Laal Band's Fan Club

Aye Dharti by LACAS & LAAL

2010-04-07T18:34:00.000+05:00

Aag Alive 09 - Umeed e Sahar.

2010-01-01T08:20:00.000+05:00

Aag Alive 09 - Main Nay Us Say Yeh Kaha.

2010-01-01T08:15:00.000+05:00

Aag Alive 09 - Kal Aaj Aur Kal and Sadaa.

2010-01-01T08:13:00.002+05:00

Comment on Laal Documentary

2009-04-11T19:19:00.001+05:00

Laal Salaam to all Blog Readers,

I hope all fans of Laal will surly do enjoy the documentary of LAAL, Really Lovely work has done by Aag Channel and no doubt have no words for criticize on this band because they are doing great Job.

Regards,
Nida Peracha.

Documentary on Laal - Part 3

2009-04-11T19:14:00.001+05:00

Documentary on Laal - Part 2

2009-04-11T19:13:00.000+05:00

Documentary on Laal - Part 1

2009-04-11T19:05:00.001+05:00

An evening with Laal.(2nd April 2009)

2009-04-01T20:33:00.003+05:00

The event is on the 2nd of April. Death Anniversary of Major Ishaq Muhammad, the Founder of Mazdoor Kissan Party to be held on the 2nd of April 2009 at the Rawalpindi Press at 2pm. Laal(Umeed-e-Sahar) to perform at the event and a play on Bhagat Singh by Loak Rias.Everyone is invited.

I hope that all the young people who want to bring about a revolutionary change in our society will join us.
Further info: 03445876628

Regards,
Sikandar.

The Laal Brigade: Call to Revolution

2009-04-01T20:28:00.000+05:00

Dear Comrades and Friends,

In order to bring to an end the system of oppression and exploitation that is haunting our country the youth of Pakistan must stand up. Laal and its supporters have decided to form a brigade of young and enthusiastic revolutionaries committed to the emancipation of our people.

The Laal Brigade will be responsible for the creation of a progressive alternative to extremism and to further the cause of the workers and peasants of Pakistan.

The Laal Brigade will promote on the one hand revolutionary art-forms and will give an opportunity to young artists and intellectuals who are interested in utilizing their individual talents to further the welfare of our people.

The Laal Brigade will work for the emancipation of the workers of Pakistan. Our aim is to take the message of Jalib and Faiz to every factory, every slum and every village of Pakistan and work selflessly for the promotion of their ideals.

The Laal Brigade will form its units and cells in every city and every educational institution of Pakistan. In order to build a country-wide revolutionary movement, we must first and foremost learn from the historical and socio-political experience of other revolutionary movements. This requires a concrete and scientific appraisal of the most advanced revolutionary theory of our times. The Laal Brigade will answer the burning questions of our movement by building an objective understanding of our social problems.

The Laal Brigade is a call to revolution. It seeks to unify the artist, the scientist, the student and the workers and peasants under one umbrella. It is only through the unison of theory and revolutionary practice that we can build a better and prosperous Pakistan.

Anyone who is interested in joining the Laal Brigade is invited to an open session at The Civil Junction (CJ), F-7, Islamabad on Sunday, 11th April, 4:00 p.m.

For details: 03445876628

"Sarfaroshi key tamanna abb hamaaray dil main hai...
Dekhna hai zor kitna baazoo-e-qaatil main hai".

Comradely yours,

Shahram Azhar

Translation and Backgroud of Main Nay Uss sae Yeh Kaha.

2009-03-27T14:14:00.001+05:00

"Main Nay Kaha" is a satirical poem by the famous leftist poet Habib Jalib called "Musheer" (Advisor). Jalib wrote it in response to a conversation he had with Hafiz Jalandari during the time of Ayub Khan's dictatorship. It remains just as fresh and valid today.

I said this to him
These hundred million
Are the epitome of ignorance
Their conscience has gone to sleep
Every ray of hope
Is lost in the darkness
This news is true
They are the living dead
Completely mindless
A disease of life
And you hold in your hands
The cure for their ills

You are the light of God
Wisdom and knowledge personified
The nation is with you
It is only through your grace
That the nation can be saved
You are the light of a new morning
After you there is only night
The few who speak out
Are all mischief makers
You should tear out their tongues
You should throttle their throats

Those proud of their eloquence
Their tongues are completely silent
There is calm in the land
There is an unexampled difference
Between yesterday and today
Only at their own expense
Are people in prison, under your rule

China
China is our friend
We'd give our lives for her
But the system that they have
Steer well clear of that
From far away say "salaam"
These hundred million asses
That are named the masses
Could surely never become rulers
You are the truth; they're an illusion
My prayer is that
You remain President forever

Interview of Laal on debut music video 'Mainay Uss Say Yeh Kaha'.

2009-03-27T14:13:00.001+05:00

What do you get when you take two Pakistani Marxists, a guitar and satirical poetry? The answer: a toe-tapping number sautéed in irony that hits close to home.

Penned by the eminent, Leftist Urdu poet, Habib Jalib, ‘Main Nay Kaha’ was written “in response to a conversation he [Jalib] had with Hafiz Jalandari during the time of Ayub Khan’s dictatorship”, puts forth Taimur Rahman.

