The long-standing Romanian guru of electronic dance music Edward Maya performed a show at Paragon City in Lahore on Friday.
Maya, the producer of some of the most widely played dance tracks, was joined by Farhad Humayun, veteran artist and a legend of the Pakistani rock scene, in one of the best collaborations the country has seen.
The concert was originally slated for January 27 but was delayed due to bad weather until February 3.
The concert venue was kept secret from everyone without passes. Entering the venue, one saw the well-lit stage set within the VIP enclosure.
Fans allowed into the enclosure waited patiently on the provided couches for the start, with Humayun slated to open the show. Non-VIP pass holders jostled to find some way to get closer to the stage.
After the sound check, Humayun stepped up to the mic and the audience cheered. Accompanied by his touring partners — guitarist Salman Albert of Entity Paradigm fame and producer/DJ Hassan Umar — Humayun immediately got the crowd excited and called for all audience members to be allowed into the VIP enclosure.
Starting off with some of his own hits, he also gave the audience a surprise, covering a diverse range of classic songs from both sides of the Pacific, such as his ever-popular hit Nairray Ah and Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall and Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger.
The best part about his covers was that Humayun and his band gave them a unique twist, integrating electronic beats and melodies into the performance, bringing it in line with the vibe of the night. He also gave the audience a taste of his renowned drumming skills, interspersing vocals with drum solos full of his signature gusto.
Humayun brought the curtain down on his final set; paving the way for Maya to take the stage after a brief intermission.
And so came the moment the crowd had been waiting for. Emerging from the smoke, outlined in shimmering spotlights, Maya took to the stage. He welcomed the crowd, thanking them for their presence. Then, with the audience waiting with bated breath, he launched into his performance.
Playing some of his greatest hits such as Desert Rain and This Is My Life, Maya got the audience dancing, while the giant background screen showed scenes of the crowd. It seemed like the audience was having the time of their lives, with people getting as close as possible to the stage, when suddenly it was all over. Maya gave a final flourish of his mixer and with a quick wave goodbye he was gone.
Speaking after his performance, Humayun spoke about Pakistan’s music scene. He emphasised his on-stage comment, when he remarked that the concert culture in Pakistan was in its death throes, explaining how it was the responsibility of the government to encourage live performances and support music culture, something that he felt they had failed miserably at.
He also lamented on how the lack of security in the country had discouraging the music scene. Humayun said that competent artists and performers were scattered across the country, making it difficult to bring them together for any large scale, high-quality event.
