Asif Sinan introduces new form of music
By Asad Farooq
KARACHI: Music is considered an international language, equally loved, understood and respected across the world and beyond the borders. Asif Sinan is a Pakistani youngster who not only proved this adage absolutely correct, but also opened a door of music’s evolution by exploring new ways of bridging two extreme peaks of Eastern and Western classical music.
Sinan was a student of grade 7, when he fell for guitar and music. Recollecting his thoughts, he told the Daily Times, that he saw guitar for the first time when his elder brother’s friend played it in their drawing room. “That was the time I decided to start playing guitar,” he said.
Sinan belongs to a noble family, which never had a musical background. His romance with guitar led him into contacting a guitarist from his neighbourhood. He started learning and in order to pay the tuition fee, worked as a salesman at local shop while in grade 7. All this while, he did not inform his family about learning playing a guitar. Too hard for any school-going boy, Sinan managed his studies, job, guitar tuition and homework, all at the same time. When his family came to know about his ‘activities’, he faced strong opposition but later was allowed to continue as they acknowledged his passion for the guitar and music. He used to sacrifice his recreation period for practice, while his schoolfellows played outside the house. A young but eager Sinan then joined a local musical band while in grade 9. After a few years, he met renowned musician, Aamir Zaki for learning music which followed his encounters with several other prominent musicians.
Like majority of the music lovers, Sinan suffered cruel behaviour of the society as well as musical maestros, who exploited the unpolished talent for their ailing ego. He faced all such hardships, but remained steadfast. Ironically, despite being talented and committed to the art, Sinan never attained formal music education. The guitarist was a bit late when he decided to join the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA). The Head of Music Department, NAPA, Nafees Ahmed interviewed him once to be surprised by the talent this youngster possessed. Ahmed asked him to join the academy immediately and allocated a room for Sinan so that he could polish his talent.
Meanwhile, he focused on his learning skills, exclusively on classical, both Eastern and Western. His commitment with art opened new doors of innovation and improvisation in the field of music. He started producing Eastern classical vibes with a western classical musical instrument i.e. guitar. Apart from this, he fused Eastern classical ‘Surs’ with the Western classical nodes and Jazz. This was a new trend in the contemporary era of music. Several maestros acknowledged his work as something fresh, which was new in music’s history, however, failed to name the new dimension. “During a live performance, renowned musician, composer, actor and a headhunter for NAPA, Arshad Mehmood asked him to play what he had to offer. That was the moment his newly invented trend got recognised. Sinan termed the new innovation as ‘Jazzical,’ which is indeed fusion of Eastern classical and Western Jazz.
Talking about music, the vibrant Asif Sinan said, “Music is something that is created in heart, delivered through fingertips and that what penetrates the heart”. Elaborating his feelings while playing the fresh trend, he said, “I manage to play Jazzical by keeping the Eastern classical in mind while playing Jazz. In this way, a heart touching fusion is produced.” He further said that he discovered that the principles of both Eastern and Western classical music were same with the only difference being the way they are delivered. To him, music was a universal language. “Not only did I play classical but tried my level best to align music with my inner feelings,” he said.
He said, “There are a plenty of music artists particularly of guitar in the country, but I wanted to do something different. I attempted at getting my guitar sing. I never took music as a hobby or entertainment. I analyse classical music of legendaries and find something new, every time when I listen to it. I am inspired by those artists, who can deliver a single word in various styles. Basically I am a follower of innovation,” he added.
When asked about his public exposure, Sinan said though he had been playing in local musical concerts for long, his first noteworthy public exposure was when he performed before tens of thousands of people in a convention of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Sinan made it clear the he didn’t belong to any political party. Talking about the events that brought him the offer, he informed that he had composed the tune of nation anthem in a unique way and uploaded it over the Internet. “Someone picked the tune and used it in a video of Imran Khan. The video was posted on a social media website to later go viral. After sometime, the PTI office bearers contacted me with an offer to play in their programme,” he said.
One of the videos of this gifted guitarist, ‘Jo Jaey Jany Do’ has recently been launched. He is currently working on his second video entitled ‘Nidea’. Sinan said that he frequently receives offers to perform in programmes of different consulates. One such event in which he flaunted his talent by fusing Eastern and Western classical music was recently held by the US Consulate in a local hotel.
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