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O n a good night, there are options. The Moonglows are playingmellow at the 21st Century nightclub. On the other side oftown, the Talismen are getting jittery at the Midway House. Thefacsimile poster on the door promises that the band is soft on a sweetmelody, swift on a fast beat. But the crowd knows better. These guys are

notorious hipswingers. Still, the scene will stay at a simmer

today because its ladies night at the Discotheque. There, theBlack Jacks are unleashing their Discorbit Jolt: a little jivin,a little rockin, a little twistin and a whole lotta lovin. Andalong the creek, Juliuss guitar snarls at the 007 Club whilelights flicker at the Horseshoe Bar and Restaurant. This couldbe Las Vegas, New York or London. But this is Karachi in theswinging 1960s. This is the birth of cool.

If Pakistani pop music has a history, Karachis quartets-at-clubs scene is it. Indeed, the pre-Zia decade in the cityby the sea was a time of big bands, bopping beats andbobby-pinned beehives. At night clubs and private parties

throughout the city, teenage Christian boys came together to play coversof western pop hits, experiment with progressive jazz and bite down,literally, on their guitar strings. Their antics were inspired by Radio

The

HeraldAnnual,January2005

The pop legacy of Christian big bands from the swinging1960s endures even today

THE BIRTHTHE BIRTH

OF COOL

FLASHBACK

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Anglos with Afros: (left toright) Talismen membersNorman DSouza, ColinDSouza, Charlie DSouzaand Popart Lal

By Huma Yusuf

How times havechanged: DominicGonzales playingin a hotel lobby F

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They treated us good, says Norman. The Punjab wasnt immune to thejumping and jiving either, as bands such as the Wanderers hit the big timein Lahore: The Wanderers ruled. They enjoyed real rock star treatment andwere real gurus, exclaims EPs drummer Salman Albert.

Better yet, this pop circuit was sanctioned by the authorities and mediaalike. With regards to Christian bands playing live at the Pak-AmericanCultural Centre, The Morning Newswrote on January 27, 1968, that the gig

was the best example of pop music nurtured locally without psycholicstimulant no LSD please. No wonder then that Pakistans pop stars ofthe 1980s drew their inspiration from the Anglos with Afros. Norman, forone, remembers cavorting with Ahmed Rushdi and proudly announces thatAlamgir was a big fan of the In Crowd, a band formed in 1969. Alamgirused to follow the In Crowds shows in the hotels but he first jammed withthem at the Horseshoe Bar, says Norman.

Thus thriving in a media void, playing live to fans each weekend,Karachis Christian bands felt no need to promote or preserve their music.After a hip-shaking, neck-jerking frenzied play-off at the 21stCenturyin 1971, Normans band was offered a recording contract with EMI.Surprisingly, they declined the offer. We just werent interested. We didntwant to play on television and we didnt want to record. None of it paidoff. All we wanted to do was play live. It was the singing and dancing that

mattered, explains Norman.While not all Christian musicians shared Normans viewpoint, most

were unable to record sessions even though they wanted to. The 1960swas a pre-cassette era and recording was prohibitively expensive for mostperformers. We always knew how to compose but the Christians didnt geta chance because they had no money, complains saxophonist Hilary. Notonly was the system of recording terrible recording live drums was nextto impossible but we also couldnt afford to rent the right studio or hire aproducer. Nooris current drummer Gumby adds that musicians such asAlamgirs backup saxophonist Dominic Gonzales couldnt become famousbecause a music video cost 50,000 rupees just to air in the late 1970s, letalone produce.

Moreover, early appearances on Pakistan Television (PTV) could notcharm the big bands. Accustomed to earning about 500 rupees a month

while playing the nightclub circuit a significant amount in the late 1960s band leaders were not willing to sign contracts with PTV that promised amere 150 rupees for each appearance. PTV would call us without warning.We had to play live, using our own equipment, without the help of soundsets or play-back facilities, remembers Norman.

Without having made inroads in television or snagged recordingcontracts, Karachis swing bands were suddenly out of context whenZia shut down nightclubs and slapped a ban on all things intoxicating in1977. Overnight, live music in Pakistan became an anomaly and Christianmusicians were left without a job. Rather than being an entertainmentindustry, Pakistani pop became the plaything of sleazy producers lookingto make a fast buck. As Fuzons lead guitarist Shallum Xavier puts it, bythe time I had grown up, everyone from the band circuit had either died ormigrated. It was the death of a whole scene.

