This Pakistani Rock Band that have Stood Up to the Religious Fundamentalists in their Homeland and have Sold Millions of Records in Spite of Them. Their Appealing Sound Might Best Be Described as Morten Harket and Cheb Mam... more »i Meet Mark Knopfler in the Caves of Tora Bora. The Blend is Alluring and Captivating and it is No Wonder They have Been So Successful in the East. Westerners Can Now Discover this Very Modern and Contemporary Sound.« less
This Pakistani Rock Band that have Stood Up to the Religious Fundamentalists in their Homeland and have Sold Millions of Records in Spite of Them. Their Appealing Sound Might Best Be Described as Morten Harket and Cheb Mami Meet Mark Knopfler in the Caves of Tora Bora. The Blend is Alluring and Captivating and it is No Wonder They have Been So Successful in the East. Westerners Can Now Discover this Very Modern and Contemporary Sound.
"This is probably the album that got me hooked on Junoon two years ago. Although I'm American and do not speak a word of Urdu (well, not too much in any case), I find their music a refreshing mix of rock and traditional. The percussion and guitar parts are great, and I get the songs stuck in my head despite the fact that I don't understand them. (There are lyrics in english translation online however.) This is a bit of soul-searching album, and a good look at what Islam is really about. Enjoy!"
Great Blend of Styles.
Mansur Mirani | Vancouver, Canada | 12/29/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This flight of Obsession is a great blend of styles for anyone that enjoys Urdu/Hindi music. This album is a must have for listeners interested in Urdu/Hindi music or western rock styles. Parvaaz is very different compared to typical Urdu/Hindi music that comes from movies, i.e: the music in Parvaaz is not repetitive as most hindi movie music is. Parvaaz offers feelings of love, peace, religion and reality about the world around us, and the world to come. The lyrics in the song Pyar Bina (Without love) is very similar to pop and movie songs in this same language with a unique twist. Aside from this, the album offers songs like Aleph and Mitti, which make us, think of God and where we all are going when this life is over. There are also fast love songs like Sajna that add to the unique styles in this album. I think this is the best album so far from Junoon and I look forward to their upcoming album."
Somethings from the East are not Bad
Paul Janes-Brown | Makawao, HI United States | 01/24/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This band is the anti-dote to the Taliban. You do not need to understand the language to appreciate the feelings expressed by these artists. They are a true blend of the best of the western music and eastern music. They rock! Their percussion and vocal style is eastern, but their guitar work, is very western. There is not a clunker in the whole lot, and the repeat of the opening cut, "Bulleya" is great, because this is clearly the anthem of the cd. These guys deserve a world tour. Their use of classic sufi poets,for their lyrical inspiration grounds their work. Other bands might want to emulate this fount for their lyrics. Poets for lyrics, musicians for music. What a concept!!! BUY THIS. U-2 fans will particularly like this cd."
Revolutionary Music
Shaun Williams | Albuquerque, NM United States | 12/08/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Junoon has changed the world of rock forever by transforming an American art form into Islamic music. The tones of the guitars and drum rythyms are all distinctively eastern and the voice of lead singer Ali Azmat flows as smoothly as windblown dunes. Don't hesitate to turn up the volume. This is not cheap background music for parties. In this era, many American rock and pop bands tend to repeat the same stagnant chords and favor scratchy, whining voices that screech out the same five words fifty times. Junoon smashes through the western mainstream with original guitar playing and an outstanding Islamic voice.
Songwriter and guitarist Salman Ahmad bases his music on Sufi poetry, which professes peace and harmony. Junoon condemns the destruction of the World Trade Center and the Taliban but criticizes the US government for its amoral actions toward other nations and its support of corrupt dictators. He believes the US should adhere to the same principles abroad as it does within its borders.
Brian O'Connell is the bass guitarist and is from New York. He is described on the Junoon website as the man who holds the band together. Death threats and government bans are nothing new for Junoon and they have continued to play despite the difficulties presented by religous fanatics and the rampant piracy that strips away most of the royalties earned from album sales.Parvaaz marks the first time I have heard this band's music and I am impressed by their seamless art and their views of Islam. After listening, I declare myself a Junooni!"
South Asia's Number One Rock Band
Asim Khan | Dallas, TX | 08/08/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Junoon, meaning 'passion', is South Asia's biggest rock band. They sing mostly in the language of Urdu, in a style blending Western hard rock with Sindhi & Punjabi folk and Qawwali. Junoon, in effect, had to create an audience for rock music in their homeland PakistanJunoon's latest album Parvaaz celebrates peace and tolerance in a tense Subcontinent at the end of the Millennium. Inspired by the poetry of 17th c. Sufi poet Bulleh Shah of Kasur, Pakistan. Parvaaz exhorts people to rise above petty enmities and prejudice, and love one another as God's children. Parvaaz was released worldwide in October of 1999, and has become Junoon's 3rd consecutive number-one selling album."