About AAROH
Original Founders:
kamijee
Nabeel
Farooq
kamijee
Nabeel
Farooq
Biography
AaroH – The band with a difference
Luck, talent and fortune can make you go places. It was their luck that brought Kamran Khan, Nabeel Nihal Chishti and Farooq Ahmed together. It was their mere talent that helped them qualify for the Battle of the Bands competition while their combined fortune helped them win the competition opposite the star-studded Entity Paradigm (EP). This scribe was fortunate enough to be at Kamran’s place when the advertisement of Battle of the Bands was published in local newspapers earlier this year. On inquiring whether Kamran’s band, which had no name at that time, would compete, Kami was optimistic in replying. But the band, named by the great Shoaib Mansoor as AaroH, managed to win the competition and has been on the rise since. They were not only approached by BBC Asian Network Radio London for a 30-minute live interview but also performed live on FM101’s fourth birthday. By doing so, AaroH became the first band ever to perform live, using their instruments, in Pakistan’s broadcasting history.
They have also performed in front of audience ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 and hope to rock the world soon! AaroH was very helpful when Diva approached them for an interview. They all had a lot to say in what is their first-ever interview in the print media. Read below to know more:
Kamran Khan 'Kamijee' - Keyboards
Born 21st May 1974, Karachi
The usually silent Kami was full of words for his mentor Shoaib Mansoor who not only suggested the name of the band when Kami, along with Nabeel, asked Shoman (taken from the Shoaib Mansoor) for one. He suggested the name AaroH (meaning ascending order in music) and since then, the band has been moving up … in the ascending order. Kami is one of the luckiest people who have seen the Seven Wonders of the World while working with Shoman on Gulls n Guys. Kami also got a great opportunity to work in Bollywood, which also gave him a chance to meet Indian producers who offered him to produce music for their movies, which he, obviously, declined. His story is interesting and I am sure you would love it.
“Nabeel and I have been friends since childhood and it was during our sessions while working on Dil Ki Baat, we decided to come up with a band. I chose the name Zambeel while Nabeel was in favour of Buland. We both were not satisfied with the name of the band and decided to ask Shoaib sahib for expert opinion who was in town for JJ’s album. He suggested AaroH, that is not only related to music but also represents the kind of music we do.”
Kami is the eldest member of the band and also the most experienced. “Prior to AaroH, I had done some projects including six songs - Aankhon Ko, Us Rah Par, Na Tu Aeygi, Keh Do Jo Bhi, Kabhi Na Kabhi, and O Sanama - of Junaid Jamshed’s Us Rah Par and the whole Dil Ki Baat. I have also done some work for Shehzad Mughal and others but it was JJ’s two solo albums that helped me gain confidence and recognition.”
Now that AaroH has emerged as the next ‘Big Thing’, where does he see himself? “After winning the Battle of the Bands competition, we have been introduced worldwide, and are well-known to many people in small and big countries. Farooq, Nabeel and I are thrilled on becoming Pepsi stars and would love to prove that we are the number one band of Pakistan. We have received tremendous response from various local and international companies and consider ourselves lucky enough to win the Battle of the Bands competition. We are now working on our maiden AaroH album which will be released early next year.”
On being asked about his future commitments, Kami said, “I am busy with AaroH these days and can think of nothing else. But I believe that film is my final destination and I would love to do films in the future. I don’t see any reason why shouldn’t I succeed in movies.”
Finally, in an answer to the routine question ‘To whom does he attribute his success?’ Kami said, “To my parents, wife and above all daughter! My daughter Jasmin Khan has brought glory and success for me. She arrived in this world early this year and since her birth, everything has gone right for me.”
