It
is said that a person’s earliest memory of music
lives on in his subconscious. It is there that it takes
form, develops and grows. Najam’s music conditioning
came from his love – a love that surpasses all bonds
– a love for melody, for that certain note, a beat,
a chime, that perfect harmony. Hence, choosing to free
the mind and spirit came only naturally to him and so
Najam Sheraz ventured pragmatically into the world of
music.
From
the treasured Khazana, to the soul-stirring Roop Nagar,
the dance infused Pyar Karan Nu Dil Karda, the hip Jaisay
Chaho Jiyo and the soulful Yeh Moamla Koi Aur Hai, Najam’s
10-year sojourn has been steamy to say the least.
Here
is one singer with immense amounts of energy, dedication
and passion which is reflected aptly in his songs. One
singer with amazing voice variations in all possible categories
of music be it classical alaap, rock, pop, blues or jazz.
A
true believer of doing what comes best straight from the
heart, Najam’s music is a source of inspiration
for all those who love his songs.
1.
GROUND ZERO
In your quest for discovery, you have to traverse a terrain
of anguish, pain and darkness. A journey of many years,
in search of fulfilment, peace and harmony. Like a symphony
created with much love and devotion in a timeless zone.
Like that is the journey of Najam Sheraz, a resolute idealist
who believes in the power of a single thought, a vision
that takes form through his chosen medium – music. A radical
expressionist, Najam’s approach towards music has always
been progressive and thought provoking, with emphasis on
the elements that enrich life as a whole. With four successful
albums over a period of 5 years, Najam has delved into the
realm of discovery, breaking new boundaries of convention
with a flight to fantasy. A getaway on the wings of melody,
very aware of his chosen path. The journey begins here!
2.PLACEMENT
Najam Sheraz was seventeen, a restless
teenager, when he first started out with a passion for
music from his hometown in Multan. Together with his two
elder brothers, Salman and Zubair, they formed a band,
calling themselves “Brother Rhythm”. Singing for friends
and university students, Najam then knew not what lay
ahead for him, enjoying the attention that revolved around
the band. An avid cricket enthusiast, Najam spent a major
chunk of his student years playing professional cricket
for the Multan Division, amongst the current cricket giants
such as Waqar Younis, Mushtaq Ahmed and Inzamam-ul-Haq.
He was just as passionate about the sport as he is now
about music, but gave it up on the grounds of a chronic
set-up that had a major link with the game. A non-conformist
by nature, with a vision to look beyond the surface, Najam
then turned his energies towards creating music. With
a strong belief in himself, he could see his future take
form. It was then after leaving Multan for the University
of Engineering and Technology in Lahore that he started
singing with a group of friends who called themselves
the “Scoundrels”. This later led to stint with a music
phenomenon in Lahore – “Wet Metal”, which rocked the country
with more than 700 shows all over Pakistan in the early
90’s. Thus began the music trip for Najam.
3.A
KHAZANA DISCOVERED
In his search for discovery and expression, Najam set off
to create a Khazana, his first solo album in January 1996,
with hit songs such as Un Sey Nain, A’jana, the manic
Sona Chahta Hoon and the all time sensation, Larki. But
much before the release of the album, the videos of the
songs were already doing the rounds on local music shows
such as Music Channel Charts, VJ, VCD and Pepsi Top of the
Pops. In September 1994, the single Un Sey Nain became an
instant hit, remaining # 1 on the local music charts for
8 consecutive weeks, making Najam’s popularity chart
soar among his contemporaries. 1995 saw the fiery Najam
lash out in a bout of anger and aggression through Sona
Chahta Hoon, a song he wrote during the troubled days of
Karachi and which was the first of its kind ever experimented
by a musician in this country.
Following the phenomenal success of the earlier two songs
and Najam’s restlessness, saw the creation of Yeh
Baat Kisay Maloom Nahein which due to its cutting lyrics,
directed at the state of the country’s affairs, was
immediately banned from airplay after a single viewing.
