Exclusive

By Zehra Ali

It was a night all boys only dream to experience in perfect splendor. It was a night worth reliving; one worth cherishing. That’s right, you guessed it: It was the night of the Fifa World Cup Final 2010. It is with the purest passion for sports that all Lahoris, men, women and children alike, scattered across the city in search of the perfect destinations from which to gain the best World Cup Final experience possible. Here at Ink, we were invited to perhaps the most exclusive of the exclusive events hosted by none other than Jbnjaws at Uptown L.A.

It can be rightfully stated that the event was definitely not what everyone present had expected. At an event which very boldly stated “no stags allowed!”, there were most certainly stags in all shapes and sizes (as well as ages) present. From boys clad in either Spain or Netherland jerseys and flags, to girls and families, (usually consisting of five or more members) we saw it all. Some couples sitting in the farthest corner from all these “non-hip” attendees were mortified to have followed instructions at all. We here at Ink however, are never quick to judge, therefore, we gave one of the organizers a chance to clear out this slight miscalculation.

Q-The event was supposed to be a couples’ only event. Why was this rule not paid much attention to at the said event?

Ans- Football as a sport is now growing in viewership and following in Pakistan. Since it is neither our national game nor do we have any representation, there is a limited fan following. Hence, our objective of writing couples only was to discourage single male entry, as chances of riots become more and they then cause problems for couples and families. Also remember that the right side of the hall was mostly occupied by couples and families, while the lounges were for couples only. So our purpose of attracting a good crowd and balancing the ratio was fulfilled.

Q-The posters stated that a strict guest list would be kept to ensure the perfect crowd. Why was the checking not as strict as it usually is as compared to all the other events hosted by Jbnjaws?

Ans-I would beg to disagree here. Since the guest list was followed very strictly. Bear in mind that we did not encounter a single incident of an unpleasant nature. There were around 550 people out of which around a 100 people were sent back as we did not have their names on the guest list. I think security was given a lot of preference and that is the reason that we invited guests mostly based on references. No mass mode of marketing was used to publicize the event, except facebook.

It is important to note here that in all our events we do deploy security and have a proper management team but we cannot stop people from coming to the event. We can only stop them from entering if they do not have a pass or if there name is not on the guest list. There is a certain discipline that we as people should have and by pushing at the gate, or coming without any pass that discipline is most definitely violated.

Before the management team at Jbnjaws begins to point fingers and name names as to who might have been the culprit to providing this cleverly articulated statement; let us make it easier for you and unravel the mystery ourselves. The answers to these questions have been provided by Sarfraz Niazi, one of the mastermind directors behind Jbnjaws. Hence, follows our third and final question:

Q-Are you actively working with Jbnjaws at the moment or have you currently moved on to managing celebrities such as Ali Zafar?

Ans-Both myself and Jb are the only two directors for jbnjaws productions and are actively involved in managing it. We recently started our creative ad and design agency called “gray matter” and the only events that this agency will handle will be managed under jbnjaws productions. Our commercial activities have surely been reduced due the security issues and the unstable conditions in the country however we have been doing some great corporate work. The World Cup final together with a concert was a limited commercial activity and InshAllah we are coming up with more events soon!

Yes I am managing Ali Zafar and the experience has been great so far. Besides that, I am working as a brand manager for Radio1FM91, News1 and TV One.  I have been a part of one of the largest and most popular ad agencies and I have learnt that art of multi tasking from there. At times it is difficult to do justice to all four, but that is quite seldom. I feel that it is always fun to keep yourself busy with the work that is your passion!

There you have it folks. Be sure to keep an eye out for more of the upcoming events and if there is one you just so happen to miss, Ink will be your eyes and ears.

The DJ could not have been more DJ-like and the atmosphere created was more than enough to imply the anticipation that everyone present was experiencing. A few free drinks here, and a tweaked up air-conditioning there – a few more of those projection screens strategically placed and Voila! Jbnjaws could have earned themselves a prize-winning event. It’s all in the details really. Though, can’t we say the same about the number of yellow cards given out to the Netherland players? The match was nothing short of a nail-biter and I think we all agree when I say that it will be pain-stakingly hard to have to wait for another four years to experience the wonders of the Word Cup again.

By Zehra Ali

The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be presented August 29^th 2010 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by Jimmy Fallon.

In a fantastical turn of events, Fox’s latest show “Glee,” a musical comedy about a group of high school outcasts, earned a staggering 19 nominations for this year’s Emmys. Other new series which were recognized by the Emmy association include “Modern Family,” which earned 14 nominations and “Nurse Jackie”. Two repeat nominees this year include “The Office” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. These shows are however, going to have to pry the award out of Alec Baldwin’s fingers. “30 Rock” has been winning in this category for the past three years.

