Play that catchy tune...

Jal performing to a cheering crowd

Jal's first concert in Bangladesh was held on September 6 at Winter Garden, Dhaka Sheraton Hotel, courtesy of the Pakistani High Commission and JPR Events.

The band was formed in Lahore, Pakistan and although Atif Aslam's euphonic voice is to be credited in making the first single Aadat an instant international phenomenon, Atif soon went solo. His version of Woh lamhe which was used in the Hindi film Zeher with a different title Bheegi yaaden, fueled controversy and attracted extra attention to the Jal version of the song as well. Meanwhile, Gohar Mumtaz, the brain behind the composition, lyrics of Jal's songs and lead/rhythm guitarist changed the line up of the band. Farhan Saeed is the current vocalist of the band while Aamir Shazi is the bass guitarist.

The venue was packed as it often happens at concerts of popular bands. An added attraction was the '256 colour laser show' by Sound Storm, a first ever in Bangladesh. The crowd seemed to be taken aback by the dazzling images and shapes created with laser, prior to the performance of the band. The Pakistani High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Alamgir Babar Khan also spoke on the occasion.

Jal kicked off their performance with Woh lamhe. The vocalist Farhan Saeed, tries to demonstrate skills similar to Atif Aslam and he tries hard. Unfortunately Farhan does not have a wide range like Atif and that showed when he was struggling with the high notes that Atif makes look like a cakewalk. However, the singer shows promise in soft rock numbers like Teri Yaad, Rangon mein and Dil harey.

Next in line was a rendition of Dama dam mast Kalandar, a classic made famous by the acclaimed diva Runa Laila, the 'qawwali queen' Abida Parveen and the immensely popular band Junoon. Fahran's version lacked the passion demonstrated in the Runa version, the spirituality displayed in the Abida version or even fresh appeal of the Junoon version. It was quite flat. The crowd however went wild. Part of the cheering audience got off their seats and huddled near the stage. Gohar, Shazi on the guitars and Salman Albert on drums were superb. The concert wrapped up with the band performing a fast paced version of Woh lamhe.

The concert was followed by a fashion show organised by JPR events.