Adil Najam
An absolutely fascinating documentary from Dawn TV on the Karachi music scene from the 1960s into the 1970s. About a Karachi that is no more. A Karachi where Duke Ellington and Quincy Jones fly in to play. A Karachi which had the only piano manufacturing facility in all of pre-1947 India. A Karachi that even the Beattles passed through.
Absolutely fascinating. Or have I said that already!
This is about a Karachi from a very different time. A Karachi that moved to a very different beat.
Nostalgia – and the glamorization of nostalgia – not withstanding, this does not mean it was a ‘better’ time or a ‘better’ beat. It was also a time with many many problems. And big ones. Of poverty. Of economic divide. Of intolerance of a different kind. In many ways – and for some people – it was a much more innocent time. In other ways – and for other people – it might have been harsher.
But it was, quite clearly, a very different time. And that, of course, is the point.
What one sees in this documentary was not the only face of Karachi of that time. Karachi had many many faces. It has always had many many faces.
It is too easy to forget that it still has many many face. And that, of course, is the point. And not just about Karachi. About any place, really.
Some comments from the ATP Facebook Page:
– “Yeah, a time when Pakistan was actually progressive instead of being dominated by backward medieval mullah scum.”
– “why do u feel proud in breaking the rules of Allah”
– “by breaking rules of Allah you mean:
Beheading & hanging dead bodies in Public as to create terror in name of Universal religion of Peace i.e ISLAM!!!!!!!!.
Flogging women in public by ‘Namahram Men!
Killing women in name of Honour.
Burying women alive in name of honour.
Marrying women to QUran so the property is not divided in thr name.
Suicide (Haram act) bombing??????????
Inciting Hate & violence from FM radio broadcasts to millions of illeterate people!!!
Running out from mosques in BURQA disguising as a female!”
– “the rules of allah include wearing ankle length shalwar with a fist long beard with a topi on your head and then spitting paan on to the streets?
no wait, the rules of allah include hitting the children to force them to memorize then quran but not learn the meaning behind the words written in the quran?
or do the rules of allah include pulling that 1000 rupeee note out when the police stops you because you were driving like an idiot?”
– “the so called ‘rules of allah’ might have been violated back then but at least we didn’t have the bombs and guns blowing up people like we have today.
isn’t it interesting that ever since the ‘rules of allah’ are being followed much more in today’s time, we have seen an increase in violence, in non-tolerance, in the persecution of the minorities? ”
– “please read about Islam and then comment. The way you are talking about Islam makes me think that are you even Muslim? but thats your and Allahs problem. Let me address the things that you rought up. Where in Quran and Sunnah is it written that you have to memorixe quran?eat pan? behead people? blow yourself up?etc etc???? no where, then why are yall targetting Islam. And i would lie to ask you that howcan you say that “Rules of Allah” are being followed???when they arent!! no country is following the islamic shariah, so you cannot blame islam for anything. Why dont trace this to the time when Islamic shariah was being followed for example, Khulafa e rashideens time, dont ou remember what hazrat umar radi allah u anh aid, ‘ that even if a dog dies in my kingdom allah ta’ala will ask me about that on the day of judgement” and hazrat umar use to walk on streets at night after changing his getup so as to see if nything is wrong with the ummah. And there are a million more examples from everywhere tat i can post. And talha are you trying ot defend lal masjid operaion? knowing the truth now, even though our media has accepted that is was a false operation. and where is marryin women to quran in islam???etc etc all these things have nothing ot do with islam. and you still preach all that so whose faut woud tht be???allahs or ours??? WAKE UP BROTHERS.”
– “peolpe like us have failed to understand what islam means. A universal religion of peace, a religion that tells us the best way to spend our worldly life. a religion that neither permits violence, bribe, taking lives of innocents, blowing up oneself without any noble cause, marrying woman to quran, injustice with woman, burying muslim woman in the name of honour nor does it permit to indulge in obscenity, dancing, music, secularism etc. it is a code of conduct for Muslims. it gives him instructions for every single second he has to spend in this world and covers the entire course of his life. if we break the rules of Allah by any mean, we are sinful whether it is in form of unnecessary violence and human killing or indulging in dance, music, obscenity and other vulgar things. May Allah protect us from all this. Ameen”
– “who made you the enforcer of rules of Allah ?”
It was such a wonderful time!
I remember, I used to “travel” about a mile (you know, in those days, we used to have miles, hann!) and I used to have an earthen “ghara” and I would get the water.
Yeah! It is true.
And oh yes, the water is still the same quality.
Would you like to drink a glass of water?
Beep.
This is Watan Aziz reporting from Mars, Station “Audacity of Hope”. I have just concluded an interview with Mai Jori Jamali.
She was having a bit of nostalgia.
It was not better.
And it was not much different either.
And she still has not seen any signs of the space ship “Equity and Justice” that was launched on August 14, 1947.
For the viewers on Earth watching Youtube. All those folks who are having nostaliga on Earth, well, it was built on denying equity and justice. Denied to Mai Jori Jamali by both, the bigoted and self-proclaimed “seculars” and the equally bigoted and equally self-proclaimed “religious”; elected or usurpers. Same, no different.
This concludes this report.
Earth, can you hear me now?
Now?
I liked the program very much, but not sure how to react !!!!
@adil. Job well done adil. And I would agree with the above comment. I would rather prefer a tolerant Pakistan where the people can get a break and just enjoy without the scare of getting killed by a crazy Taliban blasting himself up!!
Jazz or country music was very much alive in Karachi and it gave rise to many hybrid forms of music in Pakistan. Sadly due to the injection of the extremist Islamic attitude, much of the artists stopped coming here and music was considered as a taboo rather than just a way of expressing yourself. Revival of our lost heritage is the need of the day.