Challenging “Lost” (receiving 7 nominations) and “The Good Wife” in the best drama series category are the freshman HBO series “True Blood”. The previously nominated “Breaking Bad” and “Dexter” are up against the winner for the two prior years, “Mad Men.”

Three other departing network dramas, “24,” “Law & Order” and “Heroes,” were surprisingly shut out of the major award categories.

Some of the nominees in the top categories:

Comedy series:

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Modern Family

Glee

Nurse Jackie
The Office
30 Rock

Drama series:
Breaking Bad

Dexter

The Good Wife

Lost

Mad Men
True Blood

Outstanding Actor In A Comedy Series
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Steve Carell, The Office
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Matthew Morrison, Glee

Outstanding Actress In A Comedy Series
Lea Michele, Glee
Julia Louis Dreyfuss, New Adventures of Old Christine
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Toni Collette, The United States of Tara

Outstanding Actor In A Drama Series
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Hugh Laurie, House
Matthew Fox, Lost (his first Emmy nomination)
Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Outstanding Actress In A Drama Series
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
Glenn Close, Damages
Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
January Jones, Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Chris Colfer, Glee
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Jon Cryer, Two And A Half Men

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Martin Short, Damages
Terry O’Quinn, Lost
Michael Emerson, Lost
John Slattery, Mad Men
Andre Braugher, Men Of A Certain Age

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Jane Lynch, Glee
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Holland Taylor, Two And A Half Men

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Sharon Gless, “Burn Notice”
Rose Byrne, “Damages”
Archie Panjabi, “The Good Wife”
Christine Baranski, “The Good Wife”
Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men”
Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men”

Reality Competition program:
American Idol
Amazing Race
Dancing With The Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series:
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Saturday Night Live
Real Time With Bill Maher
Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien

Edited by Zehra Ali

How did you decide to become a DJ?
I have been deeply interested in music since I was a child. I have learnt to play the keyboard and guitar. I also happen to have a keen interest in singing and dancing.
While growing up, it was intriguing to notice how the mere press of the “Play” button had the power to make people move and sway. Since then I have wanted to have the same impact on people; to make them move the way I want them to. The job of a DJ helps me achieve just that.

What is the significance of your name DJ Bobby? How did you get that name?
My grandmother loves the name Bobby. When I was born she started calling me Bobby and over the years the name grew on me. Since I adore my grandmother, this name given to me by her was the name I chose to keep in my profession as a DJ.

What has been your biggest gig yet?
A gig I performed at Trilogy and Zinc club in Dubai in 2007.

Who has influenced you the most throughout your life?
My parents. It is the fact that they continue to pray for my success and welfare that I have had such success.

How would you describe your sound?
My music can simply be described as a fusion of club mixes. It contains a variety of house, progressive & tribal house, electro, hip hop and RnB and Desi mixes. I also play several popular club mixes and remixes.

What images and emotions do you want your music to evoke in the listener?
My aim has always been to try and make my audience forget about all their problems and worries and get trapped in a state of complete bliss. I wish to take my listeners, with the help of my music, on a journey across the galaxy. A journey free from trouble and far from the harsh realities of this world into the oblivion where they are at peace.

Do you like to play for big events or in-house parties?
Looking back into my history, you may find a number of small and big events, as well as many national and international gigs that I have played at.I am a music lover as well as an artist hence, I want to cater to my audience without making any discriminations whatsoever.

What genres do you enjoy playing the most?
My personal favorites are house, tribal and hip hop.

How was your experience playing in Dubai and how would analyze the Pakistani audience as compared to your International audience?
It was awesome. Trilogy and Zinc holds a very strong position in the international market and many popular DJs played there. They own top of the line equipment, they provide an excellent service, the environment is great and the even management is very continuously helpful. I don’t want to sound biased here but there is definitely a huge difference between the Pakistani and international crowd. Having said that, I still love my country and playing for my audience here in Pakistan.

Do you think your music can act like a Universal Language?
Yes definitely! I play all genres of music from every part of the world and I have noticed that no matter where I play, the audience’s reaction to it is instantaneous. Everywhere in the world, people love to dance and enjoy. The funny thing is they lip-synch even when they don’t know the exact words to the song and their meaning. They can’t understand the lyrics but they love to dance on my tunes nonetheless.

Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?
Well, I have been a DJ on earth for the past ten years and now I feel it is time to expand my horizons and perform on the moon. Just kidding! I just hope for the best when it comes to my future. Presently, I am working on some projects which will be out in the market soon. I have played with Akcent and am also doing a Live TV show on the channel Aag, so my future seems promising.

Courtesy:

IRONLINE GROUP
IRONLINE EVENT MANAGEMENT

“Vision looks inward and becomes duty. Vision looks outward and becomes aspiration. Vision looks upward and becomes faith.”

This is where I take pride and honor in claiming that IronLine Group has stepped out with its Genius Cove with a Vision ready to storm the Media Industry. IronLine Group is a leading entertainment and media production group endeavoring to provide matchless material in the entertainment sector fueled by Exceptional Status, Innovative Thinking and Creative Execution.  Corporations, non-profit associations and social groups rely on IronLine Group to create events that deliver on client objectives while exceeding expectations. Every event IronLine Group creates includes memorable and unique elements that allow each event to stand out from the rest.

It is what we do day in, day out and we are really good at it.

~ S. M. Abbas Ali – CEO, IronLine Group.

IronLine Event Management is all set to unleash THE FIRST EVER BIGGEST DJ COMPETITION taking place in Pakistan. This competition will be held among DJS from all over the country where it would be judged by An International Celebrity DJ. He would also confer an exclusive performance for the night alone. This competition will be held at a grand venue, which would be accommodating an approximate 3000+ number of people.

The following National and International Names are involved with this Event:

1 WorldTopDjs.com.

2 Wajood Media.

3 International Celebrity DJ.

4 DJ Sabby ,AJ Bobby (Audition Judges)

5 30 DJs participating in the auditions.

6 Ali Azmat.

7 Azal.

8 Fusion.

9 Falak.

10 Launching of the band – Streben (Dubai, U.A.E).

The Auditions will be judged by the best of this field, none other but the infamous DJ SABBY, DJ BOBBY and the main event will be hosted by the one of the best vjs. This event will be widely covered by print and electronic media and online media giving maximum exposure to the participants as well as our collaborators.

THE ULTIMATE DJ COMPETITION – 2010

A talent contest designed to unearth the next SUPERSTAR DJ…!

DJ AUDITIONS

IronLine Group in collaboration with Wajood Media and WorldTopDJs.com invites all those aspiring DJS who wish to make it big in the world of beats and turn tables.

You could be one of the lucky top ten DJS to take part in the First Ever Biggest DJ Competition Taking place in Pakistan.

IronLine Group, Studio 116, The Plaza, II Talwar, Clifton, Karachi.

Contact: +92 321 829 85 79, +92 321 891 21 46

For Registration Forms, visit www.ironlinegroup.com

An exclusive event visualized by IronLine Event Management.

A rich fusion of culture, tradition and history, Pakistani music is derived from diverse elements and various musical influences. Within this dynamic musical environment, Coke Studio has emerged as a musical fusion platform of exciting elements and influences, ranging from traditional eastern, modern western and regionally inspired music coming together to form a distinctive Pakistani sound. Bringing alive the magic of live recordings and performances, Coke Studio prides itself on providing a musical platform which seeks to bridge barriers, celebrate diversity, encourage unity and instill a sense of Pakistani pride. Coke Studio is indeed an inspired step by Coca-Cola for having created a platform where renowned as well as upcoming and less mainstream musicians from various genres can collaborate musically.

Join the Coke Studio journey, as it broadens its horizons to encompass a wider circle — an expanding sphere of diversity, culture and tradition. Central to its third edition is the need to explore the intricacies of inspiration, creation and evolution, and to discover how the elements of reason, will, resolve and form come together and culminate in the realization of dreams and goals. True to the desire to retain and revere individuality, Coke Studio’s wings span the entire breadth and length of our soil: from the rugged custodians of the Sufic tradition to suave urbane men and women, from indigenous ballads to universal kalams. This season as the wheel rotates, a growing palette of unique colors, flavors and sounds come together and contribute to enrich the Coke Studio circle. Come and be a part of the sea change as once again Coke Studio connects distinct and varied styles, ethnicities and identities and link them with that one common denominator — Music.

Intro:

Random Inklings of Random Expressions of Random Oratory

By Halima Khan

Oratory is a great skill that most conversations we carry out daily lack. Speechifying is a hobby for most of us; however it lacks rhetoric, vocabulary and depth mostly. All that is all the talk now has is words flying in some random order, catch a word of the bantering and start buzzing your own ranting and raving. In all the rambling nowadays there is ‘pet’ vocabulary for everyone that is used to start off the sentence, in the middle of the sentence and to punctuate it as well of course.

