Bilal and Abbas are a testament of the belief that underground music in Pakistan is replete with diverse talent.
The underground music scene in Pakistan is replete with an array of diverse talent. Bilal Mehmood and Mohammed Abbas bin Yaser are testament to this facts. The enterprising duo has proved themselves worthy of accolades by winning the online cover-song competition organised through the official website of Yusuf Islam (aka Cats Stevens).
Participants were required to upload their own renditions of Yusuf Islam’s songs on his official website and the popularity of each entry was gauged through Facebook likes. The duo covered “The first cut is the deepest” – one of Cat Stevens’ most popular songs from the 60s – and won the blue ribbon for their commendable efforts.
While folk rock is now gaining extensive popularity in Pakistan, the emphasis is still predominantly on commercial pop music. The young duo aims to challenge this monopoly and broaden the horizon of the local music scene.
However, this by no means implies that underground musicians should wait for opportunities to knock on their doorsteps. To the contrary, the young duo believes that regular gigs can help promote folk rock and dilute the influence of commercialized pop music.
It is compelling to see such talent brewing in our midst and making a small contribution to Pakistan’s image in the world. Mehmood says:
“Out of a 107 contestants, we were the only Pakistanis in the competition. We’re proud of this achievement and hope this will both raise awareness about this genre in Pakistan and draw attention to the underground scene here.”
