ISLAMABAD: American DJ and record producer Diplo brought his Mad Decent Block Party to Pakistan’s capital over the weekend, headlining a roster of musicians including local Pakistani acts.
For two-time Grammy winner Diplo, playing Pakistan is a way to foster good relations with the mostly Muslim country after an angry January 1 tweet from US President Donald Trump complaining that Pakistan gives “terrorists” a safe haven.
More than 2,500 young people crowded into an outdoor venue in the capital, Islamabad, to a scaled-down version of the event known for bringing together some of the hottest names in dance-hall, hip-hop and electronic music.
Among the headliners were Diplo’s chart-topping side project Major Lazer Soundsystem, DJ Chrome Sparks and Pakistani duo SNKM, which has played the South by Southwest festival and toured with Diplo in the US.
“There’s a lot of bridges being built between here and the US,” says SNKM’s Adil Omar, who also has a successful hip-hop career and a new album and film “Transcendence” to be released this year.