighbouring India
, as well as performing at Wonderland in Dubai.
, directed by Shahid Hassan. The song was sponsored by LG
and was dedicated to the Pakistan cricket team playing at the 2011 Cricket World Cup
.
On May 11, it was confirmed that Jal will be performing at Coke Studio
season four first episode, which will be aired on May 22, through a Coke Studio television promo of the first episode. On May 14, in a behind the scenes video of Jal performing at a Coke Studio session, Goher Mumtaz discussed about performing a new song, "Ik Aarzu", at Coke Studio as it would be more challenging for the band. On May 22, Coke Studio fourth season first episode aired in which Jal performed "Ik Aarzu", added with classical sufi poetry of Bulleh Shah
infusion into the band’s song lyrics, featuring with backing vocals by Zoe Viccaji and Rachel Viccaji. On May 24, in a review of the Coke Studio fourth season, first episode, The Express Tribune
newspaper gave Jal's performance for the song "Ik Aarzu" a 7/10 rating. On June 19, the third episode of Coke Studio fourth season aired saw the band sung their hit song "Panchi", from Aadat
, with singer Quratulain Baloch, who came in with her rendition of the Mohammad Ali Sheikhi and Allan Fakir
's hit song "Tere Ishq Mae Jo Bhi Doob Gaya". The Express Tribune newspaper also gave this performance by the band a 7/10 rating.
On August 22, the band's lead vocalist Farhan Saeed
released a solo single cover of "Halka Halka Suroor" paying tribute to late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The release of the song led to spreading rumours that the vocalist has parted ways with Jal. On September 3, Saeed in an interview to The Express Tribune
finally confirmed these speculations, disclosing his departure from the band to pursue a solo career. Saeed claimed that he disclosed his decision to Mumtaz and Aamir around the first week of Ramazan, saying "I invited them over to my cafe and explained my reasons for leaving the band. Goher offered that I could pursue my solo career while being a part of the band, but for me it’s always been black or white as Jal would be my priority if I stay with the band."
and Mehdi Hassan
, although their sound primarily falls in the Pop/Rock genre.
Former members
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band from Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The band originally consisted of song writer, vocalist and lead guitarist, Goher Mumtaz and vocalist, Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam is a Pakistani pop singer. He is widely recognized in South Asia and has given several hit songs such as Aadat, Woh Lamhe, Tere Bin, Bakhuda Tumhi Ho, Pehli Nazar Mein, Tera Hone Laga Hoon, Tu Jaane Na, Tere Liye. He is one of the most popular South Asian celebrity on Facebook with...
. Founded in 2002, they first became popular playing in Lahore's underground music
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
scene with the release of their song "Aadat", which was a massive hit in Pakistan topping all local music charts.
The band initially achieved critical and commercial success with the release of their music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
"Aadat", directed by Umer Anwar, in 2003. After the success of the single, lead vocalist, Atif Aslam due to musical differences with lead guitarist Goher Mumtaz, parted ways with the band to pursue a career as a solo artist. This led Mumtaz recruit musicians Farhan Saeed
Farhan Saeed
Farhan Saeed Butt is the 26 year old former lead vocalist of the Pakistani band Jal and owner of restaurant Cafe Rock. He was born on September 14, 1984 . He speaks Urdu, Punjabi and English.-Early life and education:...
on vocals and Aamir Sheraz on bass guitar. The band's new lineup followed with the release of their debut studio album, Aadat
Aadat
*The Indian Edition of the album does not contain the following tracks; Woh Lamhein and Panchi -Personnel:All information is taken from the CD.Jal:* Farhan Saeed: lead vocals* Goher Mumtaz: lead guitar, vocals...
, in 2004. The album was declared as the best selling album of 2004 on Geo TV
Geo TV
Geo TV or Geo Television is a Pakistani television network, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002...
by the record label Sadaf Stereo. Soon after wards, the band recorded and released their second studio album Boondh
Boondh
-Personnel:All information is taken from the CD.Jal:* Farhan Saeed: lead vocals* Goher Mumtaz: lead guitar, backing vocals* Aamir Sheraz: bass guitarAdditional musicians* Keyboards: Ali Mustafa* Drums and Percussion: John "Gumby" Louis Pinto...
in 2007, which topped several music charts in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
. The success of both the albums has led the band to achieve several awards, most notably winning the MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist India
MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist India
The following is a list of MTV Asia Awards winners for Favorite Artist India....
in 2006. Jal are currently working on their third studio album which is expected to be released in mid 2011 in both Pakistan and India.