While the majority of Christian musicians migrated to the US, UK, Canadaand even eastwards to Japan, Singapore or Malaysia, those that remainedexperienced a crushing fall from grace. Hilary found himself teaching musicat a high school while playing backup sax for Mohammad Ali Shayki. Forhis part, Norman briefly served as a waiter at the Holiday Inn Hotel beforereturning to music and trying his hand at singing in Urdu. Of course, therewere some notable exceptions. In 1983, the Benjamin Sisters scored wellby performing popish remixes of old Noor Jehan hits on PTV. It was verynice singing together and touring in Canada and Singapore, says BinaBenjamin. The eldest sister Nerissa was even forced to move out of her homefor a month after acquiring a stalker from Hyderabad. But Hilary paints amore accurate picture when he laments that the Christians struggled a lotin the 1980s and some guys just never made it.

Now, Hilary is working on the soundtracks of various television dramas

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TheHeraldAnnual,January2005

Pakistans daily broadcast by DJEdward Carrapiet of English twist-and-shout numbers. And the bandsperformances often promptedswingers from East Pakistan tofly to Karachi just to party for theweekend.

Seasoned saxophonist HilaryFurtado remembers that the scenein the 1960s and 1970s used to bevery good. Everyone played live,

they didnt need computers backthen. Similarly, Talismen bandleader Norman DSouza recallssinging to crowds of up to 1,000jivers on New Years Eve: Wewerent a rich bunch so we sangwithout mikes. We used to yell ourguts out but everyone had a goodtime. They just kept dancing.Even gigs in the lobbies of localfive-star hotels had panache backthen. Wed play Santana all nightand then the hotel would send usbreakfast in bed in the morning.

Swinging sixties: the Talismen performat a Christmas party

Teddy boy: Norman DSouza

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boasting a solidSunday schooltraining andinherent musicalitystill get their groove

on more than most.Former Talismen

member MalcolmGovias, and laterGumby, drummedfor Junoon.Currently, Gumbyis the sticks-man forNoori. Meanwhile,

Fuzon boasts Shallum and bassistRussell whose stint in the liveband circuit paid off well intheir line-up. Allan Smith, whoplayed briefly with Norman as an

adolescent, is now drumming forKarvan while EPs Salman Albertwas trained by the WanderersNoel Benjamin. Pakistans onlyjazzy outfit the Mekaal Hasan Bandboasts the Christian-influencedtalents of Salmans brother FarhanAlbert as well as Mekaal himself.Even Pakistans undisputed guitarvirtuoso Aamir Zaki seduced hisguitar strings under the tutelageof Alan Vanderlovin and AlanDias. The list is endless. As are thepossibilities. Anyone who thought

and recently did a jingle for a mobile phonecompany. Norman has formed a new band that playsthe odd gig at private parties or at the Sunset Club.Band members confined to playing in hotel lobbiescomplain that the management has lost all respect for

Christian musicians. Apparently, hotels scrimp on thefood served to musicians and pay a band comprisingfive musicians a mere 40,000 or 50,000 rupees amonth. Meanwhile, millennium pop stars such asguitarist Shallum claim that the only lesson theyvelearnt from the pioneers of pop is to avoid the samefate: Seeing talented Christian musicians play inhotels is quite a sorry sight. I didnt want my musicto be restricted to a lobby with people coming andgoing as they pleased. I believed that I could be part of something bigger a rock band.

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. Even after Zia,Christian musicians have struggled for recognition. In 1992, Candi Pereira,Allan Smith and John Sullivan, the son of former In Crowd member Edgar,

came together with several other aspiring musicians to form the Milestones.But no one really gave the Milestones the recognition they deserved. Weworked really hard to get our name out there but you need really goodconnections in the music industry to survive, admits Candi. Moreover,Gumby believes that fewer Christian musicians will be joining the musicscene in the future: My community is producing less musicians becausepeople think its sad to play at weddings and in hotels. Theyve lost theessence of music. Hilary concurs, adding that since DJs are much cheaper,the live band culture is dying out even at Christian weddings. No one hasthe time or money for a band now.

Still, it would be foolish to assume that Pakistans snazziest entertainershave such a pathetic legacy. Just take a look at the bigwigs of the present-day pop industry. Wherever there is a glimmer of talent, theres bound tobe some influence from the Goan guitarists of yesteryear. And Christians

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HeraldAnnual,January2005

Sibling power: the Benjamin Sisters

Seasoned saxophonist: Hilary Furtado

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fans a catchy moniker, retro hairstyle, fondness for expletives, wizard-like facility with his sticks and the knack to keep time Gumby is avirtuoso in the world of Paki pop.