This column is all about the slang that has become the language of today! Everyday language is not based on dictionary words any more. Words as we know them now are fast evolving in their spellings as well as usage. Consequently there are slangs that are more comprehensive now than theoretically the most comprehensive words themselves. Every individual is identified with the slang their verbal communication is sporadically ‘tainted’ with.

Week 1:

YAAR

‘Yaar’ is a word that is no where near exhausted. Our conversation might get exhausted of every possible subject but there will still be a ‘yaar’ escaping our mouth. Yaar lets go get ourselves something to eat yaar! Yaar I am not sure what to do about this or that yaar. Yaar could you not begin and end your sentence with a yaar, yaar. Yaar all I can hear is the continuous repetition of yaar, yaar. So please enough with the yaar already, YAAR! Unconsciously mostly we let yaar creep in our tête-à-tête so frequently that the yaar ends up taking a major load of the tone of the chat. There is the whining ‘yaaaaaaar’ there is the more heavily induced ‘Yawr’ there is the yaar that depicts exasperation. The ‘yaar’ is enough to help anyone read through the attitude and pitch of what the speaker is feeling.

There are times when monosyllables are more than enough to explain and to understand. I remember many such afternoons when I would crash down on benches in my college after a class or test and ‘Yaar.’ is all I had to say and that was enough for my friends to figure out what had just happened with me. Then lazy summer afternoons when my friend and I would be steeped down with the heat yaar was the whole chunk of ensuing conversation. Early mornings when getting out of bed was a nightmare and my alarm clock would persistently ring my mother gets greeted with yaar more often than a cheery morning.

Teachers and parents discourage slang as it is but yaar was one that was taken offence to like any curse word. Literally meaning a lover ‘Yaar’ was never looked upon as ‘respectable’ and was frowned upon. However I notice that reprimand has dwindled with time either they have accepted the term which is unlikely or they have just entirely given up on any possible decent improvement in language. Often it gets so bad that a formal speech or discourse gets plagued with an unconscious rush of ‘yaar’ which indefinitely reflects not too highly on the speaker’s communication skills.

With time this colloquial term has also evolved into something like ‘yaari’ ‘yaaro’, hence whatever mood speaker is in language is adaptable to all. Sometimes such flexibility in language especially when it is so recurring in daily chit chat can be rather annoying. But the truth is it is a word that you easily catch if someone around you is using it. Also even before you know it you might hate to hear it but your dialogue is not entirely clean of it.

Could you please try not marking your talk with so much of ‘yaar’, please yaar!

New York, NY, April 29, 2010 — It wasn’t long ago that Major League Baseball went to India to scout for talent. Well, they must have been impressed because the Philadelphia Phillies are bringing one of the world’s hottest neoDesi acts to their field. On Monday, May 3rd Raghav will headline Citizen Bank Park’s Asian-Pacific Celebration.

Raghav will take the field to perform his worldwide hit “Angel Eyes” as well as his new single, ‘So Much’ which will be released to radio and press on Monday.

The release of ‘So Much’ marks a totally new sound from Raghav, whose debut album, Storyteller, is iconic for the neoDesi audience. The track has been produced by Labrinth, who recently produced Tinie Tempah’s worldwide hit ‘Pass Out’. Fans can look forward to a massive summer banger and a fresh electro-pop vibe from Raghav.

As a die-hard sports fan himself, Raghav says, “It is really exciting to see how sports and music are coming together to celebrate culture. I am proud to represent our people at the Asian-Pacific Celebration and am honored that the committee thought of me to perform.”

This is the seventh year for Citizen Bank Park’s Asian-Pacific Celebration. The event, which is always sold out, is spear headed by Mayank Amin and Bollywood Dreams Entertainment.  Amin says that this year is the most exciting because of Raghav’s participation in the celebration.

In addition to Raghav’s performance, the event will include performances by AATMA Performing Arts and Philly’s very own Broadstreet Baadshaz dance troupes, live music by Akshar Dholis, and baseball themed henna tattoos. Fans will also have the opportunity to learn basic Bollywood dance at the stadium.

In the past, Raghav has played to sold-out crowds at prestigious venues in America, LA, Kenya, Pakistan, India, Australia, Indonesia, Africa and the Middle East. He has sold 1.3 million copies of Storyteller worldwide making it the sixth largest international selling album in India. Raghav has had four top ten records in The UK.

