INSTEP Magzine

There are some things in life one can never get enough of... fresh air, unpolluted water and live music to name a few. And when it comes to live music, it is imperative to realize that live music requires a mix of genres and styles. Perhaps it is this reason that Sajid Ghafoor and Zeeshan Parwez are a delight to watch live. Not only are they exceptional performers but the fact is their music is a cut above the rock/pop fiesta one witnesses in the city on a regular basis. Add that to the fact that Sajid and Zeeshan gigs are few and far in between. They aren't featured in those 'rock night' type of shows where six bands are performing till wee hours of the morning. Hence, watching them live is an opportunity for music lovers who have a taste for turntables, acoustic guitar and keyboard nuances.

Last week, Sajid and Zeeshan performed at Purple Haze and impressed all attendees. For once, the concert started just a few minutes after the given time and as it was a weeknight, one was grateful. The most interesting thing about this concert was the crowd. This was a full-on boys show with a few girls here and there. In the small, compact basement that makes up the venue (Purple Haze), it was boys, teenagers and grown men sitting on the floor watching the Peshawari duo.

Zeeshan Parwez with his keyboards in front of him and turntables on the side was juggling between the two instruments effortlessly. Sajid, with his acoustic guitar, was playing notes right out of the album. The amazing thing about Sajid and Zeeshan is they can replicate the entire album without a glitch. Barring Mekaal Hasan Band and Aaroh, there is no one in the industry who can do that with such precision.

Coming back to that night, it was interesting to see S&Z do their thing. Whether it was the soft, slow 'Close to You' or the upbeat 'Have to Let Go Sometime', Sajid Ghafoor was having a ball with his instrument, the guitar. Zeeshan, meanwhile formed the background support with his keyboards and the beats that kept on coming throughout the night, thanks to his command at the turntables.
After every track, people clapped and cheered on. As per concert norm, shouts were audible but they were in Pushto. Most people in the crowd didn't know the album very well; they weren't singing along, a few were chatting away but most guys and the given few chicks sat on nonetheless, appreciating the music being played for them. Few people had walked in late and as the gig came to its middle, many had left, most of whom were on their way to Shallum Xavier, Gumby, Omran Shafique and Manu gig (The House of Blues and Funk) taking place at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture.

The biggest crowd puller was easily the 2004 debut hit of the duo, King of Self' that Sajid and Zeeshan performed to a perfect scale. The sound, beat, rhythm, vocals - it was all top notch. Zeeshan extended the track and kept on adding techno beats that compounded the effect even further. It was amusing to see one guy in the back trying to dance in a hip-hopish manner. While this track was playing, two guys stood up, one doing bhangra to 'King of Self' and the other, dressed in a white shalwar kameez and waistcoat was doing a Pushto dance. As soon as this track finished, a huge round of applause resonated from the crowd, perhaps the biggest one that night. There were shouts of once more but the guys had decided to call it a night.

Even the lighting done for the show was very funky, it moved around in different shades and rotated from the crowd to the performers. Aaroh vocalist, Farooq Ahmed and bassist, Khalid Khan had come to see these guys as had VJs Faizan and Dino, Overload percussionist Hasan Mohyeddin among others.
The only glitch in this otherwise, well-done gig was the vocals. Sajid Ghafoor sang with conviction and versatility. But at times, the sound of the music was overpowering his sound and it became difficult to understand what he was singing.

Sajid and Zeeshan played back-to-back tracks with minimum stops in between, keeping the show tight and fun. In a nutshell, Sajid Ghafoor and Zeeshan Parwez may not be everyone's cup of tea, but they certainly are excellent live performers. With time, one can only hope that they do more live shows and that, too on a consistent scale.