The Music of Pakistan is a fusion of Turko-Persian, Arab, Hindustani, and contemporary Western influences, creating a distinct musical tradition often referred to as "Pakistani Music." The genre has adapted and evolved over time in response to shifting cultural norms and global influences. It has also been deeply shaped by Pakistan's tumultuous political and geopolitical landscape. The Islamization policies of the 1980s, which sought to align Pakistani culture with conservative ideals of Wahhabism, imposed strict censorship on music and musical expression. This period of repression was further fueled by the ongoing Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, during which Wahhabism was aggressively promoted with backing from the United States and Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to counter Soviet influence.
Junoon is a Pakistani sufi rock band from Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, and Tappan, New York, formed in 1990.
Vital Signs were a Pakistani pop and rock band formed in Rawalpindi in 1986 by two Peshawar University students. After their formation, they soon became Pakistan's first and most commercially successful as well as critically acclaimed act. The band's popular lineup consisted of keyboardist Rohail Hyatt, bassist Shahzad Hasan, guitarist Nusrat Hussain and vocalist Junaid Jamshed. Rooted in Rawalpindi with some influence from Western music during the conservative regime of President Zia-ul-Haq, the Vital Signs utilizes several genres, ranging from pop music to rock, and often incorporating classical and other elements in innovative ways. In the early 1990s, they came to be perceived by many Pakistani fans and country's cultural observers as a "promising new era of cultural revival". Their enormous popularity significantly opened a new wave of music and a modern chapter in the history of Pakistan.
Faakhir Mehmood is a Pakistani actor, singer, keyboradist, composer and music producer. He started out his career with the Pakistani musical group Awaz. However, due to conflicts of interest, the band split in 2000 and they all went to become solo artists. The band Awaz also consisted of well known musician Haroon.
Awaz was a Pakistani pop band that formed in Islamabad in 1992. The group was formed by Haroon Rashid, lead vocalist, who was soon joined by keyboardist Faakhir Mehmood and lead guitarist Asad Ahmed. Awaz were one of the pioneer bands of the local pop music scene and were highly skilled and talented musicians, producers and composers. The band's skill at composing and producing was often overlooked and the focus was on their good looks, glossy videos, catchy songs and wild stage performances. Awaz is also regarded as one of the most successful bands in Pakistan having sold more than 5 million albums worldwide.
Awaz, is the first album released by Pakistani pop musical group Awaz. The album was released in 1993 by EMI. Haroon and Fakhir as the lead performers, the album took the Pakistani pop scene by storm and set new standards for the emerging and youthful pop singing fraternity.
Jadoo Ka Charagh is the second album by Pakistani pop musical group, Awaz. The band became the major act after releasing Jadoo Ka Charagh. The album was released in 1995 by Lips Records (Private) Limited. The album had many major hits such as Jadoo Ka Charagh, Shawa(Mein Na Manu Haar), Watan Kahani, Aajao etc.
Shola is the third and final album released by Pakistani pop music group, Awaz. It was released after Jadu Ka Chiraagh, the band's second album. This album was released in 1996 by Lips Records (Private) Limited and BMG Records (UK) Limited.
Junoon is the debut album of the Pakistani sufi rock band Junoon, released on 30 September 1992. It was released by EMI and recorded at the EMI studios in Karachi in 1990. The album is produced by founder, songwriter and lead guitarist Salman Ahmad. The album contained a total track list of twelve songs with eight tracks being in Urdu language, three tracks in English and one instrumental.
Aaron Haroon Rashid simply known as Haroon, is a British-born Pakistani Peabody award winning singer-songwriter, music producer, composer, director, script-writer and social activist.
Pakistani rock is a variety of rock music that is largely produced in Pakistan. Pakistani rock incorporates elements of both British–American rock and Pakistani classical music.
Pakistani popular music or shortly Pak-pop music refers to popular music forms in Pakistan. Pakistani pop is a mixture of traditional Pakistani classical music and western influences of jazz, rock and roll, hip hop and disco sung in various languages of Pakistan, including Urdu. The popularity of music is based on the individual sales of a single, viewership of its music video or the singer's album chart positions. Apart from within Pakistan, Pakistani pop music has also achieved an influential following and popularity in neighboring countries and is listened by members of the Pakistani diaspora, especially in the Middle East, Europe and North America.
Karavan was a hard rock band hailing from Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, formed in 1997. The band was founded Asad Ahmed, former lead guitarist of Awaz, and bassist Sameer Ahmed. They were joined by drummer Allan Smith and vocalist Najam Sheraz. Karavan gained recognition for blending Eastern percussion and melodies with modern rock elements. Since its inception, the band has released five albums, including four studio albums and one live album.
Rizwan–ul–Haq is a Pakistani guitarist, music composer, and backing vocalist, earning fame as lead guitarist for the acclaimed band, Vital Signs.
Talaash is the second studio album of the Pakistani sufi rock band Junoon, released on September 3, 1993. The album was to be their first with bassist Brian O'Connell, who joined the band after Nusrat Hussain departed from the band to pursue his career as a solo artist and released his debut album Amrit in 1992. This was also the first Junoon album produced by Salman Ahmad and O'Connell, both also went on releasing several other albums by Junoon before O'Connell left the band after Dewaar in 2003. The album also served as a soundtrack for the Pakistani television show Talaash, which featured the band and its novel storyline was based on the band.
ARY Musik is a Pakistani pay television music channel, first launched in August 2003 as "The Musik" in Dubai by Salman Iqbal. It is part of the ARY Digital Network. In 2009 its name was changed to "ARY Musik". It features music genres including pop, rock, rap, bhangra, classical, and folk. It also airs interactive shows, celebrity interviews, comic fillers, theme shows, animations and live concerts.
Nizar Lalani is a music producer from Pakistan. Lalani has produced renowned musical albums of Pakistan including Inquilaab by Junoon, Duur by Strings, Roshni by Hadiqa Kiani, and more.
