Lahore Music Meet 2018
Where great artists come together
The fourth Lahore Music Meet 2018 was one of the most-hyped about event as the New Year began. The two-day event was put together by the powerhouse – Natasha Noorani and Zahra Paracha, to bring together the musical minds from across the country.
LMM provided space for the nation to come together, celebrate music and learn about the musical heritage at the same time.
LMM featured live performances from musicians, different workshops and panel discussions with Pakistan’s finest artists and industry representatives.
From pop artists to underground bands, from hip-hop to folk performers and qawaals, LMM provided a chance for people to enrich themselves and meet other fellow musical enthusiasts.
This year the exciting line up featured the recent Battle of the Bands winners Kashmir, Indie folk-rock band Sikandar ka Mandar, Farid Ayaz and Abu Muhammad Qawwals, Takatak, Shorbanoor, Mauj, Roots, Bayan, Sunny Khan Durrani, Akhtar Channal and many more.
From the nostalgic cassette invite to the headliner performances, from the sessions to the food, it is safe to say that LMM is definitely stepping up their game to keep the music culture alive in the country.
This year revolved more around the cassette culture theme, as we had sessions and performances reliving the old times.
Sessions like Dastangoi with the cassette king, Ataullah Esakhelvi were a reminder that music has had a physical impact on our lives ever since the beginning. Some talks were simultaneously being held throughout the two days. From songwriting master class with Shehzad Noor to talks scheduled on women empowerment, from a slideshow at the art gallery to the screenings of “Songs of Lahore,” which are a series of virtual reality short films by two-time Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid Chinnoy. There was a bit of everything happening during the event. Other speakers also included the violin maestro Javed Iqbal, Aziz Kazi, Mobeen Ansari, and Asim Raza.
The ‘Mausiqi Mulaqat’ set up by the Citizens Archive of Pakistan, was very enjoyable. It featured a session where different age groups of people shared and discussed their music preferences. Their main idea was to create a dialogue through music and bridge the gap between generations.
The art for this year’s edition of LMM was done by Sana Nasir, who on the website stated, “In its 4th edition, LMM has evolved into a symbol for music lovers from all over the country. Rewind to the nostalgic days of classical music stops and take a breather in the different eras of sound that have pulsed through our lives and play on to the future.”
GLOSS spoke to the public to know their thoughts about the Music Meet and their experience this year.
Sehar Gul, who was attending the event with her friend, told GLOSS, “Lahore Music Meet was definitely the kickstart Pakistan needed this New Year.”
“We see young and diverse people here promote the music culture. LMM is one event where there are no international musicians or foreign crowd-pullers to attract the audience. It’s genuinely all about us,” she added.
LMM provided space for people to enjoy music and learn about the musical heritage at the same time.
Aroma, another music lover who came to spend the day at LMM, said, “Listening to live music is a treat and events like LMM are important for our country, as we can find a safe space from all the negativity and just enjoy music.”
“However, this year LMM failed to live up to the hype. Although the event was organised wonderfully, it lacked the basic element: good music! There were no great acts to look forward to, outdoor music was only bearable, and with all the stalls selling merchandise it became more like a market than a music festival,” she continued.
Sheheryar Rizwan, another music enthusiast, said that unlike the previous year where security measures were stringent, this year seemed to have attracted a lot more audience. Regarding the sessions, he replied, “This year the sessions were all musicians sharing their journey from the beginning instead of a specific point of interest. It focused more on the master classes and workshops as well.”
We were totally enjoying the comments that were coming in. Another attendee, Aqsa Rafique said, “I love how Pakistan is evolving in music since past years. And LMM has played a major part in doing so. Introducing new bands like Sikandar ka Mandar and at the same time reminding us of our talented artists like Saeen Zahoor, listening to who I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s a platform where ordinary people can actually interact with the artists and know their real story. I am the kind of a person who can just sit and enjoy good music for hours, and LMM has provided the platform. I was surrounded by people who love music and appreciate it. It was such a good experience, looking forward to a much bigger Music Meet next year.”
This year there was an area set up by Jambro for impromptu jamming sessions, at the Meet. It started from morning till evening, and it attracted all the new talent who wanted to have a good time and jam playing whatever instrument they are most comfortable with. Be it drums, guitars, bass, sitar or the keyboard anyone could join in and just follow the tune.
Speaking about the Jambro sessions, Shayan Ahmed told GLOSS, “Jambro session was a good setup for people to get together and make some music because the best compositions are always made during a great jam session and playing with new people also provided a chance to explore and learn new techniques together.”
We also spoke to a music enthusiast and foodie who goes by the name ‘The Bearded Chef’ about LMM he told us, “It went far ahead of its expectation this year, which is great. LMM is stepping up their game.”
“I personally liked the performance of Takatak on Day 2; it was a fresh, face-melting performance which was long awaited for Lahore metalheads,” he said.
Syed Nasir Inam, a musician himself told GLOSS, “LMM is a great platform to promote music, as it invites all sorts of artists to showcase their talent. From professional musicians to underground musicians, LMM has it all.”
“It is a platform to explore good musicians and gives them a chance to spread their new content to the public. The workshop sessions also help struggling musicians and inspire them to do better,” he added.
Lastly, Nasir suggested that with all the right things about LMM, the timings for the sessions should not overlap, as people who want to attend more than one session cannot do so if the schedules overlap.
“I think it’s better to increase the number of days for the event rather than limiting it as the audience should attend all the sessions. Apart from that LMM is a great event and platform for artists to express themselves.”
All in all, from the attendees to the music, from the sessions to the public opinion, Lahore Music Meet 2018 definitely gave people a break they actually needed. It gave them the chance to just go out there enjoy their time, appreciate music, interact with their favourite artists or just headbang to their favourite songs. We certainly hope the next Music Meet is bigger and better than before.
