Pakistani rockers Fuzon have become the latest stars to throw their support behind the country’s fastest growing social movement ‘Azme Alishan’ by donating their new hit song ‘Hay Junoon’ to the campaign.The release of ‘Hay Junoon’ marks the band’s return to the Pakistani music scene after several years of touring, during which time they’ve played to packed audiences across the region and further away. Fuzon’s return home has been inspired by their desire to do something positive for the people of their homeland at what continues to be a difficult time both politically and socially.
“When you see the way Pakistan is portrayed around the world it’s really frustrating,” says Shallum Xavier, the band’s guitarist. “There’s so much that’s great about our nation, but somehow that all gets distorted and doesn’t cut through at all,” he adds.
‘Hay Junoon’ is an attempt to tackle this image problem by calling on Pakistanis to make a new resolve to get off the sidelines and join the fight for the spirit of their nation. The song’s opening lines, “We will carve a new day, and together will bring light unto the darkness of night”, set the tone for an uplifting call to action that’s already become an internet hit and will soon feature in a series of TV adverts hitting screens later this month. The adverts promote Azme Alishan’s message of hope, resolve and positive action and feature different groups making positive choices to do something for their communities and their nation.
“The tie-up with Azme Alishan is really exciting”, Xavier says. “When we saw that people like Atif Aslam, Strings and Arieb Azhar had already thrown their weight behind the campaign it was an absolute no-brainer that we should do the same.”
Promoting patriotic music has become a core part of the Azme Alishan movement since it launched last year. Strings and Atif Aslam’s joint effort “Ab Khud Kuch Karna Pareyga” became a huge hit last year, while the Sufi artist Arieb Azhar achieved success with his song “Mere Des Mein Hain Imkaan Bohat”, which was also sponsored by Azme Alishan. The second season of the campaign’s National Song Competition is also currently on TV, with members of Fuzon acting as this year’s guest judges.
Taher Khan, founder and patron of the initiative, said at a press conference arranged to announce the tie-up with Fuzon, “We’re pleased and excited to welcome Fuzon to our growing band of supporters, which includes thousands of ordinary Pakistanis from across our nation and beyond. Their song, with its strong call to action and commitment to building a better future for Pakistan, captures the spirit of our campaign perfectly. We’re really thrilled to have them on board and encourage patriotic Pakistanis everywhere to join them by signing-up with us at www.azmealishan.com or facebook.com/azmealishan.”
