It was a good night for music. Mekaal Hasan Band recently gave their first performance in Pakistan after launching their second album earlier this year; After their well-celebrated lead singer, Jawed Bashir, abruptly left the band right after the launch leaving the band to hear the news on television, along with the rest of the world. Their performance was held at the MAD (Music, Acting, Dance) School in Karachi.

Soon after the breakup, the band announced that they had signed on youngling Asad Abbas to fill in JB’s rather very large shoes. Ironically, two key members of the band, producer and guitarist Mekaal Hasan and flute-player Ahsan Pappu were judges in a nationwide singing competition (Pakistan Sangeet Icon), of which Asad Abbas was the winning contestant. Following Asad’s recruitment were intense rehearsals at Mekaal’s Digital Fidelity Studios, preparing Asad for his first major concert ever (outside the television studio), and that too on Mekaal Hasan Band’s foreign tour. Industry insiders who had seen the young singer rehearse mentioned that he introduced a very different perspective to the band’s songs. The venue was small but housed only the most ardent fans of the band. The ambience gave a cool, club-like feeling to the evening and the event started pretty much on time.

It’s hard to believe that anyone can replace the legacy JB left behind, that is not what Asad Abbas has done. What he has done is reintroduce the band’s signature songs in a voice that is masterful and yet carries a softness which makes old MHB songs easier, perhaps a little more lighter, to listen to. His excitement and overall naivety that Asad displayed during his performance was heartwarming. The concert was occasionally spotted with short improvisational jam sessions by the other band members and at the end of each song; they would ask the audience what they wanted to listen to.

They performed, among others, songs such as Waris Shah, Jhok Ranjhan, Chall Bulleya, Sajan, and Mohi. The band performed well; they were well-practised and it showed. However, one hardly saw members from the musician community in Karachi at the concert.

Despite a few forgivable glitches in sound that took place sporadically during the concert, it was an event especially enjoyed by certain members of the audience who were very vocal about their love for the band and its music.

The band, at the moment, doesn’t have plans of doing any more local concerts as they are due to perform at the South Asian Bands Festival in Delhi, India, today. Other notable bands that are performing at the fest include Mawj from Afghanistan and Metal Zone Oasis Band from Myanmar.

“I’m really happy and excited that we are going to perform there,” said band-leader, Mekaal Hasan, “It’s an honour to be there. I really feel that we should engage more in cultural exchange programmes that facilitate each of our countries to become more familiar with our cultures. We have a lot to offer, with the kind of music that our country produces and an important way of showing that is through similar cultural exchange programmes.”