Daily Times

From ‘Dil say Pakistan’, ‘Mr Fraudiye’, ‘Waderey Ka Beta’ to ‘Miti Da Palwan’ and ‘Aalu Andey’, several musicians have a long history of incorporating protest and social issues into their songs. Music is a universal language that we all understand and that holds a great deal of power. Pakistani bands are increasingly becoming vocal about social issues. The influence is trickling down to the nation’s youth.

Plato defines music as “a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.”

It was music that came to support the civil rights movement in America with an aim to put an end to social injustice. The echoing call for liberty, equality and freedom was heard all over the world, through the aid of guitars, saxophones and harmonicas. On average, people less than 18 years old spend more than six to seven hours per day interacting with or listening to media. Of the most commonly used methods to communicate information, listening to music stands out as an almost daily occurrence in the lives of young adults. One only needs to walk around for a few minutes on most college or university campuses to see numerous people listening to music through their phones and other devices. The experience of listening to music can potentially shape an individual’s values, actions, and worldview.

Singer Haroon says living in a country like Pakistan, so many social issues are staring at you in the face and you want to contribute to a positive change

For the past few years, one of the famous singers of Pakistan Aaron Haroon Rashid has spoken about social issues through his music and productions. Over the years he has built up a huge fan following and his music videos are a treat for the viewers. He is the founder of Pakistani Pop Music Group ‘Awaz’. He is an award winning British born Pakistani musician, singer, music producer, composer, director and social activist. He is the founder and CEO of Unicorn Black the Islamabad based animation production company. He is also the creator and director of the hugely successful and internationally acclaimed multi award winning Pakistani 3D animated TV series Burka Avenger and Teeto and Tania.

While talking to Daily Times he said, “I realised early on in my music career that being a popular musicians meant you had this massive platform through the media to speak to millions. Living in a country like Pakistan so many social issues are staring at you in the face and you want to contribute to a positive change. I created songs like Mr. Fraudiay and Ay Jawan with Awaz and solo songs such as Dil Say Pakistan, Jiya Jaye, and Ghoom Ghoom, which touched upon social issues or sent out positive messages for the youth.

Further with Burka Avenger and Teetoo and Tania I was following that same model of highlighting social issues, which we as nation are facing. Ideally I prefer the content whether it’s music, video or animation that have a social message or some sort of deeper meaning. Directing, producing and launching Burka Avenger was quite an incredible experience for me. The show received worldwide press, international awards and accolades. The team at Unicorn Black and myself ended up producing 52 episodes of Burka Avenger that were aired on multiple channels in Pakistan and around the world.

Moreover, “Teetoo and Tania” is a thought-provoking concept for highlighting Pakistani heroes and role models for inspiring the youth of Pakistan. The show has produced and featured Edhi, Muniba Mazari, Mustaq Chappra, Dr Ruth Pfau, Aitzaz Ehsan and Ansar Burney in its animation cartoons and one can see them on YouTube or PTV. The songs or cartoons he produced all focus on making listeners aware of the incidence of social injustice that perpetuates in the society.

Haroon said producing Dil Say Pakistan was to pay tribute to national legends of Pakistan as the pin-hole camera flashes images of our revered personalities, starting from Abdul Sattar Edhi, followed by Malala Yousafzai and male and female cricket champions. The video also shows the images of the most beautiful landscapes of Pakistan’s land. The original track is lovely song. The new version of Dil Say Pakistan received over 7 million views online and a lot of love from the fans and press, which made me quite emotional.

On a question regarding a song which Haroon sang where he was shown in jail singing “Go Saab Jee”, he replied that the idea behind the track and the video was to highlight corruption of the rich politicians in juxtaposition with the financial difficulties of the poor in Pakistan.The idea of the jail was that the common people have suffered a lot due to the instability and corruption in the country. That is why I sang from the jail, symbolising the situation and the condition of the common people and the country on a whole. It is like the political corrupt who should be in jail are running free and having a blast while the masses are held hostage to them, said Haroon.

For the video of ‘Ghoom Ghoom’, Haroon extended his creativity to a new platform, as a music video director. Speaking about directing the video, Haroon said he was initially inspired by the famous quote by Rumi:

“I Searched for God among the Christians and on the cross, and therein I found Him not.

I went into the ancient temples of idolatry; no trace of Him was there.

I entered the mountain cave of Hira and then went very far, but God I found not.

Then I directed my search to the Kaaba, the resort of old and young; God was not there.

Finally, I looked into my own heart and there I saw Him; He was nowhere else.”

Haroon filmed the video in England and Pakistan, at 20 different locations, capturing mosques, shrines, cathedrals, and temples. These include a beautiful Sikh Gurdwara, London’s famous St. Paul’s Cathedral, Regent’s Park mosque, and the breathtaking Baadshahi Mosque in Lahore, among many other locations.

Adding on from Rumi, Haroon says he aims to share a larger message of his own with the viewers, “the underlying theme of the video is that people of all faiths are searching for God and peace and our ultimate desires are the same.” This is a time to reach out and help our fellow brothers and sisters who are suffering regardless of religion, ethnicity, or background, we must lend a hand, he said.

By appealing to our emotions, issue based songs have the ability to break down complex issues into things we can all relate to like love, friendship, fear or loss. In this way, music expands our horizons and opens our minds to new ideas. Using music as a tool to build movement is one of the most important aspects for social change. I am looking for songs that will open people’s eyes to the problems that exist in today’s world. Issue based songs can often serve as inspiration for students to examine aspects of social justice such as accepting others, challenging discrimination, examining privilege, and rejecting violence.

These initiatives by musicians are seriously appreciable. By doing social satire in their music may not bring vast or any revolutionary change in Pakistan’s politics but it can make young minds think about the system and question the politicians. In doing so, these bands are nudging youth to form opinions of their own and be more proactive on pressing issues that need their urgent attention.

The writer is a social and political activist based in Lahore. He has done his Maters and MPhil in Communication Studies. He can be reached at salmanali088@gmail.com, tweets at Salmani_salu

Published in Daily Times, April 23^rd 2018.