Farooq Ahmed - Vocals
Born 8th December 1976, Karachi
Farooq is proud to be a Sagittarian like Imran Khan and Brad Pitt and wanted to be famous ever since he heard his father sing Aaja Re Ab Mera Dil at a family gathering. His parents, who are very interested in music and used to sing at family gatherings, encouraged Farooq who also has an elder sister and a younger brother. His brother is doing his Bachelors in Chicago while his sister is married with two children. Farooq is all praise for his loving parents. His father is a captain in Saudi Airlines while his mother is a typical housewife. Farooq’s interesting story is as follows:
“When I was eight, I heard my father sing Aaja Re Ab Mera Dil on tape and since then developed a liking for music in general and singing in particular. Then my sister and I performed at a private family gathering and sang an Indian duet. From there onwards, the singer in me took off and I started singing as a kid. My second appearance was at Taj Mahal (now Regent Plaza) where I opened a private show in front of 1000 people. I sang two solo songs in that show and performed the duties of chorus when my father performed later.”
“After that, I was a hit in the family, and was asked to sing old Indian stuff in family gatherings. When my parents saw that I was getting good response, they encouraged me. The story went on, unchanged, until I did my O’ levels. After doing my O’ levels in 1994, I started playing guitars for my cousin Salman who was at that time a member of a band named Overdrive. After a stint with Salman, I decided to form my own band ‘Helm’ with my buddy Ali. We performed at LICM in front of students of St. Michael’s and Karachi Grammar School. The experience was quite exhilarating and we were quite encouraged by those who heard and saw us perform. The band disbanded when Ali and I went to England and the other guys were off to US for further studies. After completing my A’ levels from Britain in 1996, I came back to Pakistan and along with Ali, who had also returned, thought of doing an album. We were heavily inspired by Metallica, Pantera, and Skid Row at that time and recorded a song in November 1996 at Bunny’s studio. We did the whole album, which comprised of stuff that was heavy metal, metal, ballad and romantic.”
“My father saw the singer in me and advised me to take classical training. I took classical training from Ustad Nizaam Ali Khan during which I learned a lot about raags and all that. I did a mehfil with him at Indus Valley of Arts where he was the main star. He asked me to perform and I performed two khayals – Aiman and Darbari. After that, he realized that I was coming into the main stream and decided to train me as a classical singer. But I didn’t want to get into classical stuff and asked him not to train me as such. He was quite annoyed over this but when I told him that I wanted to do playback singing and had passion for rock, he understood – after initial naraazgi of course!”
“In the meantime, I joined Beaconhouse Informatics to study Computer Science and met Nabeel who was a friend of my brother’s. It was through him that we met in 1998 and clicked together as we both had the passion for rock music and listened to same stuff. As my friend Ali went to US, I was left alone and wanted to work with someone with whom I could share my thoughts. That someone was Nabeel for me and we both went to Lahore to perform for Informatics and really got together. We had a great time and were lucky enough to find English-listener crowd, which appreciated us a lot.”
“On our return, we decided to do some more work together and that is where Kami came in. I knew him by name but not by face and had not met him. Nabeel was Kami’s friend and came to my place one day without telling me who Kami was and what he wanted! They were at that time looking for a vocalist for their band and when Kami heard me sing Aiman Khayal, he was very impressed. Nabeel was the common factor in joining Kami and myself. He was working on Junaid’s Dil Ki Baat with Kami while was also working with me for my English album. Then came Pepsi Battle of the Band advertisement in February this year which resulted in our forming AaroH. We applied as a new band and were quite surprised when about 20 bands were selected in the competition. When the list was narrowed to Top 10, our belief in ourselves increased and we started working even harder.”
“Our first song was Vital Signs’s Ajnabee, which got us recognition. People recognized us at Petrol Pumps and general stores and it was an amazing experience. Then after Aag and Sawaal, our ratings shot up and we reached the Top 3 from last three. We were one of the finalists along side Lahore’s EP and were lucky enough to win the competition after a tough competition. The final was a great experience and we believe now that the band is on the right track.”
