The sea of faces present at the Aman ki Asha Concert — a joint initiative of The Times Of India and the Jang Group of Pakistan were in a mood to celebrate the voices of peace, harmony and most importantly a feeling of togetherness.

There was eagerness in the air as people were waiting to have a slice of the magical performance by best bands from India and Pakistan — Indian Ocean and Strings.

The evening started with Indian Ocean singing “Kya Maloom” and winning many hearts instantly. Rahul Ram, the bass guitarist and vocalist of the band said, “We always enjoy performing in Ahmedabad. Aur aaj humein bahut khushi ho rahi hai Ahmedabad mein aa kar as we’re performing for a beautiful initiative called Aman Ki Asha. And we are really happy to perform with Strings from Pakistan.” And they left the audience spellbound when they sang songs like “Bandeh” from the film “Black Friday” (which got maximum applause and one could hear cries of ‘once more’), “Hille Le”, “Maa Rewa” and last but not the least “Kandeesa”. A jugalbandi by Rahul Ram and Amit Kilam, the drummer of band was soul-stirring.

And when it was time for Strings to come on the stage, there was applause and more applause. As they sang “Yahaan Koi Aanewaala Hai”, you could feel that the magic has just begun. The connection was instant. Overwhelmed by the audiences’ response, vocalist Faisal Kapadia of Strings said, “We are very happy to be here. We’re here for one reason —Aman Ki Asha. Aur hum logon ko hi isey aagey le jaana hai. We should forget the past and it’s time to look forward.”

Then lights went out on the singers’ request and everybody in the audience held up their mobile phones in the dark, showing white lights of cell-phones to symbolise hope and peace. Time stood still at that beautiful moment. Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia added more warmth to the evening by making the audience sing to the tilting lyrics of “Mein Tera Tu Meri Jaane Saara Hindustan” making it ‘Pakistan’ and “Yeh Dosti Hum Nahin Chodenge”. Followed by their famous numbers like “Zinda Hoon”, Sar Kiye Ye Pahar”, “Titliyaan”, “Duur” and “Anjaane”, there was a song dedicated to World Cup, 2011 considering cricket is a religion in both India and Pakistan. And finally, Strings asked Indian Ocean to join them on stage and then it was time for “Mast Kalandar” and “Des Mera Rangrez Yeh Babu”. As they sang together, a sense of joy, happiness and love ruled the air. And didn’t they say right that music knows no boundary.

Read more: Indian Ocean, Strings perform in Ahmedabad – The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/music/music-events/Indian-Ocean-Strings-perform-in-Ahmedabad/articleshow/7540621.cms#ixzz1EgH6zA6f

“We’ve been ambassadors of Pakistan, we’re among those who represent Pakistani music in India, and through our concerts we meet the youth, the common man on the streets in India… We’ve had a consistent interaction with the people of this country,” he says.

Strings is performing with Indian Ocean in Ahmedabad on February 20, and Faisal also points out that the connection through music that Aman Ki Asha, a joint initiative by the Times of India and the Jang group of Pakistan, attempts to establish between the people of the two countries should be extended to other fields as well. “There is a lack of connection in everything else — trade, entertainment, student exchange,” he says. “And that’s unfortunate, considering that the people of India and Pakistan have so much in common— their culture, their language.”

As a pop singer, though, Faisal has the satisfaction of connecting to the youth of both the countries. “The older generations carried with them the baggage of a turbulent past. But the youth— those born in the 90s or after that – aren’t familiar with that past, they do not relate to the divisive ideology. And I think as musicians, we have an important role to play in bringing them together and communicating the message of peace,” he asserts. “When we are on the stage, music takes over. You don’t realise then where you are performing – in India or Pakistan. The love of the audience, the way it responds to you, is what matters then. And if you ask an Indian singer who goes to Pakistan to perform, he’ll have the same thing to say,” adds Faisal, who rues that post 26/11, things between India and Pakistan went off track and a lot of plans that Strings had for Bollywood couldn’t reach their proper conclusion.

But Bollywood, avers Faisal, has also played a vital role in bridging gaps. “When a Bollywood movie releases on Friday, there’s as much anticipation for it in Pakistan as there is in India: people queue up outside theatres or rush to grab a DVD. And through films and Indian TV channels, there’s a great deal of exposure that people in my country get to India,” he says. However, there’s no such medium for Indians to get to know of their Pakistani counterparts. As Faisal puts it, “As of now, the only Pakistani import to Indian entertainment is music, and though it may not be as wide a canvas as films or television, we hope it changes the perception people here have of those across the border. When someone goes back from our concert, we hope he thinks of Pakistan in a different way.”

Read more: Strings-Indian Ocean to perform together – The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/music/news-and-interviews/Strings-Indian-Ocean-to-perform-together/articleshow/7515823.cms#ixzz1EgEwtQaz

This time round the opening venue was the Asian School of Business with a crowd of over 5,000 fans cheering for the band as Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood belted out Zinda, Najane Kyun, Anjaane, Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar, Koi Aanay Wala Hai, Aakhri Alvida, Chaaye Chaaye, Dhaani and Mera Bicchra Yaar.

The second show was for a bank. The young corporate Indian crowd grew up listening to Strings as students, and they are now spreading a positive word about Pakistan throughout the country.

Strings then took to stage on the rooftop of the Jolly Rogers Rock Club in New Delhi. The last time the band performed in the city was at the Saarc Festival in January 2010 in which Strings represented Pakistan. After 26/11, there had been a halt in the cultural exchanges between Pakistan and India and many a music deal and gigs were called off.

Faisal recalls, “After the release of Dhaani, we used to perform in India at least twice a month. But, after 26/11, things were political ly very changed. Every month, we used to turn down two to three concert offers because the visa process takes so much time that it’s actually impractical to perform that often.” So how different was it this time round? “After performing, we realised that things are moving in the right direction and the reaction of the audience and the Indian people towards Pakistan has changed quite a lot. And here, I am talking of a common Indian citizen, because people who come to our concerts are our fans and always want peace. But, one gets to know the real reaction from a common man who doesn’t follow our music. And, I must say, it has been a very positive change,” said Bilal.

How does music bridge the gap between the two countries? “Music is so powerful that when it is played nobody cares which country the artiste belongs to. People are mesmerised by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali, Abida Parveen and Ghulam Ali in India. Similarly, Rahat Fateh Ali’s and Atif Aslam’s songs in Indian films prove that Pakistani musicians are playing a very important role in winning the hearts of the Indian audience. Also, Ali Zafar featured in an Indian film just recently. Music is all about positivity,” said Faisal.

Strings’ songs have been a part of Sanjay Gupta’s film’s soundtracks such as Zinda (Yeh Meri Kahani) and Shootout at Lokhandwala (Aakhri Alvida). “Our fans will surely be listening to some Bollywood projects by us this year,” disclosed the band. And on why doesn’t Strings feature more often in film music? Bilal said, “It’s because we don’t do playback singing. We only do it when the theme of the movie goes with our music.” FInally, Strings also visited Mumbai and hung out with friends John Abraham, Javed Akhtar and Diya Mirza. — Shahzeb Shaikh ¦for Dawn Images.