Someone needs to write a book about the Pakistani music industry someday. What it was, what it could’ve been, and why it could still go places.

There are so many characters, so many individual stories, so much drama. From Nusrat to Allan Faqeer to Ali Azmat to lesser known oddbals like Hash, Shehzad Hameed to Orange Noise.

So many iconic moments, like Junoon going to India despite pressure and subsequently banned by the Nawaz govt. So many niche themes like a disproportionately high number of christian drummers (Gumby, Kami Paul, the Albert brothers are a few that immediately come to mind)

So many stories of heartbreak, from the demise of Amjad Sabri, to several greats ending up in destitution, to Reshma’s cancer, to so many like Faraz Anwer who’s ability wasn’t recognized

There’s already some great content out there. Like this story from @mohammedhanif on the first time he saw Nusrat

Like Junoon completely rocking #CentralPark in NY

Or when a cigaratte brand shot this completely weird travel show with Junaid Jamshed in Paris when he was at the peak of his career

This completely bananas stuff from when JJ and Junoon toured China in the early 2000s. See 2:15 to 2:25

I think almost every episode of the On the Fringe falls in this category. See this interview with EP, see a Fawad Khan with a fake accent be shy, and Ahmed Butt be grilled for saying “Im a white boy from the L town”

We were very close to having an ecosystem going and thriving. Some of the greats were still around and active, some inspired new blood had come up from the first battle of the bands, some talented folk like Mekaal had returned to Pakistan

and talent like @zparwez which Pakistan had not seen before had broken out. We were getting bands from KP and IMSciences. And writers like Fasi Zaka and NFP were trying to keep them honest.

It is remarkable that at one point we had at least three music channels dedicated entirely to music, today we have none.

Obviously making money has always been hard. Im less informed about what are the essential elements of a building a music industry and in what sequence to deploy them. Im sure the issues with royalties and the dominance of players like Sadaf played a part.

It’s a story of perfectly bizarre characters with the eccentricities of #Pakistan reflected in them, of brilliant music produced with barebones resources, of glowing hope and (what I hope is temporary) stasis.