Junoon, Anaida perform to promote global peace 
DATE
May 02, 2003		 PUBLICATION
New India Times		 COUNTRY
IN 		AUTHOR
Ras H. Siddiqui
 

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.