BY: MTV IggyAtif Aslam is a raging sensation in the subcontinent, especially among young women. He is the Pakistani version of Enrique, if you will. Or better yet, a 27 year old Justin Bieber (in terms of fan hysteria) with a voice to die for. With 3 albums to his name (Jal Pari, Doorie, Meri Kahani), and his singing talents on blockbuster Bollywood musicals like Kalyug and Race to name a few, Atif is the current face of the desi music industry. He has already conquered Pakistan and is fast emerging as the go-to man for Bollywood film producers.
Atif is the kind of artist that would be hard to categorize in a set genre. He’s a hybrid rock/pop star and then some. His music is mostly about love and that one elusive (also lucky) girl. The tracks that propelled him to stardom, “Aadat” and “Bheegi Yaadein,” are cult classics, a definite mainstay on ANY desi’s ipod list. His voice throbs and soars over a multi-octave span, hitting highs and lows with heart-tugging perfection. You just have to give him a listen if you haven’t already.
So when a demigod like Atif tours the States, it’s big news for all the female desis out there. They were sure to turn up in droves for his July 1 show. How could I not go?
The venue, Colden Center, is a theater auditorium in Queens College. Seating just over 2oo0 people and looking a bit like the place you staged “Romeo and Juliet” or “Hair” if you were a drama club kid who went to a very large high school, it’s a bit cozier than the giant arenas Atif usually performs in.
By 8:30 pm, right on time, the show opened with the up-and-coming performer Jankee Parekh even though the theater was only two thirds full and people were still trickling in. Jankee began crooning popular Bollywood numbers and the crowd immediately took a liking to her, cheering along to every song. She did a short set of six song and the last, “Jai Ho,” brought on enthusiastic applause.
The audience was primed, the venue was at near full capacity, and repeated chants of “Atif! Atif!” echoed through the hall. Teenage girls were in the majority, but families out for a night took up the rest of the space. And by families, I mean the complete deal — there was one extended clan taking up 25+ seats at the back!
Atif appeared onstage a short 10 minutes after Jankee’s performance. Rumor is that he’s a nervous performer, but evidently all inhibitions were put aside because he nonchalantly strolled out, singing the fan fave “Ankhon Se.” You could sense the change in atmosphere immediately. An electric charge rippled over the auditorium and girls began screaming their lungs out and tripping over each other to get a better view.
I can see how Atif brings forth such awe from his female fans. Besides his amazing voice, his mannerisms give him a certain lover boy image. He comes across as a shy and reserved person, lacking much dynamism or energy. But he has a quietly glittering charisma, that X-factor that seems to melt any girl in seconds. As he sat on a stool with his guitar, singing love ballads, he reminded me of a medieval troubadour serenading love-struck damsels. His every move, even just stretching an arm out, seemed to be considered madly ***y and gave rise to shrieks of ecstasy. The billowing smoke machine behind him probably helped a lot too.
But not all were quite as enthralled. I heard a guy in his late 20s behind me yawn, “I feel like sleeping…Such a busy week and this isn’t helping.” On my right, aunty-jis silently observed the show, while on my left, a couple gossiped about their neighbor’s new job. The show clearly catered to a specific demographic. At one point, it vaguely reminded me of those high school cultural events where parents come along and indulgently sit in the back while their kids enjoy the show.
After the first how, however, Atif picked up the pace. When he sang “Pehli Nazar Mein,” a popular track from a Bollywood film, everyone leaped to their feet, the energy levels rose, and even the aunties in front rows crowded around the stage. His audience banter was limited, but he got huge cheers when he started off a number by saying, “Pakistan, this is for you.”
As the popular hits began coming thick and fast, so did the audience members crowded around the stage. This didn’t go down so well with venue security. Few people were still in their seats and the teenage girls were going nuts. The crowd had to be controlled pronto. Security got up on stage and threatened to shut it down until the organizers asked people to return to their seats. A guy next to me commented, “That there is a Desi show for you.”
I wondered how Atif would recover from the disruption, but he was remarkably unfazed. (So much for rumors about his nerves!) He brought the house down immediately with “Tere Bin,” his first Bollywood track and a personal favorite of mine. He seemed more energized than ever, and the crowd loved it. Atif wrapped the show by 11:30, ending it on a high note with “Mahi Ve” from the 2003 blockbuster film Kal Ho Naa Ho.
The parents were pleased. The girls had the time of their lives. It was Atif Atif all the way.
– Siddharth Ganji
Source: mtviggy.com
