Activists turn musicians to build a better society

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Not just a music band, the Pakistani group Laal are also impassioned activists who’ve been working to bring about a positive change in Pakistani society through their songs — inspired by the words of legendary poets like Faiz Ahmad Faiz. In their endeavour to contribute to the creation of an “ideal, socialist society”, the band — comprising Taimur Rahman, Shahram Azhar, Haider Rahman and Mahvash Waqar — has toured extensively through the country, and were on the frontline during the protests called “The Lawyers’ Movement”.

Q: Your work clearly shows how deeply the work of legendary poets like Faiz and Habib influenced you. But how much do you think are they still in the consciousness of Pakistanis, or stir their conscience vis-à-vis the state of country, given that most of the young population in the country was born much after their death?

We believe these poets were popular in the generation before us because they expressed the joys and sorrows, the hopes and dreams in a world torn by violence and oppression. Those forces of hate, violence and oppression have not gone away but become stronger now than they were in that time. Hence, the poetry of progressive poets has an even stronger resonance with our generation.

Q: In your tours across the country, in both big and small cities in Pakistan, how much of a connect did you feel you were able to establish with the youth given you are singing the songs of poets from three decades earlier?

The connect is 100 per cent. It’s not just a question of the words, but more importantly, of the emotions that animate those words and resonates with this generation. These are emotions of immense disappointment with the world as it exists, and a great desire to build a new society.

Q: The video of the song Surkh Ghata, while beautifully shot and very poignant and thought provoking, ends up creating a disconnect with the quintessential music that you create, in my opinion. To put it in another way, do you think the “music” per se that you create, is getting lost in your aim to mobilise the youth and create a wave of activism for justice and fair governance? Have you ever had that apprehension?

To be honest, this is the first time we’ve been asked that question. We’ve never thought of it before. The music and the music video were both made by Laal. We thought that they would complement each other. But your question has raised interesting concerns and we’ll definitely keep it in mind for our next video.

Q: All of you in the band are highly educated, you could have well chosen some other field and excelled in the same. Was it patriotism alone or an overarching belief in the ideals of justice, humanity and governance that compelled you to form the band and mobilise the youth through music?

I think the driving force behind these achievements comes from our desire for a new, a socialist, society. Without that drive, I think we would not have poured our heart and soul into this kind of music. Many people don’t know, but we spent more than a decade in complete obscurity as grassroots activists attempting to find a way to communicate with people. We did street theatre, trade union organising, organised mushairas, marches, fixed the tangible problems of the community. The only thing that broke all barriers was music. Had we realised the power of music, we could have built Laal a decade ago. But then, our music wouldn’t carry the emotions of our struggles.

Q: You have performed in India earlier. However, your latest performance was not in a public space like a university, but in the confines of an (elitist) café…

We have crossed all borders for our fans in India. We’ve played in six cities in three weeks. We are confident that our fans will also cross all borders to come and listen to us.

Q: Where do you draw a distinction between music activism and politics? If not, how do you think they are entwined?

There is a distinction? How come no one told us?