Joshinder Chaggar
Choreographer
"Lately I've been listening to a lot of instrumental stuff, the soundtracks to Great Expectations and Requiem for a Dream to name a few, and a lot of tabla based music."
Requiem for a Dream was a brilliant film with an eerie soundtrack that is still popular years after its release, while the soundtrack to Great Expectations is on the lighter side featuring hit tracks like 'Wishful Thinking' by Duncan Sheik and 'Siren' by Tori Amos, she wrote the song for the movie. Other tracks on the album have been done by popular artists like Iggy Pop, Chris Cornell, The Verve Pipe and Scott Weiland.
Fauzia Aamir
Model
"I listen to anything, whatever is new and sounds good to me. Lately it's the songs from Love Aaj Kal and Dil Bole Haddipa! although the songs could've been better. I listen to a lot of Atif Aslam."
The Love Aaj Kal soundtrack was one of the hits of the year, particularly because of the 'naagin' infused dance track 'Twist'. The soundtrack to the film was done by Pritam Chakraborthy and also featured Rahat Fateh Ali Khan with the song 'Ajj Din Chadheya'. The soundtrack to Dil Bole Hadippa! has music by Pritam and Julius Packiam with lyrics by Jaideep Sahni. The movie was quite the let down and so was the music.
On the other hand Atif Aslam has won over fans across the subcontinent, and will next be featured on the soundtrack to the Ranbir Kapoor-Katrina Kaif film Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani.
Ahmed Butt
Musician/Actor
"This past week I've been listening to Kings of Leon, they're a genuine band after a longtime, and they remind me of the old Bruce Springsteen, I particularly like 'Sex on Fire', good song."
Kings of Leon are a southern American rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. They made it big in the UK with their third album Because of the Times and in 2008 they gained recognition in their home land with their latest platinum selling album Only by the Night with tracks like 'Sex On Fire', 'Notion' and 'Use Somebody' peaking the charts.
Faisal Rafi
Producer
"This week I've been listening to 'Fela Kuti', which is some funky iconic Nigerian music, a friend recommended it and I've been listening to 'Tinariwen' which is also African bluesy music."
Tinariwen formed themselves in 1982 and are Tuareg people who were conscripted into Muammar al-Gaddafi's army. They play in the Tishoumaren ("music of the unemployed") style, and sing mostly in the French and Tamashek languages. Their songs mostly cover the subject of independence for their people from the government of Mali, and are also said to be the first Tuareg people to use electric guitars. They're also said to be the source of inspiration for Coldplay's Viva La Vida album.
'Fela Kuti' can be termed as 'Afrobeat', which is essentially a fusion of jazz, funk, psychedelic rock, and traditional West African chants and rhythms.
Zaiena Haider
Designer
"I'm going to have to check my play list, but I listen to a lot of house and trance. Lately it's been 'Moments' by DJ Tiesto and tracks from Gabriel n Dresden. I like upbeat stuff that keeps me moving and inspired, I listen to most of my music while driving."
'Moments' by Tiesto may be an old track but Tiesto in no way is growing old. He was the number one DJ a couple of years ago and his spot was taken by Armin Van Buren.
Josh Gabriel and Dave Dresden joined forces in 2001 to create GnD. Ever since they have been a great influence to the electro dance music genre and unlike other trance DJs they mix their club music with a lot of house music. There's really no way to describe trance or house music but you've just got to go with the flow of the music!
– Compiled by Danyal Laghari |