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Dream Team 97 Rocks House in San Francisco Bay Area
Report by Haroon Ahmad - Hayward, CA
The timings of Dream Team 97’s appearance in San Francisco Bay Area were just perfect to enrich that essence of Pakistan’s Golden Jubilee still lingering in the air. The palatial Auditorium at Chabot College in Hayward became the venue for this most recent musical episode in S F Bay Area on Friday night, October 24, 1997. The Dream Team 97, consisting of Sajjad Ali, Ali Haidar, Shehzad Roy, Uzma Shah, pop group Awaz’s Fakhir Mehmood, Haroon Rasheed and Keith Venantius plus a number of other acclaimed musicians like Ali Tim, Imran Akhud, Gumbee, Facey, Kishwa, and Faizi rocked the house for more than three consecutive hours. Before the show started, the awaiting audience was kept engaged by Mehran restaurant’s mouth-watering catering at the gate.
| The show started exactly at 9:00PM with musicians doing a brief instrumental segment. Soon Uzma Shah was seen springing on the stage singing Nazia Hasan’s biggest hit Aap Jaisa Koi. Uzma encountered some technical difficulties with the microphone at the very beginning of the number, but all matters were over come shortly and the show was on its way. Uzma’s second number Mera Long Gawacha was even more lively than the first, initiating the process of bringing the crown to it’s feet. Thus setting the high energetic mood for the artists to follow. Due to the fact that Ms. Shah is an upcoming performer in Pakistan, her original stuff is very limited at the moment. That was the reason that for her concert performance she chose the ever popular songs of other famous female performers like Nazia Hassan and Mussarat Nazir. Uzma was soon followed by none other than Shehzad Roy, a 20 year old ever accomplished performer from Karachi. Though Shehzad has been professionally singing for the last four years in Pakistan, this was his first very appearance in front of San Francisco crowd. Screams from the audience especially from young ladies was a sure sign that whole house was mesmerized by this youngster’s powerful performance. Shehzad performed a number of hits from his two albums, Zindagi and Darshan, but it was songs like Tujh ko Qasam Hai, Gharoli, Kabhi Kabhi to Mila Karo and Dholna which literary once again pulled the audience out of their seats and into the dancing arena. After Shehzad Roy, Awaz band took over the stage and performed a string of their energetic hits including Main Na Mano Haar, Jadoo Ka Chiragh, Mr. Fraudiay and Janey Kaun Thi Haseena. The crowd especially enjoyed Haroon Rasheed’s dance moves on those numbers. Currently, Awaz is comprised of Haroon Rasheed, Fakhir Mehmood and Keith Venentius . The band is considered as one of Pakistan’s top pop bands, and their music is an excellent example of fusion between east and west. San Francisco audience had been waiting to catch them live in action for quite some time now. |
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A half an hour break followed Awaz’s segment which gave audience another chance to go out and enjoy themselves with Mehran’s munchies. After the break, the stage was once again ignited up by brief appearances of Uzma Shah and Shehzad Roy. Both performers performed one song each, but the audience cherished them even more the second time.