That however, did not dampen Najam’s charged spirit
as his album Khazana released shortly after, made his a
force to reckon with. 1996 was a year that sculpted Najam’s
music as a progressive entity, floating in and capturing
hearts quite effortlessly. In April the same year, Larki
made an all time hit on the local Charts, scaling the singer
to dizzier heights. A’jana followed the traditon,
reinforcing Najam’s popularity through a series of
concerts, both on home ground and abroad with his first
International appearance in Bahrain.
Always one to advocate strong causes, Najam also assisted
Junoon by lending his vocals to the song Ehtasab, made specially
during the election period in the early part of 1997. The
song was later included in Junoon’s album Azadi. In
December 1997, Najam’s album Khazana was declared
as the best album of the year in a Reader’s Poll conducted
by TV Times magazine.
Having carved a niche for himself in the music industry,
the stage was set for Najam to experiment and widen his
horizons further. His restless and creative nature led him
to merge forces with Assad Ahmed and Sameer Ahmed to form
the band “Karavan” which was indeed an exhilarating
experience for Najam. Karavan released their first album
Rakh Aas in the winter of 1997, at a time when the progressive
music industry of the country was faced with a clamp by
the Government, in the form of a ban on music shows and
videos.
The ban was ultimately released, but not before causing
much anguish to the professionals in the field, who then
started channelling their effort and talent towards the
International market and successfully so too. The stage
was set for Najam to strike again and he set off to the
making of a new album.
4.ROOP
NAGAR – THE CHOSEN PATH
1998 was a year that saw Najam spend a greater part of his
time in the recording studios, creating Roop Nagar, his
second solo album. A labour of love, Roop Nagar was an achievement
of discovering solace and serenity within his troubled soul,
aptly reflecting in the testament of melody. Staying clear
of convention and commercialism, Najam’s focus was
more on thought and the sensitivity of emotions, a prime
reason why Roop Nagar was so soul inducing.
After eight months of incessant hard work, the album took
shape and was released grearing Najam for higher avenues.
Later that year, Najam set off to an extensive tour of US
and Canada, covering 13 states all over the North American
region, with a chain of successful shows. Upon his return,
he was again invited to do shows in Kuwait, being the first
Pakistani artist ever to perform in the region.
Najam’s high standards in music are apparent in his
zest for quality, as viewed by the video of the song Pal
Do Pal Ki Chahat. Shot on location in Gawadar, and directed
by Jamshed Mahmood, the creative mind that also directed
Karavan’s video Rakh Aas, Pal Do Pal was the first
music video of its kind to be shot on 35 mm, something never
before attempted by a Pakistani team. It took 5 days to
complete the video, making it the most expensive project
by a local artist.
With the video already creating quite a stir, Roop Nagar
was sure to be a hit. With mavericks in the field, such
as Amir Zaki on guitars, Faraz on bass and Gumby on drums,
the album was nothing less than a treasure-trove of cherished
memories, progressive thought, and a search for harmony,
truth and identity.
5.TO
HIGHER GROUND
With Roop Nagar Najam revolutionised the local soundscape.
More serious in sound and content the album brought forth
Najam as a “ . . . colossal voice of pop”
as stated in TV Times magazine. This saw Pepsi Cola International
sign an endorsement deal with Najam for the year 1999,
followed by a string of concerts all over Pakistan.
The same year saw Najam back in the recording studio for
the fiery Amar Kahani released as the cricket World Cup
song. The video though, had the same fate as Pal Do Pal,
and was taken off the local networks due to censorship
policies. Yet, the powerful song gained immense popularity
through radio channels and live shows.
Not one to let conditional forces dampen his spirits,
Najam set off to higher grounds with weekly live shows
at “Café Blue” in Karachi. Live performances
being his forte, it was no wonder then that soon Najam
became a rage, rocking the city with a new sensation of
live music, club culture style.
The year 2000 began with a bang for Najam with his International
breakthrough. Roop Nagar was released with BMG Crescendo
and Pal Do Pal finally saw the light of day on MTV, Music
Asia, Sony, B4U etc. The album got raving reviews and
the song Mera Ji Naheen Lagae was chosen as a soundtrack
song for the Twentieth Century Fox movie “Split
Wide Open”, which also featured international artists
and bands such as Air Supply, Anaida and Asha Bhoslay,
making Najam the 2nd Pakistani artist to be featured internationally
in a movie soundtrack after Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
In February 2000 Najam ventured into the untapped Punjabi
market with his first Punjabi album “Pyar Karannu
Dil Karda” which featured groovy hits like “Rabba”
and “Kajla”.
