Icon: When you did the first Lahooti Melo, you thought it would be a one-off event, and here you are about to hold the third annual music festival in Hyderabad. How did this come about?

Saif Samejo: I never thought we’d even do a second Lahooti Melo. It was important for the first one to happen. I wanted to build a bridge between mainstream national artists with these regional artists — which to me are national too. There was a lot of positivity and good intention. It had to be carried forward. Now we are here for the third Lahooti Melo. There has been a lot of team work, hard work, commitment and, at the same time, emotional attachment that I feel to this festival.

How many artists are expected to perform at the festival? Will there be talks like last time as well?

We received 180 applications in total. Out of these, we cannot select more than 70 or 80. That’s very difficult because a lot of these artists are very good, but we are limited by time and space. We have talks but we’re planning on having six to seven sessions only. They will be meaningful. We’ll talk about climate and musical activism for the planet. How to make music a part of the curriculum [to help spread awareness] and avoid incidents like that of Zainab [in Kasur] — since we don’t have sex education as a part of the syllabus. We’re trying to engage the government to introduce [lessons through] music in schools so that when children learn, their minds and brains will be different from what they are today. These things can help build a positive society. We’ll also talk about women and music, our folklore and how stories are created, change over time and are told.

Has the music scene changed at all since the first Melo three years ago?

Yes. When we did the first Melo, there were very few events taking place in Pakistan. Now there are so many and so much music on the scene. I believe next year it will be more. A lot of events are coming up. We have more festivals. Yes, I believe things have changed. We’ve changed things in our festival. We’ve been thinking differently than we were before. We have newer goals to set and are curious to try new things.

The eclectic music festival with a spiritual streak, Lahooti Melo, is about to kick off its two-day third edition on March 3 in Hyderabad. The event is fast gaining a reputation of one of Pakistan’s most eagerly awaited annual events. Icon talks to the man behind the Melo, Saif Samejo, to find out about the genesis of the event and this year’s line-up

The music industry sees ups and downs perhaps more than any other industry in Pakistan. Festivals seem to be happening a lot now — the Lahore Music Meet just concluded a couple of months ago, then there was Pepsi Battle of the Bands and the introduction of a new band called Kashmir. Do you think this is a good time for the industry in general?

I strongly believe Pakistan has no industry. At least to me it’s not an industry. It’s the same people, faces, mindset and it’s going according to them. A few people dominate the industry and we keep seeing those faces. From Coke Studio to other ventures — even the ones behind Pepsi Battle of the Bands. How can there be an industry this way?

When you say ‘industry’, then think of joining minds from the whole of Pakistan, like when we talk about the Indian industry — uss mein poora India humay dikhta hai [we can see the whole of India in it]. Yeh ‘industry’ chand logon ki grainy game lagti hai [A few people control the industry here]. I wish it becomes one in which the whole of Pakistan can be represented.

There was a time when nothing much was happening, only a few musicians/acts were working purely out of a sense of commitment. I wish these new bands can really make a difference — that they think in a more broad way, not a limited way. That they set newer trends. That they think, they feel and present something with a newer angle. But in the broader perspective, jo industry aap kehtay hain, woh mein nahin manta [I don’t believe in what you call an ‘industry’].

Why Hyderabad?

There are many reasons I can think of. The first is that it’s our city. We have the manpower here. It’s easier to manage things here on an official level. But Hyderabad is also a cultural hub. It’s a village as well as a city. It’s not like Karachi or Lahore. The villages surrounding it also influence the city and vice-versa. Hyderabad ek shehr aur gaon ka milaap hai [City and village come together in Hyderabad]. Musicians that feel uneasy in big cities are more comfortable here. And those [big] city musicians who want to collaborate with village or indigenous musicians feel more comfortable here. It is good for both the sides.

We thought of changing the venue this year to Karachi, but most of the artists from Karachi disagreed with that as well. Along with many artists from Mithi, Umarkot, Sukhur also felt it should be Hyderabad, not Karachi.

For all such emotional and logistical reasons, Hyderabad is a good venue.

Hyderabad ek shehr aur gaon ka milaap hai [City and village come together in Hyderabad]. Musicians that feel uneasy in big cities are more comfortable here. And those [big] city musicians who want to collaborate with village or indigenous musicians feel more comfortable here. It is good for both the sides

Suhaee Abro announced on Facebook that she’s returning from Italy to perform at the Melo. Will there be other dancers as well? What about some of the other Pakistani acts?

Yes, Suhaee is performing and I am very happy for that. At the same time, I wish Sheema Kermani would also perform. We will definitely try to reach her and a few other dancers to make Lahooti more diverse. Some of the other local artists performing include: Aaroah, Abbas Ali Khan, Humera Channa, Kashmir, Badnam, Abida Parveen, Natasha Humeira Aijaz, Qawalistan, Mai Dhai, Shamo Bai, Shakoor Fakir, Rafiq Fakir, Ustad Abdullah Khan, Marwal Group, Bhagat Bhoro, Lal, Shafi Fakir, Overload, Mugl-i-Funk, Abid Brohi etc. Zoe [Viccaji] and Irfan Taj have also formed a band now and their first performance will be at Lahooti Melo.

What about some of the international acts?

Omesh Pandit and the Roshan Sharma ensemble from Nepal, an American poet by the name of Tim, Ogaro Ibarahim from the Maldives, The Beautiful Project from Armenia, Lhamo Drukpa and Ata Yeshi have been finalised from Bhutan. We are in conversation with Misty Terrace, O Strangers and a group of traditional musicians from Bhutan and things are getting mature. There is a solo artist from Haiti too, but not yet confirmed. Two important musicians from India are Vishva Mohan Bhatt and Sawan Khan. They are legends and will be playing at Lahooti Melo 2018 as well. Hopefully the government will help to bring them.

How did you find them? How did you select the artists? What can we expect from them?

Most of the artists contacted us through our online forms. Secondly, we searched individually as well. We focused on bringing a lot of artists from the South Asian subcontinent — the Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, even India. We reached out to artists we felt should really be a part of the festival — whose music goes with the theme. We always wish to have some contemporary artists who are modern in a way but also have a strong connection to their roots as well. These two things are very important. Artists who come from Bhutan and Nepal can play today’s world music but, at the same time, they can talk about their roots as well. Whatever they play, we feel they can represent their particular country or culture. That’s what the diversity of the Lahooti is.

Published in Dawn, ICON, February 4th, 2018