 Pakistan's drummer par extraordinaire - John Louis 'Gumby' Pinto - has been one of Pakistan's most renowned musicians for decades now. Gumby, who has played with almost every musical act in Pakistan, from Vital Signs and Junoon to Noori and the Mekaal Hasan Band and the past two seasons of Coke Studio, has emerged as the music industry's biggest voice. After all, Gumby has kept the concert scene alive in Karachi despite the precarious security situation, by organizing gigs with the Kolachi Quartet and the Munchkins, and recently, with a line-up featuring the likes of Aamir Zaki and Omran Shafique. Gumby says these small concerts - that are packed with energy and bring out true fans to the venues - are the ones he enjoys most, but he takes as much pride in his work with Coke Studio.
When asked what his proudest moment as a Pakistani was this year, Gumby told Instep: "The fact that we executed Coke Studio," he said, "Because to do a project in such conditions is not easy given the conditions in Pakistan. Keeping the situation in mind, it was a proud moment at Coke Studio that we finished the project. It's a three-month project and with so many people on board, some things don't always go according to plan. There are egos and tantrums but the fact that we pulled it off made all of us very proud at Coke Studio."
Gumby's also set to take his musical career into a new direction by opening a studio in Karachi; a move he sees as one that he will build his future on.
We can't wait to see what he does next, and what Gumby's studio does for the music scene in Pakistan. But Gumby's passion for making it work - and actually investing back into the Pakistani music industry - and his penchant for constantly forging new musical paths, his exceptional playing at Coke Studio and for providing a much-needed avenue to hear live music make him Instep's hotstepper of the week!
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