Jal are one of the most commercially successful and influential rock music groups of all time in Pakistan. Also, the band is well known for being one of the few contemporary Pakistani music bands to have fused Urdu musical vocals with modern pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
.
Early years (1998-2001)
Goher Mumtaz and Atif AslamAtif Aslam
Atif Aslam is a Pakistani pop singer. He is widely recognized in South Asia and has given several hit songs such as Aadat, Woh Lamhe, Tere Bin, Bakhuda Tumhi Ho, Pehli Nazar Mein, Tera Hone Laga Hoon, Tu Jaane Na, Tere Liye. He is one of the most popular South Asian celebrity on Facebook with...
met each other while the latter was studying at the PAF College in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, in 1998. Together the pair started to practice and doing small gigs for their friends. The duo used to perform cover songs of famous local rock bands, such as Junoon and Strings
Strings (band)
Strings are an internationally acclaimed pop rock band comprising two members from Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The band was initially formed by four college students, Bilal Maqsood , Faisal Kapadia , Rafiq Wazir Ali and Kareem Bashir Bhoy in 1988...
at their concerts. The band then soon started to perform at larger audiences such as in schools, colleges and local restaurants. Thus, this began the original line up of Jal to form.
Formation (2002-2003)
Jal was formed in LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in 2002 by vocalist, lead guitarist and songwriter Goher Mumtaz and vocalist Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam is a Pakistani pop singer. He is widely recognized in South Asia and has given several hit songs such as Aadat, Woh Lamhe, Tere Bin, Bakhuda Tumhi Ho, Pehli Nazar Mein, Tera Hone Laga Hoon, Tu Jaane Na, Tere Liye. He is one of the most popular South Asian celebrity on Facebook with...
. The band then went on recording their first song "Aadat" at Mekaal Hasan
Mekaal Hasan
Mekaal Hasan is a leading Pakistani musician and record producer from Lahore. He has worked in the capacity of a guest artist and/or record producer in the music industry of Pakistan with many Pakistani bands and solo artists at home and abroad. He is also the leader and composer for Mekaal Hasan...
's Digital Fidelity Studios in Lahore. The song was released and was made available for download on the internet through many musical websites in Pakistan. The song became very popular on these musical websites and enjoyed the status of being one of most downloaded Pakistani song on the internet for quiet some time due to its extensive popularity. This was followed by the song garnering consistent airplay on many local radio stations.
Soon after wards, the band started to gain popularity in Lahore's underground music
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
scene and gained a large cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
due to the success of their song "Aadat". The band then went on releasing the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song, directed by Umer Anwar, through ARY Digital
ARY Digital
ARY Digital, a subsidiary of the ARY Group, is a popular Pakistani television network available in Pakistan, the Middle East, North America and Europe. The ARY Group of companies is a Dubai-based holding company founded by a Pakistani businessman, Abdul Razzak Yaqoob . The network caters to the...
and The Musik
The Musik
ARY Musik is a 24-hour Urdu-English music channel from Pakistan.Originally created and launched from Dubai in 2003 under the leadership of the CEO Salman Iqbal and multiple Award Winner VP Wiqar Ali Khan...
, in December 2003. This saw the single top all local music charts, receiving an amazing amount of air time by all the music channels. The video was soon rated as the 4th best video of the year 2003 by ARY The Muzik, within days of its release. The success of the song immediately led the band to receive many concert offers, which was also partly due to the song's rating to date on music channels.
