Shafqat
Amanat Ali hasn't performed in the U.S. for a very long time and
this is not because of lack of offers. "The organizers in America
don't want to pay the travel expenses for my musicians," he
explains. "Most performers are happy going abroad on their
own and lip-syncing at concerts. But I prefer going live. I think
I've lost out on quite a lot of money because of this."
That's the seventh generation progeny of the Patiala gharana for
you. He won't sing songs just for the sake of staying in the news
and he certainly won't lip-sync in concerts in order to earn a quick
buck. Shafqat Amanat Ali takes his singing very seriously - he says
that he had wanted to be a singer from as far back as he can remember
- and he believes in being sincere to his work. "I don't believe
in churning out a particular kind of music just because it's in,"
he agrees. "I work hard and I'm in no hurry to get to the top.
I think that shows in my music."
Nearly a year after his debut solo album Tabeer, Instep talks to
Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan about his career, future plans and India…
Instep: Where have you been and what are you doing these days?
Shafqat Amanat Ali: I am working on my new album. I have also recently
recorded three Indian film songs. Two are for Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
and one is for Pritam. I don't know yet who they will be picturized
on.
Instep: But don't you have to modulate your voice according to the
actor who will be featured in the song?
SAA: I think it is more important to modulate my voice according
to the lyrics. 'Mitwa', for instance, wasn't supposed to be sung
by Shah Rukh Khan in the movie. It was going to play in the background.
Shah Rukh liked the song so much that he insisted it be pictured
on him. I hadn't sung it with him in mind.
Instep: Do you think your Indian singing career has suffered post
the Mumbai attacks?
SAA: Not really. Immediately after the attacks, CDs of Pakistani
musicians were removed from the display racks in music shops. Even
then I was told that people would go up to the counter and ask specifically
for my album Tabeer. Tabeer has done well despite the circumstances
and now, things are slowly getting better. Pakistani music CDs are
back in the display racks. Similarly, I kept getting offers to sing
playback even when conflicts were on the rise. I was even told to
record one song in Pakistan and send it to India via the Internet.
A lot of Pakistani musicians were doing this at the time but it
didn't work out for me. When the file reached India they couldn't
open it due to technical problems. Eventually I had to go there
and record the song in person. As it is, I prefer recording a song
in the presence of the music director, so that every nuance gets
approved.
Instep: But don't you face visa problems when going repetitively
to India, like many other Pakistani performers?
SAA: It is true that the Indian government has become very strict
about letting in Pakistanis, examining each document down to the
very nitty gritty. Thankfully, I haven't faced any problems. I have
traveled extensively and have a well-stamped passport, so may be
that works in my favour. Also, I always go with proper invitations
from trustworthy people. I never overstay in India. Once my work
is done, I am on the next flight back home.
Instep: What's your take on Pakistani singers who sing for Indian
movies for very little remuneration in order to gain popularity?
SAA: Very little? They do it for free! I don't approve of it because
they lose their credibility this way and it isn't even as if they
gain a lot of popularity. A new 'hit' song is churned out every
week in India, a computerized, unimaginative number with an 'in'
beat. These songs are forgotten in a matter of days and singers
don't stand to gain much by singing them. Lyricist Javed Akhtar
once said to me that such songs and non-singers make things easier
for the real musicians. They are easy to overshadow and their popularity
fades away within a few months.
Instep: With Indian playback singing and teleplay songs in your
repertoire of work, why haven't you considered singing for Lollywood?
SAA: I was supposed to sing for Khuda Kay Liye but somehow that
didn't work out. The only other offers I have gotten from Pakistani
movies have been of Punjabi bhangra numbers and that just isn't
my cup of tea. I don't even enjoy singing teleplay songs. There
are so many teleplays being broadcast one after the other that their
title songs are completely forgettable.
Instep: Did you enjoy performing at Coke Studio?
SAA: It was the experience of a lifetime. You don't get to sing
alongside some of Pakistan's best musicians everyday. One thing
I did have a problem with, though, was the Coke Studio press conference.
There was no need to invite the show's performers to the conference.
They gathered together the cream of Pakistani music and the press
didn't even bother to ask us a single question. They seemed to be
more interested in the cake and tea being served! Also, in the conference,
junior artiste guests were seated in the front row whereas stalwarts
like Strings were placed in the third row. Strings are one of the
pioneering bands of Pakistani music. They should have been given
due respect and seated in the front.
Instep: It was heard that you were recording a song with Zeb and
Haniya…
SAA: Zeb, Haniya and I were going to sing a song for Shaan's film.
We did meet in the studio a few a times and structured the song
a bit. But Shaan has, since then, been out of touch and we haven't
worked on the song any further.
 Instep:
What is your take on the licensing of music content on channels
as well as other mediums?
SAA: Licensing should be done but, in Pakistan, they have perhaps
initiated it at the wrong time. Every business, including the music
business, is linked to the condition of the country. In the present
circumstances, people are not in a state of mind to buy music or
anything else for that matter. Anyhow, now that they have begun
licensing they should continue it.
Instep: Did you release Tabeer on the Internet? Is the Internet
slowly becoming the next medium for music distribution?
SAA: I don't have any rights over Tabeer so, no, I haven't released
it on to the Internet. In Pakistan, Fire Records hold the rights
to the album and in India it is owned by Music Today. I do know
that in India it has been released on I-tunes.
Internet has, to some extent, become a medium of distribution but
I don't agree with it. Music should connect people; it should be
listened to in the car or at get-togethers. People should want to
go to music shops and look at the different albums that are available.
It isn't healthy to be glued to a computer screen all the time and
that's what's happening with more and more songs being released
over the Internet.
Instep: Would you consider forming a band again, a la Fuzon?
SAA: No. For one, in these times, being part of a band is not lucrative
for the musicians. The musicians who presently accompany me usually
perform just with me. But given the opportunity, they also do work
alongside other artistes. This way, they can earn more. Besides,
as a solo artiste, my decisions are my own and I don't have to refer
to anybody else for approval. When you're part of a band, you are
limited by the limitations of your band members. As a solo singer,
I can stretch my creativity to the limit. That is very important
to me.
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