This story is from February 5, 2008

‘India is like our second home’

Lakshmi Ajay / TNN / Feb 5, 2008, 00:00 IST

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In an interview with TOI Pakistani band Fuzon talk about music, Indian fans and more...

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Louis John Pinto, Rameez Mukhtar, Imran Momina and Shallum Asher Xavier (TOI Photo)They came, they played and conquered quite a few hearts. On a chilly February night, Amdavadis got some musical shivers when the Pakistani band Fuzon performed at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
Fuzon which consists of Shallum Asher Xavier, the guitarist and Emu (Imran Momina) on the keyboard boasts of a new member vocalist Rameez Mukhtar.The band has been creating waves these days with their blend of eastern classical melodies fused with western rock.
All set to release their new album titled ‘Journey’, which explores the various phases of life that one goes through, Fuzon has tasted success among youngsters with their tracks like ‘Mora Saiyaan’ and the breezy ‘Tere Bina’ that earned them lots of adulation by Indian fans.
“We grew up listening to rock music and decided to make the kind of music that people can identify with and which have our flavour as well,” says Shallum, the lead guitarist who set the stage on fire with his histrionics with the guitar. Having recently worked for a Bollywood movie, Mumbai Cutting that is all set to go on floors on mid-March, the band is waiting to dabble in some good projects in Bollywood.

On being asked why they had just two albums to their credit, Shallum says, “We have been touring quite a bit and working on our upcoming album as well. We have worked with Norwegian artistes and done some collaborations with international artistes.
Our focus has always been to work with the right kind of people and make pure music. We try to make music that caters to three generations.” Considering the fact that Pakistani bands have a bigger fan base in India, do they consciously tailor their music to suit Indian tastes? “We always write our lyrics in Hindi and Urdu and have bits of Shayari as well. We just focus on making our kind of music and don’t set any targets or boundaries. Our songs are lyrical ballads and I guess that’s what the audiences here like.”

What do they think about reality shows that are on the television these days? “Even in Pakistan there are a few reality shows. I think it is definitely a good way to get talent from the country and showcase some good new musical talents as well,” says Emu.
While adoring fans queue up for autographs, Rameez, the new singer of Fuzon affirms, “You have such a lovely audience here in Ahmedabad and it is on tours like these that we realise how similar both the countries are.” He further adds, “We are ambassadors of peace and we have come to India so often in the recent past that it has almost become like a second home for us. We get the feeling of how people of both countries want peace.”
Considering the turmoil that Pakistan is undergoing right now, what do they feel about the situation? “We do feel that since Pakistan is going through a rough patch, we should sing some feel-good songs.
Democracy will surely return to Pakistan,” opines Immu. Bollywood movies seem to be the band’s favourite topic as they say in a unified gusto that they watch all the movies they can lay their hands on. A R Rehman, Zakir Hussain and Hariprasad Chaurasia are names that the band would love to collaborate with. Journey, Chicago and Toto are some of the international bands they look upto.
“We have been making music for the past 18 years and it is just six years back that we have surfaced as a band and made a mark. Young people should work hard and be patient. There are no shortcuts to success.”says Emu That’s the wisdom from across the border. Or call it the ‘Fuzon’ power.

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