Valleys enjoys Junoon

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The Asian Age - 26th May 2008

Srinagar, May 25: Popular Pakistani sufi rock band Junoon on Sunday mesmerised the audience at a concert here with 4,000 people, mainly school and college students, turning out at the concert and singing along with its superhit Sayouni, despite the opposition to the event from terror groups.

The band, which performed under an open sky on the lawns of Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre on the banks of the Dal Lake, belted out its popular numbers, including Khudi ko kar buland itna and Baba Bulle Shah.

Salman Ahmad, the guitarist and lead performer of the band, kept the audiences spell-bound and at time asked the crowd to sing the second verse after he sung the first.

And he received an overwhelming response from the crowd.

The music buffs went wild when the band played Chain ek pal nahin... sayouni, the popular number of the musical group from Karachi, which propelled it to stardom. In between songs, Ahmad shared some of his experiences about Indo-Pak camaraderie at the level of artists and mutual appreciation. On the aim of holding the concert in Kashmir, organised by South Asian Foundation, Ahmad said "I wish peace, love, ambiance Junoon witnessed here (at the venue) reverberates from this valley and spreads to entire South Asian region".

Asked about the opposition to Junoon's performance in Kashmir from United Jehad Council, an umbrella group of militant outfits, and separatists leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Ahmad said, "I want them to join us in the musical jehad for peacec and ring the bells of harmony".

Reminiscing on his previous trips to India, Ahmad said, "When we came to Mumbai for the first time in 1998, a lot of friends asked me to get autographs of Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Salmann Kahn. After the performance, somebody knocked on our green room and I was surprised to see Salman Kahn, Juhi Chawla and Kajol. First I thought I should take out my autograph books but I saw the three of them carrying books of their own seeking autographs for their relatives and friends", he said.

Ahmad said that he was bewitched by the beauty of Kashmir and addes "We have performed all over the world but we have not seen such kind of an ambiance before". He said that it had been in a 10-year-wait for his band before they could perform in Srinagar.

"When we first came to India, I asked the organisers whether we can perform here and they said that it was difficult. Second time in 2001, the response was the same. But the wait ended last year when SAF ambassador Madajeet Singh asked me if I would like to perform in Kashmir, I am feeling very happy. I cannot describe the feeling", he added. After the band's arrival in Kashmir, Mr Ahmad had said, "We will sing songs of unity, peace, brotherhood and joy, and this seems to be the perfect setting".

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SOUND OF MUSIC: Former Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga listens to rock band Junoon in Srinagar on Sunday.