In reply to a question about his favourite singer, Farooq said, “Mehdi Hasan is my favourite singer. He is an amazing person and has given me a couple of tips that have changed me as a singer. I have met him on many occasions, sometimes even at my place, and wonder how could people forget such a great person. He is an academy in himself and whatever he says, does should be followed if you want to be a successful artist.”
Is he satisfied with AaroH? “I am very much satisfied with whatever we are doing. Nabeel is an amazing guitarist and I may not say so in front of him, but I say behind him that he is amazing. So are the rest of the band members and I am confident that this band will go places if we continue to work the way we are doing now.”
Farooq was full of praise for his parents and friends who have helped him a lot. But he minced no words in saying that the organizations, which come under government in Pakistan, are ransacking the country with stupid rules and regulations. “I want people to take a joint stand against such organizations if they want Pakistan to prosper. That is also my message for my fans and readers."
Nabeel Nihal Chishty – All Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Born 9th May 1976, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Born and raised in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Nabeel is the common factor in the story of all the AaroH members and had a lot to say. His story is as follows:
"I spent my childhood in Al-Khobar and no one in my family, except my chacha Jameel Chishty and brother Bilal Chishty were into music. They both were very good vocalists and encouraged me to take music seriously. Without the support of my family, I would have not been able to make it so big.”
“It all started when I, along with my three childhood buddies Farooq Rauf, Ashraf Ansari and Shehzad Hussain – decided to learn instruments and form a band "Arena". With Farooq Rauf on keyboards, Shehzad Hussain on bass along with me and Ashraf on guitars, we started making our own songs and started recording them on our cassette recorders. My chacha Jameel Chishty helped me in getting the instruments that were hard to get in Saudi Arabia. His friend’s son Rehan helped me with basic chords but in passion of learning complete guitar, I came to Karachi to take some lessons and here is where I met Faraaz Anwar who guided me with basic guitar lessons and scales. After that, I rejoined my buddies Farooq, Ashraf and Shehzad and started creating music. We all became self-taught musicians as there was no one to help us out. My true teachers are my old friends with whom I learnt and jammed a lot.”
“My family was not against music but my parents wanted me to complete my studies first. As I was a good student, I found no difficulty in passing courses with good grades along with my music. After passing out from school with flying colours, I went to college and that is where I got to know Kami who was in the same college and also very much into the music scene. We both had different bands and wanted to do something extraordinary and got to play a couple of gigs together.”
“After college, I was sent to States in Illinois for further studies where my brother was already present. I took my associate degree from the US and also improved my horizons by learning western classical. Along with my old band Arena, with another friend of mine – Noor - on vocals, I opened a Junoon-concert in Chicago which was a hit and helped me gain confidence in my abilities. I then paid a visit to my family in 1998, after they had shifted to Karachi, and didn’t go back because my parents wanted me to stay with them.”
I used to called kami from Chicago to get advice and if their's any chance that I can do something in music field cause he become one of the top music producer in Pakistan and often told me to come Pakistan and he can help me to introduce in the music industry which he did and I am really thankful to him.
“I met Kami in Karachi who asked me to play guitars for Shehzad Mughal's album. I played the album and also gave him one of my composed and written song "Aa Jao Naa" which is doing well these days. Then Strings approached me for their remix of Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar which also went well with the public. I was doing my BCS from Informatics at that time and was also a professional studio musician.
“Kami hired me to record guitars for Juanid Jamshed's album Dil Ki Baat. I was pretty double-minded because I had rock and shred background. But it was Kami who convinced me and made me do Dil Ki Baat. Kami explained to me that he wanted a new guitar oriented sound and I would be given some liberty to play it by my own style.it was a thrilling experience.
Kami and I recorded some instrumentals and it was there that we decided to form a band. I had few songs and compositions in my mind at that time and we were in search of a vocalist. Kami had gone to India for DKB and on his return told me that a indian label was offering him a deal but with an Indian vocalist.He didn’t want to go to India permanently and that is where Farooq came in who was a good friend of mine in Informatics.”
