Daily Times

KARACHI: Leading music sensation Umair Jaswal is all set and ready to lock horns with yesteryears’ rockstar Ali Azmat in the Red Bull Soundclash, tonight at the Karachi Expo Centre. In an exclusive interview with Daily Times, the young and talented singer expressed confidence in his abilities ahead of the mega clash, and promised his fans a performance that would rock the city of lights. In what is being termed as the ‘Clash of Generations’, Umair Jaswal will face Ali Azmat in a clash that has never been experienced before in Pakistan. Both performers, known for their uniqueness, versatility and powerful vocals, will go head-to-head for four rounds to prove their mettle.

Jaswal lamented Azmat’s recent comment in which he took a dig at the upcoming singers, saying, “We are very happy with Red Bull for helping us settle this on stage.” The contemporary artist lauded the Red Bull Soundclash concept, which he opined brought forward healthy competition. In this case, he said, Red Bull brought the new age face-to-face with the old school. “I’m sure Ali Azmat also knows deep inside that the new age has got what it takes, but this show is for the world to see and admit. At the same time, we don’t have loud rock shows in the country, so this is will not only entertain the people but will also help uplift Pakistani music,” he added.

Although Jaswal, who has been working in the music industry for the last 11 years, appreciates that amount of love and affection he receives from his ever-increasing fan base, he also remembers the days when it had become difficult for him to survive in the industry. “The world always remembers your successes, but only you know the challenges and failures you faced and the amount of hard work, perseverance and dedication it took to succeed. My band surfaced in 2008 which was when the music industry was on its way to collapse. There were no shows, no record labels, nothing to support upcoming artists. It was a nightmare surviving as a musician at that time. I remember not being able to play a single show in the first four years of my career owing to the wave of terrorism at that time. I regret to have missed the golden era of music by a few years, when all these great bands, including Junoon, became great in Pakistan.”

The line-up of Jaswal’s team for Red Bull Soundclash includes Zain Peerzada and Ali Suhail, Rahail Siddiqui, Amir Azhar, Hyder and Ahad Nayani.