However, by the end of December, in 2003, Atif parted ways with the band due musical differences, with lead guitarist Goher Mumtaz, to pursue a career as a solo artist. This led Goher recruit musicians Farhan Saeed
Farhan Saeed
Farhan Saeed Butt is the 26 year old former lead vocalist of the Pakistani band Jal and owner of restaurant Cafe Rock. He was born on September 14, 1984 . He speaks Urdu, Punjabi and English.-Early life and education:...
on vocals and Aamir Sheraz on bass guitar. Farhan was suggested by Sultan Raja, bassist of Call, who introduced him to Goher and thus joining the band as its vocalist. By this time the band, with a new line-up, re-did the song "Aadat" as it's video was already being aired on local music channels with the former lead vocalist, Atif Aslam, voice.
Ushering a new revival (2004-2006)
Following the release of the band's first single, Jal soon entered the recording studios to work on their debut studio album release. The band had recruited bassist Aamir Sheraz along with vocalist Farhan SaeedFarhan Saeed
Farhan Saeed Butt is the 26 year old former lead vocalist of the Pakistani band Jal and owner of restaurant Cafe Rock. He was born on September 14, 1984 . He speaks Urdu, Punjabi and English.-Early life and education:...
, and started to work on their first album. The album was composed by Goher and was produced by well known musicians Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan and Mekaal Hasan
Mekaal Hasan
Mekaal Hasan is a leading Pakistani musician and record producer from Lahore. He has worked in the capacity of a guest artist and/or record producer in the music industry of Pakistan with many Pakistani bands and solo artists at home and abroad. He is also the leader and composer for Mekaal Hasan...
, previously produced the band's debut single "Aadat" which was a major hit in both India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Jal then went on recording and releasing their debut studio album, Aadat
Aadat
*The Indian Edition of the album does not contain the following tracks; Woh Lamhein and Panchi -Personnel:All information is taken from the CD.Jal:* Farhan Saeed: lead vocals* Goher Mumtaz: lead guitar, vocals...
, through the record label Sadaf Stereo, on September 27, 2004. Mostly all singles from the album did really well at the local music charts, most notably "Aadat" which topped the charts and stayed at the top for two weeks. Where as, five other songs from the album received Top 40 airplay on radio and music channels in Pakistan. Sales of the album were such that it remained at the top of the Pakistani music charts for several weeks after its release. The album was declared as the best selling album of 2004 on Geo TV
Geo TV
Geo TV or Geo Television is a Pakistani television network, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002...
by the record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Sadaf Stereo. This was followed by the album being released in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
by HOM Records, where it did really well in the market and was highly acclaimed due to its success in the country as well. In October, Jal released their second single "Lamhay" music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, from their album, directed by Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan. On November 11, Jal went on performing at Lahore Grammar School 55-Main
Lahore Grammar School
Lahore Grammar School is a group of private fee-paying group of academic institutions based in city of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The system was established, in January 1979, at its 55 Main Gulberg campus. The institution provides education to both boys and girls until A Level...
branch along with Call. In December, Jal received a special award by Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre is a state-of-the-art cancer centre located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is a project of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, which is a charitable organization established under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 of Pakistan....
in recognition of their support and efforts to raise funds for fighting cancer in Pakistan.
Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam is a Pakistani pop singer. He is widely recognized in South Asia and has given several hit songs such as Aadat, Woh Lamhe, Tere Bin, Bakhuda Tumhi Ho, Pehli Nazar Mein, Tera Hone Laga Hoon, Tu Jaane Na, Tere Liye. He is one of the most popular South Asian celebrity on Facebook with...
, released his debut solo album Jal Pari
Jal Pari
Jal Pari was released on 17 July 2004. It is Atif Aslam's first solo album after he left the Pakistani rock group, Jal. Two of his songs from the album were used by Bollywood film directors. Three songs have also been selected for the Hollywood film Man Push Cart...
, after he left the band, which included few songs from Jal's first studio album. This led to a dispute between Atif and Jal about who owned the rights to the songs as Goher took the dispute to court. However, the final statement from the court went in favour of both the artists as the songs which were included in both the artist albums were compositions of both Atif and Goher. Thus, the dispute ended between the two musicians.