Composed in four hours flat by Taimur (a young Political Science lecturer at LUMS) and sung by Shahram Azhar (an Economics grad student at Warwick University), under the banner of ‘Laal’ – Taimur and Shahram’s band – the video of ‘Main Nay Kaha’ has been raking up quite an excited little tizzy over Youtube and Facebook.

Produced two months ago, on a shoe-string budget, and shot in barely a few hours, ‘Main Nay Kaha’ depicts Pakistan through the black cloud of riots, despair, a brutal assassination, a crippled judiciary, and the much-awaited elections through the edgy months of December till mid-February.

We’re talking real footage, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, light vocals and a teasingly upbeat composition. ‘Main Nay Kaha’ couldn’t have been released at a better time.

While the dust may have ‘settled’ since the country sighed 2007 away to make room for a slightly more ‘hopeful’ 2008, the song comes as a gentle reminder of what had transpired.

Self-proclaimed Marxists, Taimur and Shahram “have been engaged with working class politics and the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party for a long time”, states Taimur, “ten years for me and six for Shahram. We have been very active in organizing protests in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and London for the restoration of democracy. Music is another way for us to reach people in order to bring about a positive social change in society.”

So when was ‘Laal’ the band initiated? How did it all transpire? “I have been playing guitar for quite a while. When I teamed up with Shahram (a student of mine at LUMS), it took our music to another level. Shahram has by far the best most trained voice I have ever heard in my life”, states Taimur, “we began to play at various locations. Sometimes in workers rallies. For instance, once we put loud speakers on a dala and went to the workers rally on May Day giving them a mobile concert (the workers loved our Punjabi songs). We played at LUMS for my students, and we played in London. Recently, however, some media people (Aliya Salaudin and Taimur Khan) took an interest in our activism. We invited them over and as is usual played a few songs as the evening wore on. They were so excited that they immediately asked us to record the songs and produce a video. Although we had been playing for years, this encouragement gave us just the push we needed to raise our game that extra notch. So ‘Laal’ is very much a product of our work as grassroots political activists of the Left. But it got its name in connection with the recent movement for democracy in Pakistan. What distinguishes ‘Laal’ is the fact that we are interested in playing music of resistance, struggle, and emancipation.”

While the concept of Pakistani songs with social messages isn’t new, they still are pretty few and far between.

For instance, in the beginning of 2007, EMI released ‘Yeh hum naheen’, an anti-terrorist song which was produced by Shuja Haider and sung with the likes of Strings, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Hadiqa Kiyani, Ali Haider, Ali Zafar and Haroon.

A simple video depicting Pakistani’s from every walk of life – ‘Yeh hum naheen’ was produced with the primary motive of making a statement against terrorism in light of the ongoing ‘war on terror’.

And then there have been other socially-conscious songs such as ‘No More’ by Junoon, ‘People are people’ by Amir Zaki, ‘Beirut’ by Strings, and others churned out by Pakistani musicians that have incited the Pakistani public at large to think, become aware, and set free the heavy shackles of rigid reflection.

But coming back to ‘Main Nay Kaha’, Taimur anticipates a positive response to the song. One question springs forth though, given the socialist nature of the song, was ‘Main Nay Kaha’ produced with any aim in mind? Was it primarily for personal catharsis or perhaps for mass awareness (at home and abroad)? “It was produced with one aim in mind”, Taimur affirms, “to raise awareness about political issues - about democracy, about the class divisions in our society, and the need for the struggle against them. It is simultaneously an expression of our feelings about our country as young people and a call to the people to struggle for their rights. All our work is for the people, where ever they may live. It is for those people whose voices are ground down under economic oppression and political despotism.”

To kick-start the wheels of change back into gear, one has to have a vision – always. A vision so internally inspiring and stimulating, that it can be manifested into the external world – set free, to take shape, and a life of its own.

And music, one of the most stirring and powerful tools of art, can propagate and grease the wheels of change.

‘Main Nay Kaha’ is a creditable endeavour; now let’s just hope it hits the local airwaves soon, so that its essence can contribute to the ignition of a holistic awareness.

Jagoo - Laal.

2009-03-27T14:04:00.001+05:00

Laal with Hassan Nissar in "Choraha Show".

2009-03-27T14:03:00.001+05:00

Sadaa - Laal.

2009-03-27T14:01:00.001+05:00

Mainay Uss Say Yeh Kaha - Laal.

2009-03-27T13:55:00.001+05:00

GEO Celebrations - Main nae Uss sae yeh Kaha.

2009-03-27T13:50:00.001+05:00

"Dastoor" by Habib Jalib.

2009-03-27T13:45:00.002+05:00

Umeed e Sahar by LAAL.

2009-03-26T23:47:00.002+05:00

MP3 Audios.

2009-03-26T14:21:00.000+05:00

Laal - Main Nahi Maanta Main Nahi Jaanta:
http://www.axifile.com?4029445

Laal - Duniya kie Tareekh Gawah Hai:
http://www.axifile.com?1108531