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Faakhir Mehmood
 Mahnoor Baloch running in Port Grand in an amazing wedding dress; Faakhir did it again! With the release of his latest album 'Jee Chaahay', Faakhir is back to win over the music lovers, especially women.
Six years is a long time... a very long time, especially if you don't want yourself to be forgotten in this era when our people are suffering from short term memory loss. Every issue that is big at a time and is discussed extensively in our media is forgotten within days, so it's really tough for an artist to not just survive in this competitive world but also be looked forward to. And in our music industry Faakhir is one such name who has been out of the music scene for quite some time now but people kept on waiting for his latest venture. We have been hearing news about his new album since last year but his record label, Fire Records, chose now for the release of his album 'Jee Chaahay' and Faakhir is more than satisfied with the timing.
"The record label had my album from the start of this year but since the conditions in the country were getting out of hand, they preferred not to release it earlier," says Faakhir. "And, they were right. With a better security condition and Eid, it turned out to be a great time for an album release. I have been constantly on shows and on tours ever since 'Jee Chaahay' has hit the markets," he adds.
The hiatus
 'Mantra' (2005) did exceptionally well, and with that came travelling, recording shows, concerts, videos and interviews. Hence, Faakhir didn't get the time to record new songs for some time. Compositions kept coming to him and he recorded them whenever and wherever he could. He spent the next two to three years basking in the glory of 'Mantra'. He didn't start off recording because he felt he wouldn't be able to do justice to his new songs while he was still under the spell of the old ones.
Finally, when he got down to work, his father passed away and he took more time off from work to be with his family. After the mourning period he started working on his songs; giving words to his melodies, arranging the music, recording it, mixing it and getting it ready for his fans. And like people say, every good thing needs time, so did 'Jee Chaahay'!
For Faakhir music is all about expression. "Melody brings two things with it. A) lyrical rhyme and words, B) concept," shares Faakhir. "I don't force myself into it. If a good tune is in mind and things are falling in place automatically then great, otherwise I'll keep working on it until and unless I get satisfied with the results. I agree this album took time but at least I am happy with each and every song. It's close to my heart and I have felt each and every moment of it."
Sweat and blood
Every word, every chord and every instrument took their fair share of time and effort. Faakhir worked with a couple of writers for his album as he believes that one lyricist makes the album monotonous. He used to have long discussions over his tunes and the selection of words. He has worked with Sabir Zafar, Khwaja Pervaiz and Prashant Vasal as lyricists for this album. They used to discuss, discard and discuss further with him until something substantial came out.
"There was just one song in my life that I did with a deadline over my head," reminisces Faakhir. "I was given two to three hours by the sponsorship company and I had to confine myself to a room to come up with a patriotic number, and it was a huge hit - 'Ae jawan'."
For this album, he wanted to remember the time when there were less challenges and life was less complicated. In pursuit of fame and success, people often tend to forget the more important things - family, friends and happiness hidden in small things. 'Jee Chaahay' is about that time which seems to be lost somewhere.
Though it's not a thematic album, yet it mainly focuses on songs catering to the different emotions related to love, and different writers have brought in their individual flavour. Where 'Shikva' is about the ego tussles between a couple, 'Kho Jaaoon' is the celebration of selfless love one feels for his/her partner; similarly, 'Mitti Paao' is extremely peppy dealing with the different relations of a human being in a funny way, 'Parwah' has the element of complain in which a person is whining about his partner's negligence towards his issues. Faakhir has not just combined different sentiments in one album but has musically taken a leap by merging symphony with traditional Punjabi theme and by adding ballerina touch to a very pop tune. "As for the comparison with 'Aatish' and 'Mantra', they were not reflective albums... they were just songs, except for a few like 'Kaash Hum Juda Na Hote' and 'Dil Na Lagay'. But, 'Jee Chaahay' brought out the real me as I have used real life experiences and my emotional rollercoaster rides in each and every song," explains the crooner.
Music on reel
Music videos are an extremely important part of promoting an album. No album release is complete without a video; in fact, singers now believe in releasing singles rather than sitting on their songs for the completion of an album. Faakhir came out with 'Allah Kare' featuring Mahnoor Baloch and Mikaal Zulfikar, and the video is doing rounds being aired on every channel these days. The peppy video is directed by one of the finest directors in Pakistan, Amena Khan.
 "Working with Amena, Mahnoor and Mikaal was a treat. I found both Mahnoor and Mikaal to be extremely professional," shares Faakhir. "They didn't charge a penny from me. "In fact, no artist has ever charged me for their appearance, be it Resham, Aminah Haq, Aamina Shafaat, Humayun Saeed or Abdullah Kadwani; we all respect each other's stature and hence work for each other's benefits."
His second video 'Atom Bomb' has been shot in Lahore and is in editing these days. It has been directed by Sadia Jabbar, and is a fun video yet again that would be released after the 15th of Muharram. Besides, he has the concept of 'Jee Chaahay', 'Shikva', 'Baylia' and 'Mitti Pao' ready and would soon start planning for them too. He knows what he wants; he has a clear idea of what his songs require and he wants his directors to show their magic using his concepts.
The bigger picture
Currently, the music scene is confused. India is the BIG thing. If anyone wants to make a mark, he thinks a stamp from India is all that it takes. On our music channels, there is a 20 per cent quota for international music while 80 per cent is for local. In contrast, we see 20 per cent of our songs and the rest is mostly Indian. We are no more culturally inspired but are culturally occupied now. The piracy is rampant, the record labels have packed up their businesses and we just have a couple of them left. There is no commercial viability of the artist as well as the record label; hence the whole music scenario seems bleak. But, Faakhir is very happy with his record label.
"My record label went for a proper release and has been very supportive from the very first day," tells Faakhir. "They got me on every show and I got a chance to promote my album on every possible channel. My ring tones are going hit and they have informed me that whatever amount they have released in the market has been sold out. In fact, they are running short on the albums. So, I am overwhelmed by the response I am getting till now."
About 'NOT' the weaker sex
Over the years, Faakhir has worked with some of the biggest names of Pakistan television and fashion industry. His videos have always been outstanding and he has never portrayed women as weaklings.
"I love powerful women; the ones with high self esteem, straightforward, intelligent, sharp and firm in their stance," expresses Faakhir. "I have recently worked with two female directors and I believe it's much easier to work with them than the male directors. They are more professional, calmer, more organised and better in control. Besides, they have a better understanding of things and they can create a more feasible environment at work."
 Faakhir believes in the freedom of women. "We should make our women work and help us in the field, and we will be surprised by the immense talent they have. Even if she fails temporarily, we should give her more avenues to express herself and build on a career once again. They can do wonders!"
In the coming days...
The things would be on hold for some time from the start of Muharram and he would commence shows, interviews and videos after the 15th of Muharram. He would be on international and national tours, too, to promote his album. So, let's keep our fingers crossed as we will be seeing quite a buzz on his front!
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