Ismail and Junaid
Encyclopedia
Ismail and Junaid is a Pashto music
al band originating from Peshawar
, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan
. The band consists of two members - Ismail Khan, the lead vocalist
, poet
and composer
and Junaid Javed, a guitarist
, composer and supporting vocalist. Khan was born in Peshawar in a family of political background hailing from Charsadda. Ismail and Junaid, both university students and college friends, were originally amateur artists who performed in front of friends and social circles. After receiving wide exposure and appreciation of their musical talent, the duo decided to take their music to the next level and formed a professional band. Ismail and Junaid achieved first position in the All Pakistan Battle of the Bands contest at the Lahore University of Management Sciences
(LUMS) in 2010. After forming their band, they debuted by soon releasing their first official song Qarar, a Pashto
single. The song has been their most successful release till date and the duo achieved overnight fame following its release; the official music video of the song has acquired hundreds and thousands of views on YouTube
and was ranked as the second best Pashto song of all times by the Pashto Cultural Society. It was able to achieve popularity even outside the country and in the non-Pashtun Pakistani mainstream music audiences. The track hit radio and T.V channels all over the country and Goher Mumtaz, the lead guitarist of the pop rock band Jal
, personally approached the duo to express his liking of the song.
In 2011, they released yet another song, Ranra (meaning "light"), an alternative folk single which is also in Pashto and is breaking the records of Qarar as the fastest shared Pashto song on social websites.
As a musical group, Ismail and Junaid are praised for their ability of fusing eastern (Pashtun music) and western music and are regarded as one of the emerging bands in the Pashto and Pakistani musical scene. Much of their music employs the traditional use of the rubab instrument accompanied with rhythmic Pashto vocals, drawing influences from Sufi music
and northern Pakistani folk music
as well as modernised western genres.
They have been interviewed by various media organisations, including the Voice of America
and the American radio channel National Public Radio (NPR). In an interview with Pakium, a Pakistani music and entertainment website, Ismail Khan said that through their cultural portrayal of music, they aim to change the negative perception and stereotypes often associated with their hometown and the Pashtun people
in general. Among the band's future plans include releasing a full album which would contain songs in Pashto, Urdu and English.
Pashto music
Pashto music is commonly found in Pakistan, Afghanistan and among the Pashtun diaspora around the world. It is mainly listened to in the Pashtun regions, which includes Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and Balochistan in Pakistan...
al band originating from Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The band consists of two members - Ismail Khan, the lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and Junaid Javed, a guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, composer and supporting vocalist. Khan was born in Peshawar in a family of political background hailing from Charsadda. Ismail and Junaid, both university students and college friends, were originally amateur artists who performed in front of friends and social circles. After receiving wide exposure and appreciation of their musical talent, the duo decided to take their music to the next level and formed a professional band. Ismail and Junaid achieved first position in the All Pakistan Battle of the Bands contest at the Lahore University of Management Sciences
Lahore University of Management Sciences
The Lahore University of Management Sciences, usually referred to by its acronym LUMS, is a university located in Lahore, Pakistan. LUMS was established in 1984 by a group of industrialists and people belonging to Pakistan's leading private and public sector corporations, to provide rigorous...
(LUMS) in 2010. After forming their band, they debuted by soon releasing their first official song Qarar, a Pashto
Pashto language
Pashto , known as Afghani in Persian and Pathani in Punjabi , is the native language of the indigenous Pashtun people or Afghan people who are found primarily between an area south of the Amu Darya in Afghanistan and...
single. The song has been their most successful release till date and the duo achieved overnight fame following its release; the official music video of the song has acquired hundreds and thousands of views on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and was ranked as the second best Pashto song of all times by the Pashto Cultural Society. It was able to achieve popularity even outside the country and in the non-Pashtun Pakistani mainstream music audiences. The track hit radio and T.V channels all over the country and Goher Mumtaz, the lead guitarist of the pop rock band Jal
Jal (band)
Jal is a pop rock band from Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The band originally consisted of song writer, vocalist and lead guitarist, Goher Mumtaz and vocalist, Atif Aslam...
, personally approached the duo to express his liking of the song.
In 2011, they released yet another song, Ranra (meaning "light"), an alternative folk single which is also in Pashto and is breaking the records of Qarar as the fastest shared Pashto song on social websites.
As a musical group, Ismail and Junaid are praised for their ability of fusing eastern (Pashtun music) and western music and are regarded as one of the emerging bands in the Pashto and Pakistani musical scene. Much of their music employs the traditional use of the rubab instrument accompanied with rhythmic Pashto vocals, drawing influences from Sufi music
Sufi music
Sufi music is the devotional music of the Sufis, inspired by the works of Sufi poets, like Rumi, Hafiz, Bulleh Shah and Khwaja Ghulam Farid.Qawwali is the most well known form of Sufi music, common in India and Pakistan...
and northern Pakistani folk music
Folk music of Pakistan
Folk music of Pakistan includes the traditional forms of Balochi, Pashto, Punjabi, and Sindhi. Pakistani folk songs include "Abeeti" , "Allah Hoo" and "Ashoor Jan" ....
as well as modernised western genres.
They have been interviewed by various media organisations, including the Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
and the American radio channel National Public Radio (NPR). In an interview with Pakium, a Pakistani music and entertainment website, Ismail Khan said that through their cultural portrayal of music, they aim to change the negative perception and stereotypes often associated with their hometown and the Pashtun people
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
in general. Among the band's future plans include releasing a full album which would contain songs in Pashto, Urdu and English.
External links
- Ismail and Junaid on FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- Ismail and Junaid on ReverbNation.comReverbNation.comReverbNation.com is a web site, launched in 2006, that focuses on the independent music industry. It aims to provide a central site for musicians, producers, and venues to collaborate and communicate.-Innovations:...