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‘Wow, what a voice!’ Rohail Hyatt on the first time he saw Junaid Jamshed sing

‘Wow, what a voice!’ Rohail Hyatt on the first time he saw Junaid Jamshed sing

Rohail Hyatt shares memories of discovering JJ and the drama surrounding the first major Vital Signs concert
18 Dec, 2016

It was 1983 when Rohail Hyatt first saw the tall, scrawny, dark-haired but good-looking guy that was later to become the front man for his band.

He and Shahi Hasan were already a few bands old by then, Progressions and Chord X being two that they had been a part of, and were on the lookout for a vocalist. Someone mentioned that they look out for this new kid who was going to perform in Islamabad. They hopped on a friend’s motorcycle and made their way from Rawalpindi to the capital.

“He had come down from Peshawar, I think,” related Rohail, “Junaid was not an engineering student at that time. He was performing in a girls’ college in F6 (Islamabad) and he was singing ‘Careless Whisper’. I had just managed to get into the hall right at the end.”

Hyatt was impressed. “I thought, ‘Wow. What a voice!’,” he related, “It was a strange voice, you know – he had the high-range, high-pitch sort of thing. We didn’t get to talk to him then.

A young Junaid Jamshed — White Star
A young Junaid Jamshed — White Star

“We were just a part of the audience and we’d just managed to get there right towards the end. We were on motorcycles, it was cold and we had to get back before it got dark.”

It would be a while before the two would catch Junaid performing again. This time, Junaid was a part of an engineering university band. “The next time I saw Junaid was in Flashman’s Hotel in Pindi, in a band called Nuts and Bolts. Nusrat (later a Vital Signs guitarist) had mentioned to me that ‘That kid’s coming back. The guy you liked’ and that perhaps we should go and see him.

They managed to get to the venue a little early and caught the last four or five songs. This time they finally approached Junaid and began working on their first major concert, one that was not to be missed: it was to take place at a Kinnaird College in Lahore.

“It’s like this crazy script from a movie where these young guys are getting together for this big objective,” laughed Rohail. “Because, you know, if you made it to Kinnaird College, do you realize the amount of guys jo sarr jatey thay? That how the hell did these guys even get in?!”

“There would be fights between guys and their girlfriends. The girls would say ‘We are attending this concert’ and the guys would argue ‘You’re not attending a Vital Signs concert.’

Also read: This video of Junaid Jamshed and Salman Ahmed singing 'Dil Dil Pakistan' will warm your heart

That’s not the end of it. The conflict wasn’t just restricted to arguments alone. “There used to be guys waiting outside to beat us up for playing at Kinnaird College,” laughed Rohail, “And Junaid’s university friends would be standing out there to protect us. It was kinda crazy.”

So did they ever get beaten up? “No,” said Rohail, “We never got beaten up. But there was one concert, at the National Stadium [Karachi] where things got a little crazy.”

This is a previously-unpublished extract from an interview conducted with Rohail Hyatt in 2008. A part of that interview, titled ‘The life and times of Rohail Hyatt’ was published in Images on Sunday on July 26, 2009.


Originally published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, December 18th, 2016

Comments

Adeel Saleem Dec 18, 2016 10:28am
you left such a mark on our heart, love you JJ
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Masood Dec 18, 2016 10:30am
That was a real VOICE. One of the best.
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Jawaid Dec 18, 2016 10:56am
Never will be a voice as soft and melodious as JJ's. His legacy continues via hs songs and Naats.
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Einstein Babar Dec 18, 2016 01:55pm
what about other less important people who died in the crash?
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Arisha G Dec 18, 2016 02:06pm
It is still difficult to comprehend. It's been 10 days, having watched the funeral and the grieving family, especially his sons talk about him but in some corner of your mind, it is as if this is just not possible. A true star! May his soul forever rest in peace in Jannah. Ameen.
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Rashid Dec 18, 2016 04:27pm
@Einstein Babar whenever a person dies- only those who knew him mourn him. Those they didnt know get a 'moment' of condolence. In this case every Pakistani knew JJ , he had been on the scenec since the early 80s- even though his path changed later- he was still in the linelight and was a very likeable individual who was free of controversy up till recently. Thats why everybody is still mourning him. The other people dying is also sad but because not as many people knew them- they will just be a number unfortunately. You wil always see this.
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Striker Dec 18, 2016 04:43pm
Cannot come to terms withe the fact that he's no more. Great loss.
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Masoud Dec 18, 2016 06:22pm
I think we should remember JJ more from his present prospective than past.
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Modasar Dec 18, 2016 07:33pm
JJ and wife Nahya Jamshed rest in peace.
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Ehsan Dec 18, 2016 09:02pm
Why is that a lot of our stars get so seriously religious, don't see that with other Muslim nations
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jameel wani(IHK) Dec 18, 2016 10:20pm
WE WILL MISS HIM FOREVER
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ga Dec 19, 2016 08:33am
@Ehsan - that's a million dollar question. We carry our religious baggage to all corners of the world.
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fahad Dec 21, 2016 01:51am
Babar bhaia we also prayed for them but we are fan of Junaid Jamshed and not of any other person who was in that unlucky plane so we will on share and read memories related to Junaid Jamshed.
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