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After them the big names of Pakistani music world rolled out into the limelight. First it was Ali Haidar in control, and then Sajjad Ali lighted the stage with a worth watching performance. Both Ali Haidar and Sajjad Ali are not new to San Francisco Bay Area. In fact both of them had performed together in San Francisco in early 1994. Ali Haidar as usual gave a persuasive performance by presenting his evergreen hits. Songs like Purani Jeans, Walawai, Zalim Nazroon Sey, Dil Waley, Dil Bar Jania, Shabaz Qalandar and Chand Sa Mukhra became instant favorites among the audience. Ali’s performance was briefly interrupted by some disorder in the crowd, but once Ali was back on stage the mood picked up just where it had left off. It was also nice to see the ever so well-endowed Ali Tim accompanying his Akash-mate Ali Haidar. Over the years, Ali Tim has made numerous contributions to both bands, Milestones and Aakash that he has been associated with. Ali Haidar’s recent hit Chand Sa Mukhra also has major contributions from Tim. We also got a chance to revisit Imran Akudh since April of this year. |
| The concluding ultimate performer of the night was Sajjad Ali who needed no introductions at all. Sajjad is a very versatile performer who has claimed a high caliber in Pakistani musical world by mastering different avenues of the trade. Sajjad’s musical career spans well over fifteen years and ranges from classical to pop. Though his segment was short, it included mega hits like Babia, Dherey Dherey Ah Badal, Chief Saab, Chahey Jis Mulk Bhi and Ali Ali. Recently, Chief Saab and Babia have also proved to be immense successes at the movies. Taking that as a promising sign, Sajjad also tapped into the world of Pakistani films both as an actor and a director. A couple of his movies have already been released, and currently he is busy giving last touches to his very own first production. |
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1997 marked a special year in Pakistan’s history, and it was only fair that it should have been celebrated with quality shows like Dream Team 97’s presentation. Once again, Syed Sarwat of Galaxy International deserves a big hand for providing such a memorable opportunity to San Francisco Bay Area Pakistani Communities. Mehran Restaurant as a co-sponsor also gets our recognition. Raza Ali and Mohammad Idrees are entitled to much appreciation for bridging the gap between the two worlds by assembling such a team of talented gems and bringing them overseas to us. Hope you know guys that we stay hungry for more.
by Haroon Ahmad - Hayward, CA
The year was 1994, and the lyrics of the single topping the charts were Nazrain Jo Milthin Ik Bar Sanam Say. The very grown-up voice singing the number belonged to a sixteen-year-old Karachi native named Shehzad Roy. This month Shehzad, at age twenty, is touring USA as a vital part of the Dream Team 97, and he is managing to allure the hearts of music lovers at each concert. For Shehzad, acquaintance with music came early in life when he first picked up a guitar at the tender age of ten. The rest is history in the making of a major Pakistani pop star. Over the years Shehzad has released two hit albums, Zindagi and Darshan. His songs Dholna and Bewafai off the first album Zindagi have topped Pepsi’s Top of the Pops, and claimed great reviews from fans and critics alike. His latest release Darshan also proved to be an immense success, with selections (including the title track) Darshan done in a very traditional Qawwali style. Since traditional heritage and cultural values hold a distinct nook in Shehzad’s life, he has become a big advocate of Eastern music. To him authencity of the instruments is as consequential as anything else in producing meaningful music. That is the exact logic that flutist Ustad Salamat Ali can be heard on the Bewafai track.. Furthermore about Shehzad’s preference in music, he has grown up listening to classical performers like Abida Parveen and Reeshma. His choice of Western music also includes the mellifluous vocals of Seal and the late Hispanic singer Selena. Shehzad’s videos, directed by himself are best examples of the guy’s visual inventiveness. Recently, Shehzad’s rising popularity also had him join hands with Pakistan’s acclaimed band Junoon in performing live for Pakistani troops stationed at the Siachen (foothills of K2) glacier at an elevation of 15,000 feet.
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Shehzad has managed to keep a balance between all aspects of life, including music, academics, and sports. Nowadays he is busy acquiring a B.Com degree in Karachi, and intends to go for an M.Com degree afterwards. Last year he spent some time in Texas in order to complete course work in Video Technology. Table tennis is his settled upon sport, and one year he even had the Sindh table tennis champion title to his name. |
| Shehzad would like to master the skills of music as much as possible by devoting all his concentration to the field. For that very reason he has been reluctant in accepting movie roles offered to him by producers/directors like Shamim Ara and Sangeeta. However, he has tried his luck at acting in television, but did not find that to be his calling either. |  |
Speaking of his USA 97 tour, Shehzad is greatly appreciative of the enthusiastic response he has been receiving from the USA-based Pakistani audience. In his opinion audiences here are extremely capable of generating a lot of energy by getting into the act with him. For Shehzad that is the sort of feedback that makes a performer do his or her best. Given a chance in future he would unquestionably cherish the opportunity to be back in the States for more performances.
