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Pakistani rock band Junoon joined Indi-pop
singer Anaida at a concert to promote peace and to show that
the two countries could live in peace without the threat of
war. "We have come here to share love and promote peace,"
Anaida told the audience that attended the Karachi concert
on April 20.
"We
want to see peace, peace and only peace in Pakistan and India,"
she said. Artists from both the countries came together on
stage to get across a message of "global peace."
Junoon
lead singer Salman Ahmad told the crowd: "We are also
for peace. We are also for love." Members of Junoon,
who have previously toured India and performed in New York
after the Sept. 11 attacks, showed their desire to play in
the neighboring country again if they are given permission.
Anaida said the musicians were planning to perform similar
concerts in Bangladesh and Dubai.
News
India Times
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.
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