With elections right around the bend and talk of “tabdeeli” on the lips of young and old Pakistanis, it is natural for musicians to be inspired by a highly-charged environment. Karachi-based band Gravity, recently released its major single Karwa Sach (Bitter Truth) after what seems like a seven-year hiatus from their previous track Musafir.
“This is our attempt to create awareness ahead of the elections,” says band member Sohaib Lari. “Someone asked us why we didn’t do a love song; [to them, I say] the job of an artist is to absorb the issues around us.”
Apart from Lari, the 10-year-old band comprises National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) students Ahsan Bari, Shoaib Chachar and drummer Abdul Aziz Kazi. While the band is largely known for its hard rock sound, with this number it hopes to connect with listeners. “The song is obviously targeting the youth and trying to look for a different direction to where the country is headed,” he adds.
The band hopes to encourage young Pakistanis to vote this election, and feels that such music is a product of musicians’ frustration with the status quo.
The song is primarily built on the foundation of the growing trend of politically-tinged music that has become increasingly common over the last few years. It includes a Rage Against The Machine-inspired aggression, which can be explained by the band’s anger at being robbed in front of an ATM in Gulistan-e-Johar.
“Karachi is a difficult environment for musicians,” says Kazi. “Our band can play all types of music, but we really thought distortion was necessary — the song needed a sort of aggression. We made sure that the lyrics matched the sound, it felt like the perfect song to come back with.”
The smoothly made video of Karwa Sach opens with a girl intently watching a cooking show and noting down recipes, when the TV goes blank and a band appears on the set. The cleverly made video shows that from the police to politicians, people in a position of power can cut of transmissions on a whim. The video ends with the girl noting down a recipe of ‘Kela Fry with Crazy Ketchup’ — signifying that the the average Pakistani will follow anything that is shown on the idiot box. The video also highlights people within the system who have benefited at the expense of others and have not done much for the country. The interesting visuals coupled with a hiccup-free production enable the band to expose the “bitter truth” with their song.
Lyrics such as “Jo hum ko loot ke khatay hain, wohi dubara atay hain, kuch sabz bagh dikhate hain, phir se vote le ke jaate hain [Those who loot us are elected time and again, They show us green pastures, only to take our vote]” are hard-hitting. They also touch upon issues of inflated prices, illiteracy, targeted killings and the blocking of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) funds.
Lari clarifies that the band is not affiliated with any political party. “We are not trying to say that we have the answers — it’s important for the core issues to be worked on,” he says Lari, adding, “Our message is aimed at connecting with the youth, who are seen as a vehicle for change in this country.”
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2013.
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