Rock band asks for 'no more'
Rock band asks for 'no more'
by Hsin-Hsien Sheena Wong
Washington Times
September 11, 2006
Pakistan's top rock band is marking the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks by re-releasing a hit song written after the hijackings to appeal for tolerance and cultural harmony.
The English-language single, "No More," was recorded in 2001 and marked a turning point for Junoon, now the most popular rock band in South Asia.
"I needed to do something to heal my own wounds," said band leader Salman Ahmad in a press release, who added that the attacks had "brought a huge paradigm shift to my consciousness."
"I want to comment on the flood of paranoia, grief and crisis of identity that the world is collectively experiencing, and 'No More' is like a first painting."
Success didn't come easy to the band, whose name means "obsession" or "passion" in Urdu. Its politically influenced songs were often subject to censorship during the rule of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
"The band was banned from performing at any venue in [Pakistan] and couldn't air their songs on the government controlled media channels for over three years," said Mr. Ahmad's wife, Samina, who manages the group.
Mr. Ahmad, a peace activist, earlier tried to bridge differences between India and Pakistan with a song and video called "Ghoom Tana."
Tapped as a United Nation's goodwill ambassador for HIV/AIDS, Mr. Ahmad personalized the "I Care, Do You?" poster campaign in Pakistan by paraphrasing a popular Koranic verse that says "saving one life [from AIDS] is like saving the whole of humanity."
Based in Karachi, Pakistan, Junoon was the first rock band to be invited to the U.N. General Assembly. Though the band has sold more than 25 million albums worldwide since it was formed in 1990, its first album -- self-titled Junoon -- barely made a cent.
The band finally developed a large following with its third album, Inquilaab (meaning "Revolution"), in 1995.
Mr. Ahmad has been living in New York with his wife and three sons since 2002 and participated on Friday in a conference at George Washington University aimed at finding ways to improve U.S.-Islamic relations.