The Dynamic Duo - Strings

The late 80s and early 90s were the golden age of Pakistani pop. There was a new found political and cultural freedom. Shoaib Mansoor’s Music 89 propelled The Vital Signs, Junoon, Ali Haider and Sajjad Ali to stardom. The Music Channel Charts on STN gave a platform to new and upcoming artists from around the country. It was at this time that four young men from Karachi came together in a rag tag way to become one of South Asia’s most  successful and long lasting  pop rock bands

                                                     Strings and I in the CityFM89 studios

Faisal Kapadia, Bilal Maqsood, Rafiq Wazir Ali and Kareem Basheer Bhoy formed the initial Strings line up – all classmates at the Government College of Commerce and Economics. In a recent interview, the boys credited Vital Signs as their inspiration.

The band performed to the lyrics of Bilal’s father – Anwer Maqsood at college events and soon they were offered a record deal by Mansoor Bukhari of EMI Group. They released their first self-titled album Strings  in 1990. The sound of the album was heavily synthesized and the public response was no more than lukewarm, simply for its novelty. Without the conventional boy band good looks of Vital Signs and an unappealing music video – their first single ‘Jab Se Tumko Dekha’ went mostly unnoticed.

The slow response to their first album forced the boys to pursue their day-job careers. With all four heading off in different directions. In 1992, Strings tried to give it another shot – this time with better luck and released the album Strings 2 under the Shalimar label. With their music careers getting increasingly hectic, the boys decided to call it quits and pursue their day-job careers. The single Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar was meant to be a parting gift to their fans. 

  The Comeback Kids

By the year 1999, Strings had all but disappeared from the Pakistani psyche. Faisal and Bilal were working at an advertising agency when they decided they wanted to give it all up for music. It was when Bilal composed a tune for a song humming the word duur with it that Kapadia realised they should reform the band. Upon consultation amongst themselves and friends from the music industry, especially Rohail Hayat, the two re-formed the band. They tried to approach Rafiq and Kareem but they declined. Their comeback album Duur was launched with just Faisal and Bilal forming the new Strings.   

The video for Duur was directed by Jami. It was instantly picked up the recently launched Pakistani music channels, receiving heavy airplay and becoming an instant hit. The song also became a hit across the border following in the footsteps of Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar 8 years ago. This laid the foundation for India’s love affair with Strings in the coming years. The album itself was a hit with the following singles also doing the rounds on TV and radio.

When the Indian cricket team toured Pakistan for the first time 14 years in 2004, Strings were invited to collaborate with the Indian band Euphoria to record a song called Jeet Lo Dil. The song did not carry well in Pakistan but became a major hit in India.

Following the hit of Jeet Lo Dil, Strings toured India under the Channel V banner. Around this time they also started working with Indian artists on tracks for their upcoming album. They recorded singles with Sagarika and Hari Haran. Again the songs did not pick up in Pakistan but solidified their fan base in India.

The band then went on to perform at the Hard Rock Cafe for an unplugged session, which catapulted them to further fame in the South Asian community and beyond. With their rising worldwide success, the band were approached by Columbia Records to launch their new album and they accepted the offer. On September 1, 2003, the band released their fourth studio album Dhaani

What happened next remains Strings’ biggest achievements to date. Columbia Tristar approached Strings to make a song for one of the biggest movie franchise - Spiderman. The duo wrote Na Jaane Kyon for the Hindi version of Spiderman 2.The featuring of Na Jaane Kyon of on the soundtrack of Spider Man 2 opened the flood gates for Strings to be featured on a number of Bollywood soundtracks and an unprecedented fan following in the South Asian community world wide. The band made the song Zinda for a Bollywood movie of the same name. They shot their own music video featuring Sanjay Dutt and John Abraham. 

More soundtracks and concerts across India followed – but the dynamic duo stayed true of their roots, art and Pakistan when handling this unprecedented growth in fan base and offers.

In late 2007, Strings signed a deal with Gibson Guitar, becoming the first South Asian band in history to do so. It was reported that according to the deal, Strings will exclusively use Gibson guitars during concerts, studio recordings and music videos. Furthermore, Strings will act as brand ambassadors to Gibson. In return, Gibson will sponsor the band and provide concert halls and equipment as and when required. In mid 2008, Strings released their fifth studio album - Koi Aanay Wala Hai co-produced by John Abraham. The video featured John Abraham as an angel against the Kuala Lumpur skyline.

 While enjoying commercial success, Strings remained a politically and socially conscious band, supporting causes through their music. Tackling issues of national and international importance such as the unrest in Lebanon with 'Beirut'; the tensions at home with 'Ab Khud Kuch Karna Pare Ga' and 'Mein Tu Dekhonga.'

 Whether it’s their inspirational lyrics, heart warming melodies or boyish charm –  the dynamic duo of Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood have floored audiences with their talent for more than 20 years. They remain a force to reckon with in Pakistani music and an inspiration to all aspiring musicians.

*originally written as a radio documentary aired on CityFM89