“Farooq and I always planned to work and sit together but were not able to make it together because of tough studies. But, luckily, at that time our college had a Pakistan tour and they asked me to play a concert for the students. I approached Farooq and we lined up a band to play the gig. The gig was a huge success as it had eastern classical and western rock background. I enjoyed Farooq’s company and was impressed by his good tone and command over music. I decided to implement one of my ideas with Farooq as an experiment and composed and recorded Sawaal as a demo. Khalid, who is the best studio bassist in Pakistan and is now an AaroH member, helped me record the song. He is a humble and friendly person and played for us without asking us a single question.”
“After doing Sawaal demo together, Farooq and I formed a band ‘Raag’. We recorded two more songs in three days. I was also working with Kami on AaroH's instrumental album and one day thought of combining the two bands into one. I spoke to both Farooq and Kami about it separately because they didn’t know each other. I introduced Kami to Farooq as a talented musician and told him about my vision of a new band. Farooq was pretty comfortable with the name "AAROH" and so were Kami and myself. Kami liked Farooq’s vocals while Farooq already knew Kami’s work and his position in the industry. That is how AaroH was formed.”
“When Battle of Band was announced, kami decided to send three of our demos - Sawaal, Aag and Ajnabee to Pepsi.Our song Sawaal, which I wrote while sitting at a Pathan’s dhaaba and one of our friend Kashif Qasmi helped me in the lyrics and composition , proved to be the best song of the BOB while the rest of our songs also did well. We now have a pretty decent live lineup having Farooq on vocals, Khalid on Bass, Kami on Keyboards and Jason as session musician , a very talented drummer, with us during live shows on drums.
In the end, Nabeel said that he wanted to thank all those who helped him succeed. “I would like to thank my family who really supported me a lot specially my elder bro Bilal and dad who guided me in the right direction. I always have faith in my work and have been blessed by Allah. God willing, we will produce quality music in the future and rise to the occasions.”
Luck, talent and fortune can make you go places. It was their luck that brought Kamran Khan, Nabeel Nihal Chishti and Farooq Ahmed together. It was their mere talent that helped them qualify for the Battle of the Bands competition while their combined fortune helped them win the competition opposite the star-studded Entity Paradigm (EP). This scribe was fortunate enough to be at Kamran’s place when the advertisement of Battle of the Bands was published in local newspapers earlier this year. On inquiring whether Kamran’s band, which had no name at that time, would compete, Kami was optimistic in replying. But the band, named by the great Shoaib Mansoor as AaroH, managed to win the competition and has been on the rise since. They were not only approached by BBC Asian Network Radio London for a 30-minute live interview but also performed live on FM101’s fourth birthday. By doing so, AaroH became the first band ever to perform live, using their instruments, in Pakistan’s broadcasting history.
They have also performed in front of audience ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 and hope to rock the world soon! AaroH was very helpful when Diva approached them for an interview. They all had a lot to say in what is their first-ever interview in the print media. Read below to know more:
Kamran Khan 'Kamijee' - Keyboards
Born 21st May 1974, Karachi
The usually silent Kami was full of words for his mentor Shoaib Mansoor who not only suggested the name of the band when Kami, along with Nabeel, asked Shoman (taken from the Shoaib Mansoor) for one. He suggested the name AaroH (meaning ascending order in music) and since then, the band has been moving up … in the ascending order. Kami is one of the luckiest people who have seen the Seven Wonders of the World while working with Shoman on Gulls n Guys. Kami also got a great opportunity to work in Bollywood, which also gave him a chance to meet Indian producers who offered him to produce music for their movies, which he, obviously, declined. His story is interesting and I am sure you would love it.