On February 2, 2005, Jal performed a charity concert for the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami victims at Alhamra Auditorium
Alhamra Arts Council
Alhamra Arts Council is a name in the World of Architecture in Pakistan. It is a heart of Pakistani architecture because it shows all the traditions and Architecture of Pakistan....
in Lahore. In the same year, the title track "Aadat", from their debut album, was remade for the Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
movie Kalyug
Kalyug (2005 film)
Kalyug is a Bollywood film based on the pornographic film industry. The film was directed by Mohit Suri, and produced by Mahesh Bhatt. It introduces actor Kunal Khemu, as his debut film as an adult actor. It also stars Emraan Hashmi, Smilie Suri and Amrita Singh. The film released on December 9 2005...
, directed by Mohit Suri
Mohit Suri
Mohit Suri, is an Indian film director, most known for his films, like Kalyug and Awarapan .He is member of the Bhatt family...
and produced by Mahesh Bhatt
Mahesh Bhatt
Mahesh Bhatt , is a prominent Indian film director, producer and screenwriter.Bhatt's early directional career consisted of acclaimed films, such as Arth, Saaransh, Janam, Naam and Zakhm....
. Also, Jal band members established themselves as one of the most popular and commercially successful band in Pakistan, as their debut album continued to top the music charts locally, and the release of their single "Lamhay" turned out to be another successful single by the band in 2004, and even a year after its release. The song created controversy as a remix version of the song later appeared in the Bollywood movie Zeher
Zeher
Zeher is a 2005 Hindi language Indian film directed by Mohit Suri. It is copy of the Hollywood movie Out of Time starring Denzel Washington and Eva Mendes released in 2003.-Plot:...
, released in March 2005. Jal accused the film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
s of stealing
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
their song, "Lamhay". In response to this accusation, the music director for the movie, Anu Malik
Anu Malik
Anu Malik , born Anwar Sardaar Malik, is a famous music director in the Hindi film industry. Son of veteran music director Sardar Malek, Anu Malik made his debut as a music composer in the year 1977. After a considerable period of struggle, the 90's welcomed Anu with hits like 'Phir Teri Kahani...
, credited himself for only "re-creating" the song on the album, but there was still a heavily noticeable resemblance. Roop Kumar Rathod
Roop Kumar Rathod
-Personal life:Roopkumar is the son of the late Pandit Chaturbhuj Rathod, the classical luminary – an exponent of the rare and arguably the oldest style of singing i.e. Dhrupad. He belonged to the “Aditya Gharana of Jamnagar”. Pandit Rathod has trained and groomed many well known names like...
is credited as the "composer" for the song, while the original composer of the song is vocalist, lead guitarist, Goher Mumtaz, of the band. However, Atif Aslam, who sang the song for the movie, faced legal problems over the band name "Jal" with the existing members.
On April 30, Jal due to the success of their debut studio album won four awards and received two nominations at the Indus Music Awards. The band won the "Best Lyrics", "Best Composition" and "Best Song" awards, for their song "Aadat", along with the "Best Band" award at the music awards. Also, the band were nominated for the "Best Music Album", for their debut album and also the "Best Composition", for the song "Lamhay", award. On September 24, Jal received a nomination for the "Best Song" and "Best Lyrics" award for their song "Lamhay" and also received an award for the "Best Pop Group", for their debut album Aadat, at the Sahara Sangeet Awards
Sahara One
Sahara One is an Indian Hindi general entertainment channel based in Mumbai. It is operated by Sahara India Pariwar, a company formed by Subrato Roy Sahara who is a managing worker and chairman of the Sahara India Pariwar....
, held at Oakland Arena
Oakland Arena
The Oracle is an indoor arena, in Oakland, California, located in the Coliseum Industrial area...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In 2006, Jal's music video for the song "Ik Din Ayega" was declared as the second best video among the top 100 videos selected by ARY Musik channel. On March 31, 2006, Jal once again went on performing at Alhamra Auditorium
Alhamra Arts Council
Alhamra Arts Council is a name in the World of Architecture in Pakistan. It is a heart of Pakistani architecture because it shows all the traditions and Architecture of Pakistan....
in Lahore. The following day, the band went on performing at Nawabshah District
Nawabshah District
Shaheed Benazirabad District is one of the districts in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. The district was renamed in September 2008 when most of MPAs of Nawabshah demanded renaming the district to honour the late party leader...