THE
POWER OF ONE
Spring
of 2002, saw the fiery Najam release his 5th album “Jaisay
Chaho Jiyo” which soon became an anthem for the
young and the restless. Subsequent videos followed of
songs like “Ahista Ahista”, “Aao Wahan
Chalen” and the title song “Jaisay Chaho Jiyo”.
Cricket
being Najam’s first love, brought him to record
the passionate “Jeeto Mere Laal” on the occasion
of the Cricket World Cup. The song was also dedicated
to the Pakistani Blind Cricket World Cup Champions.
Later
in October, two of Najam’s hit songs, “Pal
Do Pal Ki Chahat” and “In Sae Nain”
were included on the album “Love Rocks - The Beginning”,
a compilation album released in the UK by Gladiator Records.
In
Ramadan the same year, Najam’s spiritual essence
was infused in the powerful Hamd “Yeh Moamla Koi
Aur Hai”. The moving lyrics and Najam’s intense
delivery left spellbound audiences in tears of atonement
and hope. So powerful was the impact of the Hamd, that
never before had Najam experienced such audience participation
and reaction from any of his concerts.
Najam’s
quest for significant communication through his music
continued the following year with the release of two revolutionary
patriotic songs “Hamari Pehchan” and “Gilay
Shikway”. Created on the occasion of Pakistan’s
Independence Day, the powerful Nationalistic song “Hamari
Pehchan” was directed towards raising the national
spirit and morale, whereas “Gilay Shikway”
focused on reuniting peace and brotherhood. Two cities
witnessed the enthralling Independence Day performances
of Najam Sheraz on his tour of Norway. He also composed
and sang the 50th Anniversary song for Coca Coal International
for the year 2003.
The following month, “Shahpar” an Air Force
song was released on 6th September 2003 for the occasion
of Air Force Day. In Ramadan the same year, Najam released
his 6th album “Yeh Moamla Koi Aur Hai”. Its
release was imminent due to great public demand for the
Hamd released last year. The album presented Najam in
a renewed maturity to the audience, setting a precedence
in music for the soul The album included thoughtful tracks
like “Rahain Bhatakne Walay”, “In Fizaon
Sae Aage”, “Gilay Shikway Sub Bhula Do”,
“Shahpar”, “Aae Watan Pyare Watan”,
Allama Iqbal’s popular “Lab Pae Aati Hai Dua”
and “Kar Liya Sauda”.
10
YEARS AND COUNTING
Always
one to advocate causes, 2004 commenced for Najam with
unmitigated fervour. In March, Najam was commissioned
by the SAF Games committee to produce and perform one
song each for the opening and closing ceremonies of the
9th SAF Games held in Islamabad. He was also signed on
to sing the theme song, “Rising Above - Buland Sab
Taasubaat Sae”. His song for the opening ceremony
“Peace for All” was a roaring success as was
“Hamari Pehchan”. The song “Remember
We Will” – a tribute to the participating
nations for their spirit of harmony and love was performed
at the closing ceremony of the SAF Games.
The
summer of 2004 took Najam once more to the International
arena as the composition of the song “Menu Tere
Naal” from his first Punjabi album “Pyar Karannu
Dil Karda” was selected by producers Mahesh and
Mukesh Bhatt for his movie “Murder”. The lyrics
for the song however, were rewritten and the song was
renamed “Bheegay Hont Tere”. The video of
the original song was launched and was run on all the
local TV and Radio channels. It also won the Bollywood
Award for the Best Original Soundtrack by a Pakistani
Artist for and Indian Film
The
video of a newer version of another song “Rabba”
from the same album was shot for the launch of his latest
album. Directed by Shakil Mallick, the song was picturised
as a stage play, huge sets, backgrounds, props and costumes
were designed especially for the video.
