Mekaal Hasan Band
| Mekaal Hasan Band | |
|---|---|
 Mekaal Hasan Band in January 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Genres | Alternative rock, Sufi rock, Jazz |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | EMI, MHB Music, Sadaf Stereo |
| Associated acts | Junoon, Zeb and Haniya, Noori, Entity Paradigm, Jal, Rubberband |
| Website | www.mekaalhasanband.com |
| Members |
Mekaal Hasan Mohammad Ahsan Papu Javed Bashir Amir Azhar |
| Past members |
Asad Abbas Riaz Ali Khan Sameer Ahmed |
Mekaal Hasan Band, sometimes shortened to MHB, is a sufi rock band formed in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan in 1999 by composer-songwriter, guitarist Mekaal Hasan.
The band members have roots in different genres, including jazz, classical music, soul music, and sufi rock, the combination of each member has created a sound which has earned them fans from a variety of quarters.[1] Hasan is the lead songwriter and has been noted for having a special style mixing classical music with metal techniques.
The band achieved mainstream success with its debut album, Sampooran, released in 2004. Its following studio album, Saptak, released in 2010 continued the band's success. Mekaal Hasan Band is Pakistan’s most critically acclaimed act as well, winning numerous awards and nominations for it’s recordings, videos and live performances.
Despite being signed to both EMI and Sadaf Stereo, the band have their own record label, MHB Music, which they use to launch some independent releases and their albums.
History
Early years (1995-2004)
Songwriter Mekaal Hasan, born in Lahore, Pakistan, was surrounded by music since childhood. His father, Masood Hasan, passion for jazz music influenced him throughout his early years. After graduating from Government College, Lahore, Mekaal studied music at the Berklee College of Music, Boston and his stay there exposed him to a wide variety of music and musicians, many of whom are influences to this day.[1]
In March 2001, Mekaal collaborated with Pete Lockett in a series of concerts countrywide featuring music written for Pete and classical artists by Mekaal. Pete Lockett has been featured on tour and on records by Peter Gabriel, Björk, Robert Plant, Simply Red, Afro-Celt Sound System and many others as well as on Hollywood movies such as the two James Bond movies, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, as well as The Bone Collector and City of Angels. The music played in these concerts was a unique experience for all as this was the first time in the history of performances in Pakistan, that material written by a Pakistani musician for foreign artists was used. Following the artistic and public acclaim that the music received, Mekaal decided to continue writing music which would feature different classical and experimental artists who could contribute to the progressive and bold nature of the music that Mekaal Hasan Band play which is a fusion between the melodic sensibility of the East and the harmonic sophistication of the West.
The lead singer of The Mekaal Hasan Band, Javed Bashir, and flutist Papu are part of the older community of classically trained musicians living in Lahore. They released their debut album, Sampooran, in 2004.
Sampooran (2004-2008)
Mekaal Hasan Band released their debut album, "Sampooran", in 2004 by EMI/Virgin Records.
The video for "Raba" was a social commentary on a scale rarely found in Pakistani videos.
Saptak (2009-2010)
Mekaal Hasan Band, released their second album in October, 2009. They also released their video of a single "Chal Bulleya" on 2 October 2009.
On 3 February 2010, Javed Bashir(Vocals) decided to part ways after working along with the band for 8 years. On 26 December, in an online poll by Dawn News the band's video for their single, "Chal Bulleya", was voted as the best music video of 2010.[2]
Discography
- Studio albums
Band members
- Current
- Mekaal Hasan – lead guitar (2001–present)
- Sharmistha Chatterjee – lead vocals (2014–present)
- Mohammad Ahsan Papu – flute (2001–present)
- Sheldon D'Silva – bass (2009–present)
- Gino Banks son of Louis Banks – Drummer (2010–present)
- Former
- Riaz Ali Khan – lead vocals (2001–2002)
- Sameer Ahmed – bass guitar (2001–2009)
- Javed Bashir – lead vocals (2003–2012)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mekaal Hasan – Interview Retrieved on November 06, 2009
- ↑ Opinion Poll: Who ruled 2010? Retrieved on 30 December 2010.
External links
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