Sachal Studios Orchestra is a true phenomenon in the scene of Pakistani music. It has given it a modern, surprising, and captivating turn while managing to maintain the old-time mastery of the local tradition.
In the paragraphs to follow, we will tell you this unbelievable story, where the local music rises like a Phoenix from the ashes, after being suppressed for far too long by the country’s authoritarian leaders. Read below to learn this modern-day Cinderella tale. Here, the main character is not a young pretty girl but a bunch of old men who barely have anything left other than their love for the art of music. However, the story is equally moving and inspiring.
The Sachal Studios Orchestra Fan Club: The People behind This Page
Before we continue, however, let us first tell you who stands behind this fan page. We are Matt and Brian, two of the numerous Sachal Orchestra fans worldwide. As the founders of the largest international Sachal Studios Orchestra fan club, our mission is to promote the ensemble’s music throughout the world.
The easiest way to do so is to use the power of the Internet. After all, if it was not for the World Wide Web, how many people would have learned about and visited Sachal Studios Orchestra’s concert at Lincoln Center?
With that being said, let us dive into the fascinating story of Lahore’s musicians who have nowadays earned their fame as the “Buena Vista Social Club” of Pakistan. You will love it, we promise!
Why Sachal? What Does the Name Mean
One of the questions we most often get is about the Orchestra’s name. Let us explain: The ensemble was named after Sachal Sarmast, one of the greatest Sufi poets, who lived in the 18th century in Sindh, Pakistan.
Sachal Sarmast had a tremendous talent, which allowed him to write his poems in seven languages. These included Sindhi, Siraiki, Persian, Urdu, Balochi, Punjabi, and Arabic.
The poet allegedly came from a royal descent and was a much-respected social and artistic figure. So much so, that at present times, his birthplace, Daraza Sharif, commemorates his death anniversary with a three-day arts festival. The event includes a literary conference and musical performances inspired by Sachal’s poetry. The festival starts on the 13th day of Ramazan.
Who Is the Founder of Sachal Studios Orchestra?
Behind every great project stands a great man, people say. This is particularly true in the case of the Sachal Studios Orchestra. The man who started the ensemble to make it Pakistan’s only internationally performing live orchestra is named Izzar Majeed.
Besides helping the country’s music enter the world’s top-tier jazz scene, Majeed has many other interesting projects going on in his professional career and social life. However, Sachal Studios Orchestra remains his most beloved brainchild.
Interestingly, Majeed may seem reticent at first sight, but this man actually grew up in a house full of social life and celebrities. His father, Mian Abdul Majeed, was the chairman of Pakistan’s Film Producer’s Association. As such, he often hosted film celebrities and prominent musicians from his home country and neighbouring India. One of them was Ali Akbar Khan, an Indian classical music legend.
Therefore, it is no wonder that Majeed’s earliest childhood recollections evolve around him sitting on his father’s lap, as the parent composed a jazz melody for a film. Later on, when he was only eight years old, Majeed happened to attend the Jazz Diplomacy Tour of legendary musician Dave Brubeck.
More than half a decade passed, when Sachal Studios Orchestra, inspired by Majeed, made a total hit and placed themselves on the world map of jazz with a cover of Brubeck’s “Take Five” single. The interpretation played on the main theme by infusing it with the unique sounds of table and sitar – two of the most beloved traditional Pakistani musical instruments.
When Brubeck himself heard the cover, he was deeply impressed. The musician, who was only a few months away from his deathbed, sent Majeed a letter, which – among other things – said, “This is the most interesting and different recording of ‘Take Five’ that I’ve ever heard. […] Listening to this exotic version brings back wonderful memories of Pakistan where my Quartet played in 1958. East is East, and West is West, but through music, the twain meet. Congratulations!”
Majeed was so deeply moved that he framed the quotes and hung them in his office. If you are interested to learn more about the song, here is the official video of Sachal Studios Orchestra’s cover:
To conclude, Majeed is a billionaire, a visionary, and a music lover, who also happens to be a bit of a rebel. He was once expelled for several months from Oxford University because he blasted Marvin Gaye’s hit “What’s Going On?” from his dorm window. Finally, however, he was allowed back in. He eventually graduated in 1972 with a master’s degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.
The Context of How Sachal Studios Orchestra Was Born
It is no coincidence that we have referred to Sachal Studios Orchestra as a phoenix. Just like the mythical bird that was reborn in the ashes, so was Pakistan’s classical music. See, the 1970s brought to the country a heavy authoritarian regime.
The military dictator Zia-ul-Haq took reign and became president of the country. Pakistan was strongly Islamised. Zia was not much of an arts and entertainment fan, so between 1977 and 1988, when he died, art, culture, and other areas of social life suffered severely. Music was almost entirely obliterated.
This was a very sad period in Pakistan’s history. Before that, the country’s art scene flourished. Pakistan was an important part of the so-called “hippie trail” that led from Europe across Asia. The local movie industry dubbed “Lollywood” produced as many as 100 films per year.
Cinema stars like Marlon Brando and Ava Gardner made trips to Pakistan. Quincy Jones and Dave Brubeck also visited. Unfortunately, Zia put an abrupt end to all of this.
The dictator installed heavy taxes and promoted severe censorship. This led to the surmise of various strata of the Pakistani entertainment industry. Performers, movie professionals, actors, and musicians all found themselves redundant and unwanted, even persecuted at times.
Thus, they had no choice but to undertake alternative occupations. You could often find them at tea stalls, behind the driver’s seat in taxis, or selling souvenirs and trinkets on the street.
In this difficult moment, the rise of Sachal Studios brought a new ray of hope for Pakistan’s musicians. Although this kind of music is not mainstream in the country yet, it appears as the guiding light for a much-needed change in the local art scene.
Currently, the situation in Pakistan is still strongly religiously driven. However, Sachal Studios Orchestra does not face any serious opposition to their music. They have had certain challenges when performing in India, though.
Sachal Studios Orchestra Discography
Sachal Studios Orchestra have so far issued three albums. The pilot one, released in 2009, where the legendary “Take Five” cover is featured, is called simply “Sachal Jazz.” It includes the following tracks:
- Take5
- Misty
- Ipanema Folk
- Desafinado
- So Nice
- Ipanema Piano
The ensemble’s second album came out in 2011 under the title of “Sachal Jazz – Interpretations of Jazz Standards & Bossa Nova.” The tracklist features the following songs:
- Take Five
- Desafinado
- Mountain Dance (Raga)
- Garota De Ipanema
- Misty
- Samba De Verao
- This Guy’s In Love With You
- Garota De Ipanema (Raga)
The third, and so far final, Sachal Studios Orchestra album, Jazz And All That, came out in 2013. It includes more tracks than the first two. Most of them are covers of modern songs like REM’s “Everybody Hurts,” “You’ve Got It Bad Girl,” and a few more. It also includes an exotic, cheery interpretation of the theme from the “Pink Panther” cartoon. Here is a video of its performance:
Sachal Studios Orchestra: Joining the East and the West
As a conclusion to this article, we would like to state that Sachal Studios Orchestra is a unique project that possesses the potential to have a broad cultural and social impact. As the religious tension towards the advancement of arts and culture in Pakistan eases, performers like Sachal Studios Orchestra will have more opportunities to create music and influence people.
That is why we believe our goal as an international fan club of this wonderful ensemble is to let the world know about how art can transcend religious, political, and societal pressure to unite people. We hope to witness the rise of many more bands and artists like Sachal Studios Orchestra.