Pakistani model / actress Mehreen Raheel, and singer Amanat Ali, added some glamour to the proceedings at the Red Bull Air Race in Abu Dhabi on the 26th and 27th of March 2010. It is for the first time that Pakistani celebrities were invited to this massive global motorsports event. Media, celebrities, and pilots from the around the world, as well as people from across the UAE, were present at the open-to-all show. The extreme heatwave did not deter the pilots from flying, or the crowd from turning up.

To add further spice to the event, Mehreen was strapped into a small aeroplane with Media Pilot Sergio Pla who took her on a rollercoaster ride through the blue skies, taking off from the Race Airport at Port Zayed, and landing in the same spot following a 15 minute performance, featuring hair-raising air stunts.

“It was breathtaking, exhilarating and fantastic – all three things at the same time!” exclaimed the petite actress once her feet were firmly back on the ground. Amanat, also present at the Media Flight, was exhilarated just by having witnessed the entire spectacle.

THE RACE

The event itself was an intense competition between leading pilots of the world. In the end was a hard-fought victory in scorching heat by defending champion Paul Bonhomme of Britain. He finished just ahead of compatriot Nigel Lamb (2nd) and Hungary’s Peter Besenyei (3rd) in an action-packed battle over the greenish-blue waters of the Arabian Gulf.

With temperatures rising above 40 degrees and the strong desert winds suddenly shifting direction just hours before the race, the 2010 season opener turned into one of the most spectacular races in the six-year history of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.

“It’s fascinating what we’ve seen today”, said Bonhomme on the day of the race. “The wind changed direction and it sorts everyone out. The temperature was also a factor. To keep your concentration up in these conditions is quite a task. I don’t think it’s a coincidence (that only veterans were on the podium). Experience helps on days like today. You have to keep an eye on what happens and play the tactics just right.”

The next stop of the 8-race season takes place in Perth, Western Australia on April 17/18.

March 15, 2010 - A new era of Bhangra is stampeding towards us. Leading the herd is none other than the multi-talented, multi-lingual and unapologetic Prince of Bhangra, Des-C. Tastemakers have hailed him as the ‘Future of Bhangra’ for the rich vocals, superb lyrics and sick beats that he has brought to his debut album, First Flight, and to massive Bhangra and Hindi tracks forMentor Kolektiv, Rishi Rich D-Boy, Sef and Bollywood. Des-C’s innate musical skills, personal struggle to climb to the top, and drive to see change in the music industry sets him apart as a force to be reckoned with.

Aren’t all musicians rolling in dough? Although glossy videos make it seem like all artists have it made and live glamorous lives, Des-C has definitely worked hard to be known as a formidable force in the music business, and believes that struggle helps create music.

“I believe a true singer has to experience some hardship in their lives. I see a lot of artists these days just getting deals without having put any hard work in the first place. It seriously makes me feel upset. I used to be pizza delivery driver for Dominos and I’m not ashamed about it. I delivered a pizza to an Asian family and an old guy opened the door. As I was leaving, his daughter recognized me and I was very shocked. People generally think that artists are rich enough to not hold down normal ‘9-5′ jobs. They seriously don’t know about the struggles that certain artists go through. This is the reality of the Asian music industry.”

Instead of just busting out recycled beats, computerized vocals as well as cliché lyrics that are sure to be a ‘club hit’, he uses his music as a soap box to break stereotypes of what makes banging South Asian music. The typical drunken song may be standard for many artists, but Des-C is vehemently against the negative correlation between Punjabi culture and alcohol.

“Traditional Punjabi music culture goes hand in hand with alcoholism. Taboos do not surround the music and I want to eradicate this. I am not fond of singing about getting drunk in every track. It’s just not original and it’s just not me.”

So what is Des-C? Quality, creativity and innovation – and ‘First Flight’ is jam packed of it all! With co-production from heavy hitters Jags Klimax, Tigerstyle, D-Boy and Alan Sampson the album proves that it is a new day for Desi music. Des-C made a name for himself early on in his career sending Mentor Kolektive’s ‘Pasand’ and Rishi Rich’s single ‘Majajane’ to instant hit status. In 2007, he co-wrote the massive track, ‘Move Your Body’ from the Bollywood film Johnny Gaddar. The song features Hard Kaur and was produced by musical powerhouse Shankar Ehsaan, Loy.

Des-C’s record ‘Jiska Husna’ is a definite killer classic for the ages. A mixture of Hindi and Punjabi lyrics, the single is produced by music maker du jour D-Boy and written by Des-c. It takes a fresh look at Bhangra through a modern romantic narrative.

Please Download ‘Jiska Husna’ and enjoy the sound of Bhangra 2010.

In’s CEO, Fariha Rashed, was recently interviewed by popular online social magazine called PARTYLICIOUS.
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