, for the first time. Soon after wards, the band then went on performing across border in neighbouring country, India, at Modern School, New Delhi on April 7. On May 6, Jal won the MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist India
MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist India
The following is a list of MTV Asia Awards winners for Favorite Artist India....
at MTV Asia Awards 2006
MTV Asia Awards 2006
The MTV Asia Awards 2006 was held at the Siam Paragon in Bangkok, Thailand. The show aired live on Saturday, May 6 across Asian MTV channels. Like previous award shows, the show is best known for live performances featuring collaborations of Eastern and Western act...
held at the Siam Paragon
Siam Paragon
Siam Paragon is a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand. It is one of the biggest shopping centers in Asia. Opened on December 9, 2005, it includes a wide range of specialty stores and restaurants as well as a multiplex movie theater and the Siam Ocean World...
in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The band also performed their song "Aadat" live at the music awards. After a month, on June 10, Jal went on performing live at Defence Club and Arts Council Karachi, in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
. Followed by performing live in the capital city of the state Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, in Hyderabad, India. On December 15, Jal performed live in front of a crowd of 15, 000 audiences at Tundikhel
Tundikhel
Tundikhel is an open space in the centre of Kathmandu surrounded by the Sahid Gate, NAC, Bir Hospital and Ratna Park. It is under the custody of government where people can sit and play there. It is around half a square kilometer with a perimeter of about 2 kilometers. It is traditionally used for...
for the first time in Kathmandu, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. The band opened their act by performing "Teri Yaad", followed by the massive hit "Lamhay" and also performing many cover songs like "Lal Meri Pat". On December 23, Jal released a video album Woh Lamhay, which included music videos released by the band and remixes of the songs "Aadat" and "Lamhay" by Dr. Zeus, through the record label HOM Records.
Success (2007-2009)
In 2007, Jal struck a deal with Gibson Guitar CorporationGibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
, becoming the first South Asian band in history (along with the Pakistani pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band Strings
Strings (band)
Strings are an internationally acclaimed pop rock band comprising two members from Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The band was initially formed by four college students, Bilal Maqsood , Faisal Kapadia , Rafiq Wazir Ali and Kareem Bashir Bhoy in 1988...
) to create a working relationship with the famed guitar manufacturers. It was reported that according to the deal, Jal will exclusively use Gibson guitars during concerts, studio recordings and music videos. Furthermore, Jal will act as brand ambassadors to Gibson. In return, Gibson will sponsor the varied endeavours of the band and also provide concert halls and equipment as and when required. Following this, Jal also became the brand ambassadors for the Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
based mobile telecommunication company, Warid Telecom
Warid Telecom
Warid Telecom International is an Abu Dhabi based mobile telecommunication firm providing telephony services in Congo, Pakistan and Uganda. Warid is expected to launch in the Ivory Coast and Georgia soon.-Pakistan:...
. In the same year, Jal entered the recording studios to work on their second studio album release. The mixing and engineering of the album was done by Mekaal Hasan
Mekaal Hasan
Mekaal Hasan is a leading Pakistani musician and record producer from Lahore. He has worked in the capacity of a guest artist and/or record producer in the music industry of Pakistan with many Pakistani bands and solo artists at home and abroad. He is also the leader and composer for Mekaal Hasan...
and Goher Mumtaz. The album was recorded at Digital Fidelity Studios in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, where the band also recorded their debut album Aadat
Aadat
*The Indian Edition of the album does not contain the following tracks; Woh Lamhein and Panchi -Personnel:All information is taken from the CD.Jal:* Farhan Saeed: lead vocals* Goher Mumtaz: lead guitar, vocals...
in 2004. All songs on the album were composed and written by Goher Mumtaz with the exception of one track, which is written by Farhan Saeed
Farhan Saeed
Farhan Saeed Butt is the 26 year old former lead vocalist of the Pakistani band Jal and owner of restaurant Cafe Rock. He was born on September 14, 1984 . He speaks Urdu, Punjabi and English.-Early life and education:...
and the album was produced by Mekaal Hasan. On December 14, Jal went on releasing their second studio album Boondh
Boondh
-Personnel:All information is taken from the CD.Jal:* Farhan Saeed: lead vocals* Goher Mumtaz: lead guitar, backing vocals* Aamir Sheraz: bass guitarAdditional musicians* Keyboards: Ali Mustafa* Drums and Percussion: John "Gumby" Louis Pinto...