“Nabeel and I have been friends since childhood and it was during our sessions while working on Dil Ki Baat, we decided to come up with a band. I chose the name Zambeel while Nabeel was in favour of Buland. We both were not satisfied with the name of the band and decided to ask Shoaib sahib for expert opinion who was in town for JJ’s album. He suggested AaroH, that is not only related to music but also represents the kind of music we do.”
Kami is the eldest member of the band and also the most experienced. “Prior to AaroH, I had done some projects including six songs - Aankhon Ko, Us Rah Par, Na Tu Aeygi, Keh Do Jo Bhi, Kabhi Na Kabhi, and O Sanama - of Junaid Jamshed’s Us Rah Par and the whole Dil Ki Baat. I have also done some work for Shehzad Mughal and others but it was JJ’s two solo albums that helped me gain confidence and recognition.”
Now that AaroH has emerged as the next ‘Big Thing’, where does he see himself? “After winning the Battle of the Bands competition, we have been introduced worldwide, and are well-known to many people in small and big countries. Farooq, Nabeel and I are thrilled on becoming Pepsi stars and would love to prove that we are the number one band of Pakistan. We have received tremendous response from various local and international companies and consider ourselves lucky enough to win the Battle of the Bands competition. We are now working on our maiden AaroH album which will be released early next year.”
On being asked about his future commitments, Kami said, “I am busy with AaroH these days and can think of nothing else. But I believe that film is my final destination and I would love to do films in the future. I don’t see any reason why shouldn’t I succeed in movies.”
Finally, in an answer to the routine question ‘To whom does he attribute his success?’ Kami said, “To my parents, wife and above all daughter! My daughter Jasmin Khan has brought glory and success for me. She arrived in this world early this year and since her birth, everything has gone right for me.”
Farooq Ahmed - Vocals
Born 8th December 1976, Karachi
Farooq is proud to be a Sagittarian like Imran Khan and Brad Pitt and wanted to be famous ever since he heard his father sing Aaja Re Ab Mera Dil at a family gathering. His parents, who are very interested in music and used to sing at family gatherings, encouraged Farooq who also has an elder sister and a younger brother. His brother is doing his Bachelors in Chicago while his sister is married with two children. Farooq is all praise for his loving parents. His father is a captain in Saudi Airlines while his mother is a typical housewife. Farooq’s interesting story is as follows:
“When I was eight, I heard my father sing Aaja Re Ab Mera Dil on tape and since then developed a liking for music in general and singing in particular. Then my sister and I performed at a private family gathering and sang an Indian duet. From there onwards, the singer in me took off and I started singing as a kid. My second appearance was at Taj Mahal (now Regent Plaza) where I opened a private show in front of 1000 people. I sang two solo songs in that show and performed the duties of chorus when my father performed later.”
“After that, I was a hit in the family, and was asked to sing old Indian stuff in family gatherings. When my parents saw that I was getting good response, they encouraged me. The story went on, unchanged, until I did my O’ levels. After doing my O’ levels in 1994, I started playing guitars for my cousin Salman who was at that time a member of a band named Overdrive. After a stint with Salman, I decided to form my own band ‘Helm’ with my buddy Ali. We performed at LICM in front of students of St. Michael’s and Karachi Grammar School. The experience was quite exhilarating and we were quite encouraged by those who heard and saw us perform. The band disbanded when Ali and I went to England and the other guys were off to US for further studies. After completing my A’ levels from Britain in 1996, I came back to Pakistan and along with Ali, who had also returned, thought of doing an album. We were heavily inspired by Metallica, Pantera, and Skid Row at that time and recorded a song in November 1996 at Bunny’s studio. We did the whole album, which comprised of stuff that was heavy metal, metal, ballad and romantic.”
“My father saw the singer in me and advised me to take classical training. I took classical training from Ustad Nizaam Ali Khan during which I learned a lot about raags and all that. I did a mehfil with him at Indus Valley of Arts where he was the main star. He asked me to perform and I performed two khayals – Aiman and Darbari. After that, he realized that I was coming into the main stream and decided to train me as a classical singer. But I didn’t want to get into classical stuff and asked him not to train me as such. He was quite annoyed over this but when I told him that I wanted to do playback singing and had passion for rock, he understood – after initial naraazgi of course!”
