On the rocky Karavan trail

With an energy unmatched by the super-bands, Karavan set Karachi a fire.

I was introduced to and fell in love with Karavan's music with the release of "Rakh Aas" in 1997, but never got a chance to see them live. "Safar" followed in 2000 and I still somehow missed them live. Their latest, the staggering "Gardish" (2002) drove me even deeper in love with the band and their front man, Tanseer Daar. So it was with huge excitement that I heard that they would be playing at Café M. Seeing them in person promised to be enthralling. I was not disappointed.

The band's current line-up features Assad Ahmed (guitar, backing vocals), Sameer Ahmed (bass guitar), Alan Smith (percussion, backing vocals) and Tanseer Daar (lead vocals). For this performance they were joined by a tabla-player whose gentle, spiritual rhythm meandered through virtually every song.

Around 1997 Assad Ahmed got himself a studio and started recording. Sameer Ahmed joined in on bass, and Karavan was born. Najam Sheraz joined briefly as the vocalist for the debut "Rakh Aas", but left to revive a solo career. The search for another vocalist was tiring but Assad completed a magical formula with Tanseer Daar. 'Tan' was definitely not as strong vocally as Najam but he fared fairly well. I asked Assad how things have been since he joined. "Things are always difficult when an original member is replaced, but Tan brought stability with him. He's dedicated to our vision and I think that shows on "Gardish"," he said.

The other members – Sameer and Alan – keep busy playing sessions with Fuzon and Junoon respectively. Why doesn't Karavan focus on its own act more? "We don't like doing videos and without them we aren't in the spotlight. However, it'll be a long time before any of those bands can release three albums and sell 300,000 copies," says Assad. "We paved the way for them along with Junoon. Most new bands are fans of ours. You can look at them and see us, listen to them and hear us. It's very flattering."

Café M Live is small but this makes for an up-close experience. The audience was involved, screaming and totally absorbed in the experience. Judging by their behaviour, the audience had come with high expectations. While there were only about 30 people, Karavan was playing to the faithful and the noise this handful created effectively trebled their number. Among them were Jibran Zuberi (Indus Vision), Gumby (Noori) and Shallum Xavier (Fuzon).

The set included many hits old and new, and a few great covers. The band kicked off with "Rakh Aas", a classic that brought back memories of Najam Sheraz. The audience started by swaying awkwardly, like teenagers unsure of the game plan, but the excitement soon carried them away.
Tan held the audience – the female part, at least – in the palm of his hand. A single smile could bring the house down, and Tan knew it. Assad was an effective foil. His masterly riffs make the band, and his performance generated so much heat (literally and otherwise) that one could see the steam rising from his soaked black curls.

Karavan was clearly performing to impress and their verve put all rumours of a break-up to rest. Assad Ahmed later told me, "The break-up thing was never true! When people see me with Haroon, Sameer with Fuzon or Alan with Junoon they think that we're not together anymore. We are here to stay." In fact, they're busy working on an unplugged album.

That night Karavan brought an energy that jaded super-bands simply can't muster. They were fresh, exhilarated, and happy to be there, and the audience more than matched them. The first row, mostly female, was the centre of the hysteria, but the rest of the hall was a little calmer.

In short, the performance was a delight. You know something special is happening when you see a tiny venue go mad. There was sweat and smells, youth and remembrance, and best of all, there was passion for music. It was a night to remember, one that owes everything to a brilliant performance by a great band.

Review by: Insiya Syed

First published: September 05 - 11 2003, The Friday Times, Lahore, Pakistan.