The musical evening was part of the celebrations to mark the Pakistan International School Jeddah-English Section’s (PISJ-ES) 15th glorious years of academic excellence. And the “Raga Boyz” rose to the occasion with a bang. The music that filled the auditorium was greeted with repeated applause that was interspersed with whistles and acclaims as the four boys rocked the stage.
The four sons of renowned Patiala Gharana (house) singer Ustad Hamid Ali Khan banded together four years back to fuse together the “Raga Boyz.” Siblings Inam Ali Khan, Nayab Ali Khan, Ahmad Hassan Ali Khan and Wali Hamid Ali Khan are proficient in all instruments and all blend well in whichever task they undertake for the moment. Both Ahmad Hassan and Wali are lyricists and their works are composed to music by all four putting in their input. The final product was witnessed by the over 2,000 crowd at the auditorium. The “Raga Boyz” lyrical content also contributed to its popularity.
Music they say is a unifier and it proved so at the PISJ function with Pakistanis, a few Indians and a host of Saudis banding together due to their passion for music. They couldn’t have chosen a better occasion to show their good will toward each other and to Saudi Arabia. The evening’s theme was rightly peace and harmony.
The band has to its credit many popular numbers besides Pakistan’s T-20 World Cup Cricket — 2010 song. Its performance at the PISJ’s Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Auditorium on Thursday was scintillating. The band’s blend of classical, semi-classical, hip-hop and rock tracks kept the audience asking for more.
The swooning swarm could not stop grinning while these young boys basked in the glory of a single concert. They came, performed and conquered many hearts! A rare performance indeed by the band in a live concert.
The young singers of one of Pakistan’s most popular rock bands which commands considerable recognition internationally with some brilliant and creative singles to its credit had the crowd dancing at the rare performance.
Deeply entrenched in classical music, courtesy of their father, the boys, whilst keen to keep the band going, like to emulate their father and reach the pinnacle of music like him. “It is a junoon (passion) when one starts to do riyaaz (rehearse),” says Inam, “One can get lost in the sea of music,” he explains. His solo performance was “greatly appreciated. His dream: to be like his father, to make his father proud. “The band is a vital part of us but our classical base and training is more important.”
Attending a “Raga Boyz” concert is quite an experience. The group’s young fans are no less enthusiastic about them than the followers of many popular bands in the West. And it was not just the young men — female fans were also tuned in quite enthusiastically.
Cheering, dancing and clapping to the bass-driven rhythm, the large crowd showed how much they enjoyed the Raga Boyz, the band known for its singles on patriotism and peace.
The young group that had slowly tapped their way to the front rows lent color to the proceedings with their impromptu and unique gyrations while waving Pakistani and Saudi flags.
The cultural part of the evening, designed to show solidarity with Saudi Arabia, began with school’s students presenting Pakistan’s folk songs and other popular and varied numbers to set the tempo for the evening.
With the atmosphere charged and the livewire providing the spark to energize the crowd, the band banged with “Moree Sayiaan Moh Se Bole Na,” and then rendered a rock-classical fusion “Mujhe Ye Sanam Mila,” and “Ye Jaan Lo, Ye Man Lo; Mujhe Tumse Pyar Hua Hai,” to wild cheering and clapping from the audience.
The crowd gave a rapturous applause when the band sang their hit numbers with a hip-hop fusion “Hay Baby Eh Mori Lagan Lagi,” and “Ankhon Se Ankhen.” It was time for the tune to echo and reverberate in the hall with the whole crowd joining in. One of the lead vocalist, Nayab Ali, treated the excited audience with the rendition of his uncle Ustad Amanat Ali Khan’s famous composition “Hoton Pe Kabhi Unke Mera Naam Bhi Ayee,” and took the crowd by storm.
Already pumped up by the plethora of numbers that had them rocking and grooving, the band rendered the ever-popular “Mitwa Kahen To Kahen Tujhse Kya,” “Tere Naina Mere Naina,” “Zindagi, Zindagi, Zindagi, Zindagi, Muskuraneen Mien Hai Zindagi,” which got the audience going.
As the song worked up the crowd, young crazy fans made a mad rush toward the stage and the crooner welcomed them, egging them on with every number, to provide the accompaniment to his Urdu and Punjabi songs.
For about an hour, the boys had the crowd in frenzy, living up to the band’s name, as folk, rock and even some haunting slow numbers by them were matched by the crowds’ mood swings to a rhythm.
It was the band’s raunchy and upbeat songs that had the crowd automatically tapping out a rhythmic tattoo on the floor while younger elements merrily swung and swayed in front of the stage.
The boys were also very excited about their first-ever appearance in Saudi Arabia. Wali, the band’s lead vocalist, said, “It was a wonderful experience. I enjoyed the connectivity with the crowd and every bit of the show.”
“Raga Boyz” as a band has been around for just over four years, but have still managed to define an entire genre of rock and classical music. And in doing so they have captured the imagination of many who were tiring of the thoughtless music and stale lyrics that had invaded the rock scene.
The band is simple but it is the lyrics and verses that lift the tone and tempo — sometimes to incredible levels where the fusion is mind-boggling. Though the lead and base guitars dictate the music, it is percussion — the rolling beat of the drums — that provides the band with its own inimitable brand.
Wali’s raspy voice blended excellently with the music and the intrinsic lines thus evolving a genre that was quickly received by the multitudes. The music, words and the representation may, at first blast, not impact the listener, but it slowly works its magic as one begins to empathize with the ethos.
The PISJ-ES Principal Saher Kamran welcomed guests and thanked her staff members and students for making the school a prominent seat of learning in the Middle East. She said, “I stand here today with my head high, very much satisfied with what we have achieved and accomplished.”
PISJ’s tiny-tots put on an impressive show comprising rhymes, songs and tableau. “Snuggle Bunny, Dharti Mai Hai,” “Hanky Tanky Twist,” “Meri Mitti” and “Aye Rooh-e-Quaid” were well appreciated by the audience. The cake-cutting ceremony was joined by the staff members, Pakistan Consulate’s Link Officer Akmal Sayeed and the “Raga Boyz” who also sang “Jeeve Jeeve Pakistan” to set the mood for their concert. The show was compeered by Adeil Khan Durrani and Sarah Khan.