, through the record label Fire Records
Fire Records (Pakistan)
Fire Records is a record label based in Pakistan which promotes young musicians across Pakistan. The company is the subsidiary of Geo TV Network. It also distributes music and movies released under the banner of Geo Films.*Basit Salik*Annie Khalid*Azam Bakshi...
, sponsored by Warid Telecom. Farhan Saeed
Farhan Saeed
Farhan Saeed Butt is the 26 year old former lead vocalist of the Pakistani band Jal and owner of restaurant Cafe Rock. He was born on September 14, 1984 . He speaks Urdu, Punjabi and English.-Early life and education:...
, the lead vocalist of the band, explained the title of the album Boondh is not the name of any song in the album, but is basically the theme of the album and covers all the songs in it. The name suggests that we as a band are just like a small droplet of water in the sea of music, which covers Pakistan, Asia and the entire world where our music is heard. It is our small contribution to the sea of music," said Farhan. This was followed by a live tour, mainly in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, with concerts all over Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, and a few places in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The following day, Jal released their first music video of the single "Sajni" from their second album, directed by Bilal Lashari. The single was a major hit all over Pakistan, topping all of the charts in the country, just after a month of its release.
In 2008, Jal were signed to Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
as they became the brand ambassadors for Wall's ice cream
Wall's ice cream
Wall's is a United Kingdom-originated food brand, covering both meat products and ice cream, owned by Unilever. Founded in London in 1786 by butcher Richard Wall, it was acquired in 1922 by Lever Brothers, which became a part of Unilever in 1930. To avoid summer lay-offs due to the down turn in its...
. On February 19, Jal released the video of their new single "Chaltay Chaltay" featuring Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
actress Amrita Rao
Amrita Rao
Amrita Rao is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films.Beginning her career as a model, Rao made her acting debut with Ab Ke Baras...
. The single later appeared as a bonus track on the band's second album, when re-released on February 26 in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and March 26, internationally. Jal's second album Boondh became an instantaneous hit, winning the Lux Style Award for "Album of the Year". The song "Sajni" from this album also won the Best Song and Video of the Year awards at the same ceremony. On June 14, Jal won the "Best Song" award for the song "Chaltay Chaltay" at The Musik Awards. This was followed by Jal traveling to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, performing at Markham Fair Grounds in South Asian Mela, on June 15. Then going to performing live at Corianthas in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. On July 13, the band once again traveled to Canada this time performing at the Wonder Land in Toronto. Followed by a number of concerts in Pakistan and India and then traveling to perform at Rådhusplassen in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, on August 24. Jal's video "Sajni", directed by Bilal Lashari, went on winning the 'Best Pop Video Award' at MTV Video Awards 2008. In November, Jal released the music video of their fourth single "Moré Piya", from Boondh
Boondh
-Personnel:All information is taken from the CD.Jal:* Farhan Saeed: lead vocals* Goher Mumtaz: lead guitar, backing vocals* Aamir Sheraz: bass guitarAdditional musicians* Keyboards: Ali Mustafa* Drums and Percussion: John "Gumby" Louis Pinto...
.
On April 9, 2009, Jal went on performing at Qurum City Amphitheatre
Qurum
Qurum is an upmarket suburb of Muscat in Oman.Its main attraction is the Qurum natural park.- Economy :The $600 million Muriya and $129 million Al Kuwair retail developments are located in Qurum....
in Muscat, Oman
Muscat, Oman
Muscat is the capital of Oman. It is also the seat of government and largest city in the Governorate of Muscat. As of 2008, the population of the Muscat metropolitan area was 1,090,797. The metropolitan area spans approximately and includes six provinces called wilayats...
