2018 continues to be a relatively decent year for local music. Strings are shooting a new music video for a new single off their sixth album, 30. Babar Sheikh, Wajiha Naqvi and Ahsan Bari have announched Paanch – The Mixtape, which will feature, among others Chand Tara Orchestra and Sounds of Kolachi. Both groups are also working on their respective albums with the former’s record scheduled to release later this year.
Alien Panda Jury and Rudoh have repped Pakistan abroad and the emerging band Saaqin seem to have made an unforgettable mark with their debut single, ‘Saqi-e-Bewafa’. Poor Rich Boy’s latest single, ‘Almost Tuesday’ is one of their strongest releases while Jamal Rahman’s True Brew TV and Adil Omar’s film/album Transcendence - both offer the innovative face of music as it stands today.
But, as with all good things come the sour. Chief among is an allegation made by one of indie music’s coolest cats, the Islamabad-based Punjabi blues singer-songwriter Shamoon Ismail.
Known for songs like ‘Tuntuna’, ‘Jutt Blues’ and ‘Basanti’ among others, Shamoon, who performed beautifully at this year’s Mad Decent Block Party in Islamabad, took to Twitter where he spoke about being pressured by a dubious media party to give up his songs.
Shamoon wrote on Twitter: “A company from Karachi called ‘Media Concepts’ has been asking for exclusive rights (ownership) of my song ‘Jutt Blues‘ since June. They’ve approached us through different people but I kept refusing because they never tell us why they need the song or who exactly needs it.”
He added: “I refused one guy, then another and then a woman all approaching me with a different game plan but none giving any proper information so I connected the dots and realized it’s the same people and told them we can only work a deal if I know who needs the song and what for.
Still no information was given to me so my answer remained the same. Today I woke up to something I never imagined I would hear. The woman called my manager and told her that the remake of ‘Jutt Blues’ is almost ready and the company is gonna put it out ‘by hook or by crook’.”
Shamoon expanded on the proceedings further: “Since day one, I have been an independent artist and the only reason why I haven’t worked with any record label is because I want to own my music, have total creative freedom, be my own boss and because I can’t just give away something that I put my life to.
Back in 2013 ever since ‘Tuntuna’ came out I started getting offers from big labels but I chose the harder path because I wanted to be an independent artist and create my own identity even though I could’ve taken the easy way out but for me this was bigger than just making songs.
I just want my people to know where things are going in case it gets dirty. You can do a lot to me but if you f**k with my music I’ll personally deal with you. I’m not a one hit wonder, I live this, come at me with full force, I’ll show you what I’m made of.”
– This is a developing story