“In the meantime, I joined Beaconhouse Informatics to study Computer Science and met Nabeel who was a friend of my brother’s. It was through him that we met in 1998 and clicked together as we both had the passion for rock music and listened to same stuff. As my friend Ali went to US, I was left alone and wanted to work with someone with whom I could share my thoughts. That someone was Nabeel for me and we both went to Lahore to perform for Informatics and really got together. We had a great time and were lucky enough to find English-listener crowd, which appreciated us a lot.”
“On our return, we decided to do some more work together and that is where Kami came in. I knew him by name but not by face and had not met him. Nabeel was Kami’s friend and came to my place one day without telling me who Kami was and what he wanted! They were at that time looking for a vocalist for their band and when Kami heard me sing Aiman Khayal, he was very impressed. Nabeel was the common factor in joining Kami and myself. He was working on Junaid’s Dil Ki Baat with Kami while was also working with me for my English album. Then came Pepsi Battle of the Band advertisement in February this year which resulted in our forming AaroH. We applied as a new band and were quite surprised when about 20 bands were selected in the competition. When the list was narrowed to Top 10, our belief in ourselves increased and we started working even harder.”
“Our first song was Vital Signs’s Ajnabee, which got us recognition. People recognized us at Petrol Pumps and general stores and it was an amazing experience. Then after Aag and Sawaal, our ratings shot up and we reached the Top 3 from last three. We were one of the finalists along side Lahore’s EP and were lucky enough to win the competition after a tough competition. The final was a great experience and we believe now that the band is on the right track.”
In reply to a question about his favourite singer, Farooq said, “Mehdi Hasan is my favourite singer. He is an amazing person and has given me a couple of tips that have changed me as a singer. I have met him on many occasions, sometimes even at my place, and wonder how could people forget such a great person. He is an academy in himself and whatever he says, does should be followed if you want to be a successful artist.”
Is he satisfied with AaroH? “I am very much satisfied with whatever we are doing. Nabeel is an amazing guitarist and I may not say so in front of him, but I say behind him that he is amazing. So are the rest of the band members and I am confident that this band will go places if we continue to work the way we are doing now.”
Farooq was full of praise for his parents and friends who have helped him a lot. But he minced no words in saying that the organizations, which come under government in Pakistan, are ransacking the country with stupid rules and regulations. “I want people to take a joint stand against such organizations if they want Pakistan to prosper. That is also my message for my fans and readers."
Nabeel Nihal Chishty – All Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Born 9th May 1976, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Born and raised in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Nabeel is the common factor in the story of all the AaroH members and had a lot to say. His story is as follows:
"I spent my childhood in Al-Khobar and no one in my family, except my chacha Jameel Chishty and brother Bilal Chishty were into music. They both were very good vocalists and encouraged me to take music seriously. Without the support of my family, I would have not been able to make it so big.”
“It all started when I, along with my three childhood buddies Farooq Rauf, Ashraf Ansari and Shehzad Hussain – decided to learn instruments and form a band "Arena". With Farooq Rauf on keyboards, Shehzad Hussain on bass along with me and Ashraf on guitars, we started making our own songs and started recording them on our cassette recorders. My chacha Jameel Chishty helped me in getting the instruments that were hard to get in Saudi Arabia. His friend’s son Rehan helped me with basic chords but in passion of learning complete guitar, I came to Karachi to take some lessons and here is where I met Faraaz Anwar who guided me with basic guitar lessons and scales. After that, I rejoined my buddies Farooq, Ashraf and Shehzad and started creating music. We all became self-taught musicians as there was no one to help us out. My true teachers are my old friends with whom I learnt and jammed a lot.”