, for the first time. In May, Jal won the 'Best Ballad' award for their single "Moré Piya" and were nominated for the 'Best Band' award at the first MTV Pakistan Video Awards
MTV Pakistan
Music Television Pakistan is the Pakistani subsidiary of MTV, a cable television network owned by Viacom Inc. headquartered in New York. The Pakistan franchise has been set up in collaboration with Pakistan's first satellite channel media group known as Indus Media Group . Indus TV is Pakistan's...
. The band continued to go to new heights. From performing at the Club Elegnate in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, to performing at Exposition Park
Exposition Park (Los Angeles)
Exposition Park is located in University Park, Los Angeles, California, across the street from the University of Southern California. Exposition Park houses the following:* Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum* Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. The band also performed at various famous educational institutions, including places like George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
. In November, Jal released the music video of "Humain Itna Pyaar". This was followed by the band performing at various concerts throughout Pakistan and neighbouring India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, as well as performing at Wonderland in Dubai.
Continued success (2010-present)
On March 5, 2011, Jal released the single "Uraan", written by Sabir Zafar, along with its music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, directed by Shahid Hassan. The song was sponsored by LG
LG
LG may refer to:*LG Corp., a South Korean electronics and petrochemicals conglomerate*LG Electronics, an affiliate of the South Korean LG Group which produces electronic products* Lawrence Graham, a London headquartered firm of business lawyers...
and was dedicated to the Pakistan cricket team playing at the 2011 Cricket World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
.
On May 11, it was confirmed that Jal will be performing at Coke Studio
Coke Studio
Coke Studio is a Pakistani television series featuring live music performances. Although it is adapted from the original Brazilian show named Estúdio Coca-Cola, it is fundamentally different from the original version where the show was a concert style show whereas the Pakistani version records its...
season four first episode, which will be aired on May 22, through a Coke Studio television promo of the first episode. On May 14, in a behind the scenes video of Jal performing at a Coke Studio session, Goher Mumtaz discussed about performing a new song, "Ik Aarzu", at Coke Studio as it would be more challenging for the band. On May 22, Coke Studio fourth season first episode aired in which Jal performed "Ik Aarzu", added with classical sufi poetry of Bulleh Shah
Bulleh Shah
Bulleh Shah was a Punjabi Sufi poet, a humanist and philosopher.-Early life:Bulleh Shah is believed to have been born in 1680, in the small village of Uch, Bahawalpur, Punjab, in present day Pakistan. His father, Shah Muhammad Darwaish, was a teacher and preacher in a village mosque...
infusion into the band’s song lyrics, featuring with backing vocals by Zoe Viccaji and Rachel Viccaji. On May 24, in a review of the Coke Studio fourth season, first episode, The Express Tribune
The Express Tribune
The Express Tribune is the first internationally affiliated newspaper in Pakistan, in partnership with The International Herald Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times....
newspaper gave Jal's performance for the song "Ik Aarzu" a 7/10 rating. On June 19, the third episode of Coke Studio fourth season aired saw the band sung their hit song "Panchi", from Aadat
Aadat
*The Indian Edition of the album does not contain the following tracks; Woh Lamhein and Panchi -Personnel:All information is taken from the CD.Jal:* Farhan Saeed: lead vocals* Goher Mumtaz: lead guitar, vocals...
, with singer Quratulain Baloch, who came in with her rendition of the Mohammad Ali Sheikhi and Allan Fakir
Allan Fakir
Allan Fakir , a Pakistani folk singer is a one of the foremost exponents of sufi music in Pakistan. He is particularly known for his ecstatic style of performance marked with extreme devotional rhetoric and sufi dance singing...
's hit song "Tere Ishq Mae Jo Bhi Doob Gaya". The Express Tribune newspaper also gave this performance by the band a 7/10 rating.
