December 24, 2006

Aaroh’s ‘Raag Neela’ launch

After a considerable slump in mainstream album launch shows for quite a while, it was about time Aaroh reminded people that they had some unfinished business up their sleeves that they wanted to deal with this winter. That, precisely, was the launch of their anticipated album Raag Neela, released by The Musik Records.

The event was held at the rooftop of Karachi’s Park Towers, where the plunging temperature made it a chilly evening, leaving the crowd to enjoy Aaroh’s performance over cappuccino.

There were quite a few who took a plane ride from Dubai and London for the show. The music channel has always kept a signature style of organising events with a rare tag attached to them, and this time round, the venue became an instant jack pot for the ladies in blue, who became the winners of giveaway perfumes and accessories from a reputable cologne company, for wearing the colour that matched the album title. That brought about a lighter side to the evening, when one of the hosts had to pick out the winners amongst many contenders and managed to escape without achieving the title of being colourblind.

It was clear that setting up a stage half-a-dozen storeys high was no easy task and the creative lot had preferred nacho-styled hoardings with lots of speakers instead of the conventional lights and smoky setup. The end result was an eye opener, no doubt. Consequently, it was time to fuel the audience with Aaroh’s energetic performance. Different from what the band was in the previous album, the inclusion of guitarist Haider has infused new life in the band’s strings.

After a successful soundcheck, Farooq, clad in his signature slacks with Khaled Khan on bass and Jason on drums conversely maintaining a low profile, Aaroh emerged, looking in amazing form. The guests included renowned celebrities, making the event all the more uplifting. Following the speeches, the band got down to what they had been invited for — providing a rocking experience of music and melody.

Aaroh started off with the title track, Raag Neela, kicking the blues out of all present, with Farooq never staying still for a second, making the photographers exercise their skills to the limit.

An evening special, Jaaney Kiyun was next, settling the crowd on their seats. The initial song from the album, Daira, which they had conceived unintentionally some time back, was performed next. Not forgetting the ever-persistant fans wanting something like Na Kaho from their previous album, Wo Jo Kehdo was performed, which catered to softer, more melodious senses.

And just when the audience started getting too comfortable in their seats, a high-voltage performance of Mehrban followed, this time Haider finding the right opportunity to unleash his guitar. The most romantic part of the evening came in the form of Ik Cha, which Farooq termed as his personal favourite, with lyrics by Fuzon’s Shafqat Amanat Ali.

The popular Pyaar Ka Jaal was performed after which the most anticipated cover song came, Mahi Yar di Gadoli, a song which has been included in the album after being made into a re-mix masterpiece. Aaroh winded up the evening not long after this bouncy performance, with the audience being treated to sandwiches and coffee. — Tahir Yahya