“My family was not against music but my parents wanted me to complete my studies first. As I was a good student, I found no difficulty in passing courses with good grades along with my music. After passing out from school with flying colours, I went to college and that is where I got to know Kami who was in the same college and also very much into the music scene. We both had different bands and wanted to do something extraordinary and got to play a couple of gigs together.”
“After college, I was sent to States in Illinois for further studies where my brother was already present. I took my associate degree from the US and also improved my horizons by learning western classical. Along with my old band Arena, with another friend of mine – Noor - on vocals, I opened a Junoon-concert in Chicago which was a hit and helped me gain confidence in my abilities. I then paid a visit to my family in 1998, after they had shifted to Karachi, and didn’t go back because my parents wanted me to stay with them.”
I used to called kami from Chicago to get advice and if their's any chance that I can do something in music field cause he become one of the top music producer in Pakistan and often told me to come Pakistan and he can help me to introduce in the music industry which he did and I am really thankful to him.
“I met Kami in Karachi who asked me to play guitars for Shehzad Mughal's album. I played the album and also gave him one of my composed and written song "Aa Jao Naa" which is doing well these days. Then Strings approached me for their remix of Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar which also went well with the public. I was doing my BCS from Informatics at that time and was also a professional studio musician.
“Kami hired me to record guitars for Juanid Jamshed's album Dil Ki Baat. I was pretty double-minded because I had rock and shred background. But it was Kami who convinced me and made me do Dil Ki Baat. Kami explained to me that he wanted a new guitar oriented sound and I would be given some liberty to play it by my own style.it was a thrilling experience.
Kami and I recorded some instrumentals and it was there that we decided to form a band. I had few songs and compositions in my mind at that time and we were in search of a vocalist. Kami had gone to India for DKB and on his return told me that a indian label was offering him a deal but with an Indian vocalist.He didn’t want to go to India permanently and that is where Farooq came in who was a good friend of mine in Informatics.”
“Farooq and I always planned to work and sit together but were not able to make it together because of tough studies. But, luckily, at that time our college had a Pakistan tour and they asked me to play a concert for the students. I approached Farooq and we lined up a band to play the gig. The gig was a huge success as it had eastern classical and western rock background. I enjoyed Farooq’s company and was impressed by his good tone and command over music. I decided to implement one of my ideas with Farooq as an experiment and composed and recorded Sawaal as a demo. Khalid, who is the best studio bassist in Pakistan and is now an AaroH member, helped me record the song. He is a humble and friendly person and played for us without asking us a single question.”
“After doing Sawaal demo together, Farooq and I formed a band ‘Raag’. We recorded two more songs in three days. I was also working with Kami on AaroH's instrumental album and one day thought of combining the two bands into one. I spoke to both Farooq and Kami about it separately because they didn’t know each other. I introduced Kami to Farooq as a talented musician and told him about my vision of a new band. Farooq was pretty comfortable with the name "AAROH" and so were Kami and myself. Kami liked Farooq’s vocals while Farooq already knew Kami’s work and his position in the industry. That is how AaroH was formed.”
“When Battle of Band was announced, kami decided to send three of our demos - Sawaal, Aag and Ajnabee to Pepsi.Our song Sawaal, which I wrote while sitting at a Pathan’s dhaaba and one of our friend Kashif Qasmi helped me in the lyrics and composition , proved to be the best song of the BOB while the rest of our songs also did well. We now have a pretty decent live lineup having Farooq on vocals, Khalid on Bass, Kami on Keyboards and Jason as session musician , a very talented drummer, with us during live shows on drums.
In the end, Nabeel said that he wanted to thank all those who helped him succeed. “I would like to thank my family who really supported me a lot specially my elder bro Bilal and dad who guided me in the right direction. I always have faith in my work and have been blessed by Allah. God willing, we will produce quality music in the future and rise to the occasions.”
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