On August 22, the band's lead vocalist Farhan Saeed
Farhan Saeed
Farhan Saeed Butt is the 26 year old former lead vocalist of the Pakistani band Jal and owner of restaurant Cafe Rock. He was born on September 14, 1984 . He speaks Urdu, Punjabi and English.-Early life and education:...
released a solo single cover of "Halka Halka Suroor" paying tribute to late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The release of the song led to spreading rumours that the vocalist has parted ways with Jal. On September 3, Saeed in an interview to The Express Tribune
The Express Tribune
The Express Tribune is the first internationally affiliated newspaper in Pakistan, in partnership with The International Herald Tribune, the global edition of The New York Times....
finally confirmed these speculations, disclosing his departure from the band to pursue a solo career. Saeed claimed that he disclosed his decision to Mumtaz and Aamir around the first week of Ramazan, saying "I invited them over to my cafe and explained my reasons for leaving the band. Goher offered that I could pursue my solo career while being a part of the band, but for me it’s always been black or white as Jal would be my priority if I stay with the band."
Music style
Jal's Goher Mumtaz has shown fondness for Junoon (band), and is influenced by singers such as Hamid Ali KhanHamid Ali Khan
Hamid Ali Khan is a Pakistani classical singer. He belongs to the legendary Patiala gharana. He is considered to be one of the Last Great Patiala Legends. He represents an era of "Pure" Music. He is one of the most sought after classical singers in [Pakistan]. Ustad Hamid Ali Khan was born in 1953...
and Mehdi Hassan
Mehdi Hassan
Mehdi Hassan is a Pakistani ghazal singer and a former playback singer for Lollywood. He is famously known as the 'King of ghazal' . He has ruled the Pakistan film industry along with Ahmed Rushdi...
, although their sound primarily falls in the Pop/Rock genre.
Band members
Current members- Goher Mumtaz – vocals, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
(2002–present) - Aamir "Shazi" Sheraz – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2003–present)
Former members
- Atif AslamAtif AslamAtif Aslam is a Pakistani pop singer. He is widely recognized in South Asia and has given several hit songs such as Aadat, Woh Lamhe, Tere Bin, Bakhuda Tumhi Ho, Pehli Nazar Mein, Tera Hone Laga Hoon, Tu Jaane Na, Tere Liye. He is one of the most popular South Asian celebrity on Facebook with...
– vocals, backing vocals (2002–2003) - Farhan SaeedFarhan SaeedFarhan Saeed Butt is the 26 year old former lead vocalist of the Pakistani band Jal and owner of restaurant Cafe Rock. He was born on September 14, 1984 . He speaks Urdu, Punjabi and English.-Early life and education:...
– vocals, backing vocals (2003–2011) - Omer Nadeem – bass guitars, backing vocals (2002–2003)
Awards
- Jal's video Ik Din Aye Ga was declared the 2nd best video among the top 100 videos selected by The Musik channel.
- Jal's debut album Aadat was declared the best selling album of 2004 on Geo TVGeo TVGeo TV or Geo Television is a Pakistani television network, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002...
by Mr. Khalid Sadaf (Owner of Sadaf Stereo). - Jal also received a special award by Shaukat Khanum Cancer HospitalShaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research CentreShaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre is a state-of-the-art cancer centre located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It is a project of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, which is a charitable organization established under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 of Pakistan....
in recognition of their support and efforts to raise funds for fighting cancer in Pakistan. - In 2006, Jal won an award at MTV Asia AwardsMTV Asia AwardsThe biannual MTV Asia Awards is the Asian equivalent of the Europe MTV EMA. Established in 2002, the show gives recognition and awards to Asian and international icons in achievement, cinema, fashion, humanitarian, and music. Just like the EMA, most of the awards are voted for by the viewers from...
2006, following an award Indus Music Awards for best rock band in Pakistan. - In 2008, Jal won a best song Musik Award for the song Chalte Chalte.
- In 2008, Jal won a best song award for "Sajni", The Best video for "Sajni" and the best album of the year for "Boondh" at the Lux Style Awards.
- In 2009, Jal won a best ballad song award for their song "More Piya" at MTV Asia AwardsMTV Asia AwardsThe biannual MTV Asia Awards is the Asian equivalent of the Europe MTV EMA. Established in 2002, the show gives recognition and awards to Asian and international icons in achievement, cinema, fashion, humanitarian, and music. Just like the EMA, most of the awards are voted for by the viewers from...
. - In 2010, Jal Won a Best Video Song award For their song "Sajni" at Ptv Award.In June-2010.
External links
- Official website
- Jal at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Jal at FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...