Were you always interested in music?
In school my only passion was cricket. It was during college that I was first drawn to music as my eldest brother was having a collection of more than 8,000 songs of almost all music genres. I soon started listening to all kinds of music, started singing but was still not really interested in music. At the insistence of my college friends I participated in the singing competition on Independence Day celebrations and won.This became a habit. Later I met Goher and we began doing mini concerts, singing songs by Junoon and Strings. After recording Aadat at Mekal Hassan’s studio I named our band as Jal which means water, the essence of life. The song was a rage. Then things got going.
You had a good innings in India with hits in Zeher, Kalyug (in which Aadat was used) and Bas Ek Pal (Tere bin) as well as the album Doorie. How is your new album Meri Kahani different?
Meri Kahani can simply be stated to be the journey and life story of Atif Aslam. It is a soulful, poignant album, composed, arranged and rendered with a kind of depth and sensitivity. There are eleven songs and I am introducing a new sound from Pakistan with a lot of ‘live’ instruments.
How would you describe the sound?
Well, unlike Doorie this album has a greater variety with Sufi, traditional as well as contemporary tracks. I would say that it is not at all commercial, though I have Soft Rock in the song Chhod gaye. There is a ‘live’ feel. Acoustics for me is much more spiritual and closer than electronic. In a way, you could say that I will be introducing a form of underground music here.
Have you also written and composed these songs?
Yes, I have.
What else do you do back home?
Well, I keep doing concerts, gigs and albums. I now have my own studios too.
Are you singing in any forthcoming Hindi film?
Yes, Tips, the label which is releasing Meri Kahani, is producing Race directed by Abbas-Mustan with music by Pritam. I have sung a beautiful song that’s called Bhool jaa.
Has India or Indian artistes influenced you in any way?
Nature remains my biggest inspiration. I keep observing people who radiate positive energies. From India I love a lot of musicians, particularly A.R.Rahman, Sonu Niigaam and Sunidhi Chauhan.
Will you keep doing projects in India?
Yes, Pakistan has the talent, and India has the market
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