2003 - Pakistani music on the rise

i chopped half of it. the entire thing can be read at pakvibes.com!
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The music boom of 2002 lived up to its hype and exceeded expectations in 2003. All in all, the stage was set for the emergence of the third generation of artists in 2003 such as Fuzon, Noori, Ahmad Jehanzeb, Aaroh, EP and Ali Zafar, all of whom have helped drag the industry through its latest phase of evolution.

Having released their astounding debut album towards the end of last year, Fuzon are the hottest pop-rock band in the country. With the success of their first single Ankhon ke saagar behind them and their third single Terey bina currently all over the music channels, the future is looking bright for the trio.

Products of the ever-expanding Lahore underground scene, Noori remains one of the hottest live acts of the country.

The year 2003 saw Junoon releasing Dewar, which appears to be their last studio effort as a band and which attained reasonable success. More than 15 years after they stormed the scene, Junoon have progressed from a raw-edged rock and roll outfit to become the stuff of rock legend. With Salman migrating to new ventures in the West and Ali now searching for his own musical identity, the curtain might come down on the most illustrious chapter in the long, winding road of rock music in the subcontinent.

The year also saw the release of the much anticipated debut album from melodic rock outfit Aaroh.

The modern hard rock band from Lahore, EP, released their debut album Irtiqa, which did well, both critically and commercially. Irtiqa opens a new era of concept album releases in Pakistan.

Strings enjoyed considerable success with Dhaani.

The year ended with the latest success story being Ali Zafar's debut album Huqa Pani featuring the hit single Channo, ably supported by a snappy video.

Ali Haider returned with a new album after a two-year hiatus from the scene.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Jehanzeb finally delivered his much-anticipated debut album, Parastish, which was well received.

Let's hope that 2004 carries on the momentum that was built in 2003, as we wait in anticipation to hear and see which new artists are crowned, and which established ones are dethroned. At least the music industry has dared to move forward with hope rather than skepticism.
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