ATIF
ASLAM
Singing
prowess
Atif's voice is unique. He may not always be in tune, indeed his
attempts at alaap are always off key, but there is something haunting
about his voice. Yet it seems he's afraid to experiment with his
vocals which gets a tad bit monotonous. Atif leaves you wondering
when his vocals will either hit a crescendo or a low note. But
it just seems to waddle in the middle – and winds up sounding
too 'safe'. His extended, quivering 'aaaaaaaaaaaah's are his signature.
Both musicians are neck-to-neck in singing proficiency. Zafar
may have the voice of Kishore, but Aslam's is all his own and
his fans love it!
Albums
Atif's Jalpari was pure pop/rock. Experimental to a certain degree,
melodic and addictive, it was a great debut. Songs like 'Ehsaas'
and 'Yakeen' (not on Jal's album) proved Atif's worth. However,
Atif disappoints horribly with his second album. He went to India,
got the songs composed and the only thing he did on Doorie was
singing. Most tracks on the album are bad remixes, catering to
Indian clubs where just the sound of Atif's voice makes 'em move.
Live
performance
Atif Aslam is one of the best livewire performers around. He also
has some signature moves but he adapts quickly to the crowd around
and what they are looking for. Atif is unpredictable and he changes
songs without taking gaps at times. Going by his concerts, Atif
is making an effort to play live. He still has a long way to go
though.
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Videos
Atif hasn't made very wise decisions in terms of music videos. Take
'Mahi Ve' for instance – featuring a gori, one could see Atif
either squabbling or getting cutesy. Nothing wrong with that mind
you, but the execution was horrendous. The song was brilliant, but
the video failed as a launch pad to set it off. 'Yakeen', although
simple and low-budget, was nicer. Then there's the latest mind numbing
'Doorie' and half-baked 'Hum Kis Gali remix' video, which negates
the myth that big-budgets are necessary to create gems. Big budget,
or low budget, a sterling concept is a video's backbone. Bollywood
is only capable of so much when it comes to creative videos.
Handling
the media
When it comes to media, Atif is a loose cannon. He remains inaccessible
most of the times. He refuses to take out time for interviews, doesn't
inform the media of concert dates, video releases, foreign shows
- none whatsoever. He just doesn't treat local media with integrity
and professionalism. He takes out time to do shows for Indian channels
but not two hours for our local papers. India maybe a bigger market
but it's the local media that gave him a launching pad. One can
only hope that Atif develops a professional attitude soon and doesn't
wind up treading the similar path of Adnan Sami Khan.
Popularity
Between the two of them, Atif does seem to have a fair bit of mass
appeal. And even though both Ali and Atif share the same pie of
popularity, Atif gets a slightly larger slice. Ali's ranking with
the ladies (all age groups) beats Atif smack down in the popularity
poll with the opposite sex.
Sex
appeal
Atif cannot be classified as a drop-dead gorgeous male specimen
on the other hand, because he has that whole clean-desi-preppy-safe
thing going for him. Ali gets away with looking good without having
to try too hard. Atif is no booty-shaker. His forward/backward torso
gesticulations during performances look (uncannily) like that green-plasticine-cartoon-character
Gumby having an epileptic attack. It's pretty simple: if you don't
have the rhythm, don't slip into those dancing shoes baby. Don't
mean to thrash Atif like a pinata but there's nothing more annoying
than watching a musician frolicking on stage that looks like he
has his bum stuck in an oven.
Indian
strategy
This year, Atif Aslam won a Filmfare nomination for his track, 'Tere
Bin', beating out many big wigs of Bollywood. But it doesn't change
the fact that Atif has continuously done projects that have been
mediocre at best. 'Tere Bin' may have made it but the film was awful,
really awful. The song that made Atif a household commodity ('Aadat')
- Aslam went ahead and let Indian music directors twist and turn
it into an ordinary commercial number. And guess what? Credit for
the tune and lyrics were divided between Anu Malik and Goher Mumtaz.
Why Goher agreed is understandable but why Atif agreed is beyond
comprehension. Temporarily, this approach may give Atif popularity
but in the long run, it's a bad deal. Musicians should see the mileage
they drive out of projects and keep in mind they projection it gives
them.
Image consultancy
Atif's wardrobe is a mixed bag. He is never, ever stylized in videos
by professionals or if he is, then they need a serious lesson on
style. Initially, Atif was into tees and jeans. Adequate is the
word for it. Now, Atif usually looks messy with those hair always
out of place and not in a good way and clothes that make his look
absolutely bizarre (watch 'Doorie' again). Atif desperately needs
image consultancy. Any takers? A musician is a brand nowadays and
Atif needs to play it like his counterpart Ali Zafar. Not everyone
is born Ali Azmat who can wear red pants, flowery shirts, go bald
and still get away with it!
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Atif is a very talented individual but he needs to understand the
power of branding that is essential for his
growth as a musicial!
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