JUNOON: “The Spirit of Passion”

By Shehryar Ahmed

Junoon, meaning ‘obsession’ or ‘passion’, is south Asia’s biggest rock band. They sing  mostly inthe language of Urdu, in a style blending Western hard rock with Sindhi & Punjabi folk and Qawwali. “The band’s appeal reaches beyond the westernized elite”, says Newsweek International. Junoon, in effect, had to create an audience for rock music in Pakistan. This didn’t happen right away. The band struggled financially for the first few years. Group members remember months of eating ‘daal’ and ‘rice, the Pakistani poor man’s staple. It all paid off in the spring of 1996, when Junoon scored its first big hit with the song “ Jazba-e-Junoon “ (“The spirit of passion”).

Hai Jazba-e-Junoon, tho Himmat na haar!
Justuju joh kurreh voh chueh Aasmaan !

If you have the spirit of passion (obsession), Never give up! The one who Perseveres reaches the stars.

( 1996 Nameless Music.)

“Jazba” became Pakistan’s Official Song of the 1996 Cricket World Cup, co-hosted by Pakistan & India. In December of 1996, Junoon released another hit single called “Ehtessab” (Accountability), which mocked Pakistani politics. The bitingly satirical video for this song was banned from PTV, Pakistan’s State television, which claimed that it would destabilize the country before elections. These only increase its popularity.

In 1997, Junoon recorded their latest album, Azadi. AZADI was released by EMI Music, and became Junoon’s debut album in India (though actually their fifth effort). “Sayonee” was the first single off Azadi. The song became an instant hit in South Asia and the Middle East, shooting to the top of all the Asian charts, and staying at the Number One position on both channel [V] and MTV Asia for over 2 months. AZADI hit platinum sales status in a record 4 weeks. ZEE TV invited Junoon to perform at the star-studded ZEE Cine-awards in Mumbai in March 1998, where the group received accolades from the crème de la crème of India’s entertainment industry.  In April, Junoon embarked on their first tour of India, which broke many records. Junoon played to baying crowds of 30, 40, and as many as 50,000 Indian Junooni’s, across the length and breadth of India. From Chandigarh to Madras, and from Lucknow to Bangalore, the fans had the same message:  “We Love Junoon”. There was such chaos in the mad rush to get tickets to Junoon’s premier performance in Delhi, that the organisers added extra dates to satisfy fans.

During Junoon’s tour in India, the Indian Government decided to conduct nuclear tests. In interviews to the BBC, ZTV, AND CNN, Junoon spoke out against nuclear proliferation in all parts of the world, especially South Asia: “In a region mired with poverty and destitution, with millions of starving souls living in pitiful conditions, can we afford a nuclear arms race?” asked Salman Ahmed. “would it not be better for India and Pakistan to try to inspire each other in the areas of education, health, and economic development?” The group was lauded for their comments by many in both Pakistan and India.

The Pakistan Government did not share such sentiments however. The ban on Junoon’s music was prolonged. Throughout Junoon’s meteoric rice, PTV refused to show a single glimpse of Junoon, with the Censor Board giving one lame excuse after another: “Your hair is too long”; “You are offending national sensibilities”; “You have blasphemed against our mystical poets”; “You have sacrileged the saintly shrines”. When the band returned from the wildly successful Indian tour however, thing took an ugly turn. The ministry of culture baselessly charged Junoon with making comments in India, which amounted to sedition and treason. The band members vehemently denied these charges, ascribing them to the same campaign that has been fought against Junoon since they released the song “Ehtesaab”, which exposes the corruption of the political class.

It is in the midst of this controversy that Junoon’s AZADI has been nominated by Channel “V” for best international album, having achieved the prestigious honour of being the highest selling pop album in both Pakistan & India this year. ‘Q’ Magazine calls them “one of the biggest band in the world “. After their concert (a tribute to the late Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) at New York’s famous Central park this August, the New York Times dubbed their music “Pakistani rock mixed with religious rapture”. Similarly, in a preview to Junoon’s performance at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, the L.A. Times says Junoon’s “ability to captivate audiences” is “inspiring Beatles-like reactions”. If this is your first taste of their passion, get ready to go Junooni!.