It
was also a year that acknowledged Najam as a seasoned
singer and he was nominated for the Lux Style Awards in
the category of Best Music Album/Artist of the Year 2004
for his album “Yeh Moamla Koi Aur Hai” and
the Indus Music Awards in the category of “Best
Male Artist” 2004. He was also awarded the “Maymar-e-Watan”
by the Sindh Provincial Assembly and was also given a
Special Award at the Indus Music Awards. Both awards were
for his renowned Hamd “Yeh Moamla Koi Aur Hai”.
Najam’s
US tour of August-September 2004 was phenomenal where
he performed live to an excited crowd of 10,000 to 60,000
people in ten different cities. Najam also performed at
the closing ceremony of the Pakistan Day Parade in New
York where he recited the hamd “Yeh Moamla Koi Aur
Hai” and sang “Hamari Pehchan” for 60,000
people as it was telecast live by ARY in 130 countries
worldwide.
His
7th accomplished album “Menu Tere Naal – 10
years of Najam Sheraz” released in November 2004
and is a treat for all his fans. Revamped versions of
Menu Tere Naal, Aajana, Pyar ki Pyas, Larki, Rabba and
the record breaking In Sae Nain, which has reset standards
once again grace the song list. An eclectic medley of
vocal and musical talents contributed by Hadiqa Kiyani,
Ali Haider, Saleem Javed, Tanseer Dar (Karavan), Farooq
(Aaroh), Danyal (Mizmaar), Dino, Shafqat Amanat Ali (Fuzon)
and the legendary Zoheb Hassan complement Najam’s
vocal stylizing accompanied by the magical guitar riffs
of the whiz Amir Zaki, Shalum and Asad with a distinctive
ending by Emad on the saxophone. This harmonic orchestration
has also been preserved in a video directed by Jalal of
Post House.
Ahmed
Rushdi’s “Uran Khatola” also takes on
a new face; where as Kajla, Pyar Karranu Dil Karda and
Peace for all are preserved in their natural listening
splendor.
This
year Najam has been taking the UK and Europe by storm.
He headlined the Sony Bradford Mela in June 2005 where
he stole the show with an audience of over 40,000 people.
In August, Najam along with cricket greats, Inzamam ul
Haq and Saeed Anwar, returned to the UK to help raised
funds for a Charity Hospital in Chicha Watni.
In
between tours Najam worked on one of the most important
and prestigious projects of his life. He was commissioned
by the Pakistani Government to give a new sound to the
National Anthem of Pakistan. This was a historic moment
for his career and especially for Pakistan as for the
first time since 1947 the National Anthem of Pakistan
was being reproduced. In the absence of a professional
orchestra, the combined musical talents of Faizi, Baqir,
Nafees Ahmed and the Coast Guard Orchestra were used.
Najam recorded more than 120 vocal tracks and the female
vocal tracks were lent by the St. Lawrence’s Choir
to represent the women of Pakistan. The final mix was
done by Shehzad Hassan of Vital Signs fame. The accompanying
video was directed by Asim Reza. The new version of the
National Anthem was presented to the Nation by President
General Pervaiz Musharraf at 12:00 am on the 14th of August
2005
At
the end of August Najam flew to Oslo-Norway to represent
Pakistan at the Oslo Multimela 2005. Other international
acts like Apache Indian were also lined up to perform..
More than 90,000 people were in attendance and the Guest
of Honor was His Majesty King Karald V- ruler of Norway.
His performance in the Oslo Multi Mela 2005 was a memorable
one. Najam was the closing act of the festival and he
kick started his performance with the legendary “Yeh
Moamala Koi Aur Hai”.“We have never heard
the name of Allah taken so loudly ever before here in
Oslo Norway”, said a lady in the audience, “It
was wonderful”. The Hamd was followed by the revamped
version of Pakistan’s National Anthem. After that
“Menu Tere Naal” followed by “Hamari
Pehchan” and “Rabba”. It was reported
that two members of the audience actually fainted while
dancing wildly to “Rabba”.
After
returning from his smashing success at the Oslo Multi
Mela 2005, Najam has flown to the USA after spending just
one day at his home in Karachi, to participate in the
Pakistan Day Parade in Manhattan - New York on the 28th
of August 2005.
