| |
Shezan Saleem
 It is a heartening to note that professional music education is being sought by young talent entering the local music domain. One such rising talent is Shezan Saleem aka JO-G, who is probably the youngest audio engineer and has received professional coaching and acquired expertise from Recording Arts Canada in Toronto. The institute has a long history of fuelling Hollywood and other international production houses with music minds.
JO-G is the son of pop icon Saleem Javed and his becoming an artiste was imminent. “My tilt towards music production and singing was not accidental as I was born in a pop star’s home where I had music instruments as toys. I was also lucky to get an opportunity to meet his music colleagues.”
It is interesting to note that JO-G first appeared on the music scene in his father’s video, Kaisa Tera Pyar, where he performed a rap. One expected his debut album to be a rap lovers’ delight but on lending an ear to Naseeb, one witnesses an array of genres from pop/rock to hip hop/RnB/rap, and from bhangra to Urdu rap. The album is single-handedly sung, produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by JO-G himself. He also penned a few Urdu songs and inscribed all the English material in the album.
It is worth mentioning here that JO-G also produced Saleem Javed’s new album, Dosti. However, while the father is known for his bhangra/pop music, JO-G’s music is modern pop/RnB with a blend of Urdu and English lyrics featuring a tinge of professional rap.
Naseeb has 15 tracks and the album explodes into life with a nuclear force, with a track that has the potential to be just as much of an anthem as any RDB, Rishi Rich number. Sunn Sajna’s beat is banging and JO-G’s tone matches the melody superbly. But the main thing about this track is that you just can’t help singing along. The lyrics and the chorus also have that uplifting quality which make you want to get up and shake.
The title track mellows down the proceedings and is a love ballad. Baby You’re My Girl is typical modern R&B at high quality. Yaarian, his would-be third video, is a faultless Punjabi slow jam with beautiful chord melody throughout.
JO-G’s vocal delivery effectively mesmerises the listener on Yeh Dil Aapka Hua, an up-tempo Asian R&B with soothing guitar play (the track didn’t really require the rap part though). He portrays his versatility as a rapper on a bold Urdu gangster rap 9MM (the gun-type) for desi thugs out there. It delivers a message to rapper wanabees that rap is not just about writing, it is about flow as well. The track is comparable to that of Bohemia’s Kali Denali. Sunn Mere Pyar is another decent rap number inspired by Beethoven’s Fur Elise.
A piano roll opens Dil Diya Jania, a new-age urban Punjabi/English track. JO-G performs in two languages with excellent effect, switching between tongues without even slipping a syllable. Twist ‘n’ Twirl is a totally different flex, with jazz riffs replacing the R&B edge to amazing effect. Almost anti-desi, more great imagery and poetry in the chorus alongside the jazzy grooves mean you get grinding to this one.
There are two English numbers at the tail-end of Naseeb. Lord Have Mercy On Us is a prayer for absolution while That’s My Mama is dedicated to supermoms of the world. The album comes to a halt with an R’n’B-style remix of Nusrat Fateh Ali’s Tu Mera Dil in a blend of English, Urdu and Punjabi.
JO-G portrays his skills including singing, rapping, production, composing engineering, arrangement and songwriting quite efficiently in this album. Now it’s for time to decide what Naseeb has in store for JO-G.
|
|
