Music: Pakistan kay Cencorshuda Ganay

Artists: VariousVariousUnknown

Pakistani Cencorshuda Ganay Vol:1 & 2: Various Artistes***

Forget the “artistes.” They are various enough to take care of themselves. In fact enough to turn this volatile series of albums into becoming this summer’s biggest sellers in places like Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad and much of what is called Interior Sindh. Yes, you read it right. Not only are they huge in MMA lands, but that’s where they originated from as well.

Yup! Contradictions galore in this land of the pure. But also let me tell you, ironically, such blatant “fahashi” seems to be the only thing left to stand up tall against the lingering ghosts of Zia’s slimy, reactionary legacy. Because since the liberals are too busy creating their own lil’ Beverly Hills in Indus Music rooms and celebrating the glorious arrival of McDonalds and KFC, it seems the only way left to distract the mullah brigade is to shake their over-active moral antennas into shocked submission.

And the above is exactly what these two volumes have managed to do. I’m sure their huge sales in the NWFP and Balochistan must certainly have created great doubts about the longevity of the mullah’s electoral popularity in the said provinces.
People are grooving on voluptuous songs like “Dudh Pee Lay Zalma” (Drink [my] milk, you teaser!), and “Main Apnee Bootie Aap Lagawaan Gi” (I’ll plant my own plant).

These are songs which the censors chopped out from such delightfully sounding Punjaby/Pashtun films like Ghunda Tax, Kala Gujar, Sultan Daku, and from films which were not allowed a release at all.

And I tell you, if you are able to keep away some of your refined, restrained (and repressed?), bourgeoisie habits and moral “superiorities” aside for a while, these albums can then be a hell of a listen. In fact they kick ass! (Sometimes rather literarily).

I like to think of them as speed-metal/thrash equivalents of Punjaby film music. Actually this is exactly the sort of in-your-face and piss-off attitude missing in our so-called “underground rock scene.” Because regarding all the bans the mullahs love to bang, and all that pretentious, plastic-coated and cynical bull much of our music scene is awkwardly riddled with, these albums are like saying, “if you can’t join them, piss them!”

The music is upfront, minimlistic full of used glitz and that ‘70s type over-made, porn glam. And so are the lyrics. Purely primordial. Second degree porn meant to communicate third degree ‘love.’
Wonderful.