Karachi: As I sit down with guitarist/ composer/producer Shallum Xavier for an interview, he has many stories to tell. Passionate about music and a true Karachiite, Xavier is a strong advocate of spreading the message of peace through art and music.
Shallum Xavier, a formidable member of Karachi’s artist community, playing a show with his band Fuzon.
Shallum Xavier discusses the potential revival of live music, playing at festivals and the future of Fuzon.
Karachi: As I sit down with guitarist/ composer/producer Shallum Xavier for an interview, he has many stories to tell. Passionate about music and a true Karachiite, Xavier is a strong advocate of spreading the message of peace through art and music.
A livewire performer, Xavier has been consistently performing with his band and has also curated live shows. His claim-to-fame band, Fuzon, has seen plenty of changes in its line-up but for Xavier the band is still a major part of his musical life. In between touring at home and abroad, Shallum sat down with Instep for an interview and spoke about the music scene and the future of his band.
Here are excerpts from the conversation...
Instep: Tell us about your experience of playing a show curated by Salt Arts Ensemble?
Shallum Xavier has plenty of music up his sleeves including two music videos from Fuzon’s upcoming album.
Shallum Xavier (SX): I had a good time playing popular and memorable cover tunes with some of the best musicians in the scene. All of us thoroughly enjoy our time on stage at these events and especially when the audience is on the dance floor moving to our sound and energy.
The Salt Arts Ensemble consists of some of the best live performers in the city of Karachi. Jason Anthony from Aaroh is on drums, Axe man Simien Xavier on guitars, Arnold on bass, Rosario on vocals and the famous MC /keyboardist Cliffy Lucas and the marvellous Ashley Clements on lead vocals.
All these performers are quite experienced and versatile given their years of studio and stage experience. Simien Xavier has recorded and released a number of his own songs/compositions. He is currently performing with Zoe Viccaji as her session guitarist.
Ashley Clements is a very seasoned vocalist who has been recording and performing in the local circuit for almost two decades. Ashley also released a number of songs and music videos. Cliffy is a very popular man in the Catholic music community. Rosario is new to the scene but nevertheless possesses the charisma and energy of a rock star. Arnold on bass provides the dexterity needed by the entire entourage as far as the low end of the sound is concerned.
Instep: How different is it to play at educational institutions? What was your last show like?
SX: It is always exciting to connect with the youth. Fuzon recently played a show at the the Aga Khan University at their sports and recreational centre earlier in April. Over 1000 people attended this event and witnessed the diverse and dynamic trio in full flow. The atmosphere was ecstatic; we played a mix of old and new hits from Fuzon’s album(s) plus memorable melodies of yesteryears.
Instep: What is the future of Fuzon given the fact that you keep changing vocalists?
SX: Things are looking up for Fuzon since the induction of vocal prodigy Khurram Iqbal almost five years ago. The band has already released a tribute album along with three music videos that can be found on several online platforms. After the inclusion of the new lead vocalist Fuzon once again toured Bangladesh, India, UAE, and a number of cities in the United States.
Instep: What music projects are you working on at the moment?
SX: I am working on a musical collaboration with Ali Zafar and Sanam Marvi; the idea is to try and musically blend the traditional sounds of the province of Sindh with contemporary music. I will soon be sharing more details about the song, the idea and the vision as we go forward.
As far as Fuzon is concerned, we are working on two brand new videos from our upcoming album with veteran director Sohail Javed.
Instep: How was the experience of collaborating with Ari Roland, the jazz quartet from the US?
SX: All the members of the Ari Roland Jazz Quartet are seasoned and exceptional musicians. Just listening to them playing their tunes is an incredible experience. It was such an invigorating feeling to once again share the stage which such amazing musicians and great people from the U.S.
We collaborated on ‘Ankhon Kay Saagar’ and ‘Khamaaj’ and with the addition of double bassists, two drummers and two trumpets, all of whom brought their years of experience and soul to the stage and made it a night full of musical diversity, creativity and inspiration.
