Salimahabad Orchestra in Pakistan fuses contemporary forms of music as part of a continuing tradition

Members of the Salimahabad Orchestra at the recording studio. Courtesy of the Salimahabad Orchestra

A passionate group of eight individuals makes up the Salimahabad Orchestra in Pakistan, and they are here to stay. The new group of young performers speak with excitement about their musical journey as part of the orchestra, whose most recent season has produced a new album called The Awakening.

“Awakening was the most unique and very satisfying experience of my journey in music,” says Asif Noorani, Chairman of the Salimahabad Orchestra. “The idea was to come up with unique, diverse and fresh sounds that allow the audience to enjoy and experience something beyond the styles and genre usually found in our community.”

It is perhaps due to that diversity of musical style, that the group draws wide appeal from people of all ages. Their dedication and hard work has gained them attention both within the Jamat in Pakistan and abroad. The orchestra's achievements include concert performances for the Aga Khan University Hospital and other AKDN institutions.

The orchestra was also selected to go to Dhaka, to perform during Hazar Imam's Golden Jubilee visit to Bangladesh. The group entertained an international Jamat for nine days in celebration of the visit. The orchestra “maestros” captured the hearts of Ismailis from all over the world and were invited by many to play in their home countries.

Members of the Salimahabad Orchestra. From left to right: Amirali Meghani, Naveed Rajput, Sadaf Faiz, Asif Noorani, Rahim Sundrani, Sohail Noorani, and Rafiq Vadivala. Courtesy of the Salimahabad Orchestra

The Dhaka visit inspired members of the Salimahabad Orchestra to create The Awakening to spotlight the art of living and inspire other bands. The album espouses a vision of life, devotion to faith and respect for humankind through a fusion of contemporary musical genres including hip-hop, Arabic melody and soft rock.

Producing the new album was a challenge, explains Noorani. The group had to overcome financial constraints and set up a recording studio.

“Our main purpose was not to earn money but to show other inspiring musicians that achieving a dream is not impossible if you truly believe in it,” says Noorani.

Rahim Meghani, who worked on the album's lyrics, hoped to “awaken our youth” and help them to draw new connections between faith and daily life. His lyrics draw on themes of “spirituality, our history, and the power of true faith.”

The result is an impressive collection of music that has been well received. “It was a pleasure listening to every song,” says Rehana Ukanji, a fan of the group. “It is different in its style and reflects the hard work that, I am sure, must have been done to produce it.”

The Salimahabad Orchestra performs live in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Courtesy of the Salimahabad Orchestra

The album is also appreciated outside of the Jamat. Salman Ahmed Khan calls it a “breakthrough in music.” He adds that it “comprises beautiful touching melodies, with every song narrating a message both lyrically and melodically... even the classical instruments have been used in such a way that they give a very contemporary feel to the whole album.”

The Salimahabad Orchestra is motivated by Mawlana Hazar Imam's guidance and the Ismaili Imamat's institutional endeavours, pointing to values of “faith, humanity and the principles of Islam.” Members of the orchestra see it as part of a continuous Jamati tradition – a form of service through which people are inspired to “live an optimistic life.” Through their music, they hope to pass that same optimism to “the next generation of our Jamat.”

Adapted from an article featured in the July 2010 edition of The Ismaili Pakistan.