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Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood are two different people held together by the string called music
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Faisal and Bilal: `Pakistanis and Indians are different only in their respective countries.' — Sampath Kumar G.P.
THE STRINGS, who've come all the way from Pakistan, has a big fan following in India. The duo, which only recently released its latest album Dhaani, first met as teenagers in Karachi. The band back then included Rafiq Wazir Ali on the keyboard and Karim Bhashir Bhoy on bass. Its second album, Strings 2, released in 1992, was a chartbuster, especially the number "Sar Kiyae Yeh Pahar".
The band then broke up and the members parted ways to pursue their individual careers. But Faisal and Bilal got back together in 1996 and released Duur and then Dhaani.
"Earlier it was that time when you were 17 years old and you didn't know what to do. You are not focused at that age. Back then, we decided to concentrate on our studies. But now it's just the music and nothing else," said Faisal.
So, what do they owe their success here to — their music or their origin?
"Our success is only due to the music we play. Sometimes you do get some extra mileage because you're from Pakistan. It grabs some attention. It doesn't mean that you'll be a success," said Faisal.
Quality matters
"A lot of Pakistani bands have released their music here but the quality is what that matters. We don't threaten anyone. Our music is universal so people don't fail to acknowledge that," added Bilal.
The music that the band plays is unique because it has a strong U2 flavour to it and Bilal is clearly inspired by his guitarist hero, The Edge. "Pakistan and India are exactly the same. We get the same albums and channels as the people in India. So our exposure to the music is exactly the same. We have grown up listening to all kinds of music and for any band U2 is the biggest inspiration. They still rock and the way they have carried themselves on the stage and off it has affected us."
One of the reasons for their success in India is the fact that they sing in Hindi. But, the band begged to clarify the misconception. "We use pure Urdu. We make sure that our lyrics are not difficult. Junoon's music is very Sufi. They are hardcore poets. That's where you can make out the difference because spoken Hindi and Urdu are exactly same."
With Pakistan being rocked by Islamic extremism and sectarian violence, is there any place for music? "You will be very surprised," said Faisal with a smile. "We're performing five days a week in Pakistan. The crowds are small — only about 2,000 to 5,000 people — but the concert circuit bahut bada ho gaya hai. The pop/rock scene is as vibrant as anywhere else. We have now three dedicated music channels and every city has seven or eight FM stations."
"All the extremism you hear is only on CNN. Yes, incidents do happen and have happened before. But those who do these things are not Pakistanis or Indians; they are some other people," Bilal chipped in.
If there anything the duo disagree on it is the role that music can play in uniting the people in both the countries.
"Cricket is something which appeals to everyone. Music still depends on the people's taste. Cricket unites the nation. Cricket will always be the biggest unifying factor," Faisal said, to which Bilal had this to say: "In music there are no losers. Both the audience and the performers are winners. It is a win-win situation. Eventually, people will realise that it is a bigger unifying factor."
But the duo felt that the diaspora from the subcontinent set the best example for the way both countries need to move forward.
`Like brothers'
"Pakistanis and Indians are different only in their respective countries. In the U.S., U.K. or the U.A.E. they live like brothers. They get along better and they are hungrier for music. Only when they are in a third country do they realise how much they are similar."
Cricket and politics apart, the duo asserted that they live just for their music "We're two totally different people but music keeps us together. We try and stay away from each other's personal lives. We don't argue over our differences. The two months we spent in Mumbai when we released Duur, we learnt a lot about each other. I am short-tempered and have a very dirty sense of humour but Faisal is extremely understanding," said Bilal.
To which Faisal riposted: "I can't think of doing music with anyone else."
ANAND SANKAR
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