Of course, looking at him, youd never guess that hes a drummingdynamo. Although 28, Gumby could easily pass for 15. He rarely wearsanything other than faded jeans with an out-of-shape grey or white T-shirt to mask his short, lanky frame. In profile, an uncorrected overbite isdiscernible. But despite his appearance, Gumby exudes an obvious dont-piss-me-off-Im-volatile aura. And its that attitude that gave him the

courage to quit drumming with Junoon when the group was at the heightof stardom.But all that comes much later. It goes without saying that no drum rolls

announced Gumbys emergence on the local music scene. Like manymusicians from the Christian community, the drummer has had to strugglelong and hard to make it big. My environment was always musical andmusicians were seen as something great. At weddings, live Christian jazzbands would look grand. And they really knew how to get people dancing,remembers Gumby. And so it was that five-year-old Louis John Pinto already rechristened Gumby by a neighbour began imitating the coolguys he saw wooing the crowds at parties and weddings.

Until 1986, when Gumby bought his first drum-kit, he used to observedrummers on stage and later drum out a beat with his fingers on the kitchentable while his mother sang along. I wanted to be a drummer because

Ienjoy casual flirting, itkeeps me busy. With anunapologetic arrogance,Gumby describes the perksof recent fame. Suddenly, hiscellphone rings. On the otherend is Gumbys loyal roadie andbodyguard of over six years whomay be delayed in collecting

his boss. If it seems strange thatGumby has a bodyguard, think ofit this way: hes the only musicianin the circuit to boast an imported,custom-made drum-kit worth over600,000 rupees. More importantly,hes one of few session musiciansto have transcended theanonymity-on-stage conundrumfaced by those who dont have theface or flair to be a lead vocalist.But make no mistake: Gumby is alegend in his own right. Boastingall the right ingredients to woo

By Huma Yusuf

Drumming

PROFILE

Drumming

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live performances using shoddysound sets and erratic mikes werenot doing justice to his drumming.There I was playing my heart outon a custom-made drum-kit and allaround me, mikes kept falling, hecomplains. But his decision to play

exclusively for recording sessionswas not meant to last.

In 2003, Gumby replaced Noorisfirst drummer and found himselfin a happy place within the big badworld of desipop. Ali Noor is avery talented musician and I thinkhis work is moving in the rightdirection, says Gumby. Moreover,he is thrilled to be part of a politics-free band. Egos get inflated in thisbusiness, well, at least mine did.For that reason, Gumby appreciatesthe fact that Ali Noor treats him

not only as a band mate but also asa member of his family: Noors

parents treat me like a third son.Although Noori is currentlyputting out their second album,Gumby has far more ambitiousplans. Ive played lots of solosand now I know what drumsare capable of, how they shouldbe tuned and how importantplacement is. Thats why I wouldultimately like to manufacturedrums and really push the limitsof the instrument. Until then, youcan count on Gumby turning thebeat around for local pop. n

drums were loud and visually happening, explains Gumby half-seriously.Copycat drumming paid off and by the time Gumby was 14 years old, hewas a regular in the Christian wedding circuit. One day, his friend Boscoinvited him to jam with a mysterious Zak. Without any preparation, Gumbyturned up for the gig, only to find himself playing with the legendary AamirZaki along with a slew of pop stars. There and then, Gumbys gradualtransition into mainstream professional drumming began.

Initially, in a throw-back to the live band culture of his communityspreceding generation, Gumby spent two years drumming in the lobby ofthe Sheraton Hotel in Karachi. Those were the most productive years ofmy life, insists Gumby. Not only did he acquire his first fan followingamong late-night ice-cream addicts but Gumby also refined his drummingtechnique by playing live, night after night, to a discerning crowd. In thatlobby, I picked up jazz, learned how to control the volume of my drummingand play to an audience. No wonder then, Gumby now feels entitledto scoff at musicians who havent slaved as he has. Music now is toocalculated and its all about money making. You have to learn the hard way,you have to play to make a living and really put your heart into it beforeyoure any good.

Unfortunately, playing backup drums for Pakistans leading groups suchas Awaz and Junoon in the 1990s didnt deliver instant fame and fortune to

Gumbys doorstep. It has been very frustrating being a drummer. Theresno fame or recognition because everyone wants to keep you in the back

seat, complains Gumby almost bitterly. And then there was the addedproblem of latent racism: There is racism in our society, I can tell peopleoften think thatyeh to marasi hai.

Still, on the several occasions that Awaz did not introduce Gumby inconcert, he chose not to confront them: Back then, I was really dumb. Butafter Gumbys performance in an international concert for Channel V wentunaccredited, he realised he had to be more aggressive. I decided then toshine bright on stage. Now, Gumby shamelessly enjoys the power trip thatcomes from knowing that he can throw off an entire band by mistiming onlyone drumbeat and he doesnt hesitate to remind others of that fact.

This self-confidence eventually led to Gumby quitting from Junoondespite making a lot of money doing gigs for the band around the world.I started hating live performances and so I just left, he says matter-of-factly. As it happens, Gumby was particularly perturbed by the fact that

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HeraldAnnual,January2005

ShamylKhuhro