Saif Samejo

Saif Samejo is founder and lead vocalist of the most popular Pakistani Sufi/Folk/Rock band The Sketches.^[1] He was born on 23 January 1984. He speaks Sindhi, Urdu, Hindi, Siraiki and English.^[2] His Motherland Sindh has been the major inspiration of Saif Samejo that has been portrayed in his work. He is considered as the one of the most popular voices that gave a new birth to the departed old identity of Sindh and its Sufi poets as well as brought a soul in a long declining life of Sindhi media. He is the founder and producer of "Lahooti Live Sessions" a weekly activity where different musicians from Sindh gather at Samejo's place to play live music and later release them on social media.

In May 2014 he has opened the first music School in Hyderabad, Sindh named as "Lahooti Music Aashram".^[3]

Early life and Background

^[4]Saif Samejo was born on 23 January 1984 in twelfth largest city of Sindh Khairpur Mirs. The great mystic Sufi Sachal Sarmast came from this city and city known for the Shah Abdul Latif University named after a renowned Sufi poet of Sindh Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai. He is the first born of a family and eldest among two brothers and two sisters. He since the beginning has been very much attached to his mother whom he calls Ammi and at various occasions and platforms he praises and expresses his utmost love for her.

Saif lived at khairpur Mirs for ten years and completed his primary and secondary education. He then moved to Hyderabad where he passed his intermediate from a government College and did his bachelors in English Literature from University of Sindh. Back in childhood days Saif used to visit the Shrines of Sufi poets of Sindh with his Father and had attended large number of urs (Death anniversary of a Sufi saint in South Asia, usually held at the saint's shrine or tomb) where his attraction towards the Sufi poets and their messages was developed initially. Later on during his University days he met friends with common interests and influences of Sufi music that led to the incredible enthusiasm towards peace and harmony and the motivation for being original unified two friends Saif Samejo and Naeem Shah (Former Member) together in the band named "The Sketches".^[5]

The pinnacle that The Sketches have reached today is the result of a gruelling struggle and arduous work since 2003.^[6]

Career

In 2006, Saif joined Daily Kawish, a largest daily regional language newspaper and still works for the same as a marketing head. Achieving reputable position and appropriate job at earlier stage made life easy sailing to continue his passion to promote Sindhi language through music.

Music career

2003 – Present: Career Beginnings and Now

^[7] The story of Sketches’ inception goes back to 2003, when Saif Samejo and Naeem Shah (Former Member), English literature and fine arts students respectively, discovered their shared interest in music. Greatly inspired by the poetry of Sufi poets including Shah Latif and Sachal Sarmast, the duo decided to create their own band of Sufi rock fusion with the aim to re-introduce the richness of Sindhi ethnicity, love and appreciation for Sindhi poetry and folk tales, revival of traditional instruments and the indigenous music of the shrines and to produce quality work to sensitise the world in general and the youth in specific about the grace of Sindhi language through their soulful and melodious music. "Sindhi melody is very charming; there is enormous flexibility of words" says Saif Samejo.

Eventually their love for old folk stories and Sufi saints fused with their taste for music like that of Vital Signs and Junoon, leading to the formation of a new sound, "What we eventually created was a little different; our individuality is the developed taste of sufi and pop, a merger of East and West."

After working hard for a long period of almost nine years The Sketches released their debut album in February 2010 by the name of "Dastkari" meaning 'one's own creation' named out of love for what they had created. The album, that contains songs in Sindhi, Saraiki and Urdu, bursts with ballads, alternative rock, Sufi and folk. Sketches is not scared to experiment; their approach to combinations of different elements of music is simple: “We don’t have one genre,” Saif says, “Music is our genre.”

Contradictory to the trend, The Sketches always believed in “being original” and in the era of commercial music where other artists served as seasonal birds they remained unswerving and kept Sufi music alive. This is the foremost reason that within the first year ‘The Sketches’ was acknowledged by various front line magazines of Pakistan including Dawn, The News, Mag-the weekly, Hum say, Kawish and others. The band was reported in Pakistan’s biggest news channel Geo TV for promoting peace through their music video ‘Maujood’. Its remarkable contribution on ‘Raat’ (Folk tale of Sindh) was admitted internationally and they appeared on BBC-London(radio). The band’s ambitious and mature approach however did prove to be fruitful in form of a much sought in 2011 as they appeared in Coke Studio season 4, solidifying their status as legitimate and talented musical force. Samejo calls it the biggest achievement of the band in short time.^[8]

With a consistency The Sketches climbed up the ladder of success in not just parts of Sindh but the entire Pakistan with popular hits; Nind Nashe Vich, Rano, Raat, Main Sufi Hoon, Meena. Recently a new music album YOU (Sindhi: تون‎) ^[9] and a new song Jogi was launched.^[10]

National collaborations

Saif collaborated with Mai Dhai to present the original Rajasthani flavor of music besides this he also intended to collaborate with other artist through Lahooti Music Ashram.^[11]

International Collaborations

First ‘international collaboration’ of ‘The Sketches’ was with ‘Hollywood's’ music producer ‘Jono Manson’ who came to Pakistan for his project with The Sketches called ‘Khahori’.^[12]

^[13] The collaboration between The Sketches and Manson seems to signify a broader perspective, not just in terms of music. The collaboration displays unity. Despite ethnical and racial differences, both artist and group, come together to paint a positive picture, showing us that music can really connect people together even if they come from opposite ends of the world. In retrospect, The Sketches never lack originality, and neither do they sell their fans out to some other style of music, similar to Manson who has shown passion throughout his musical career. Like the songs in their album, The Sketches continue to do what they do best and retain their own style, which everyone seems to adore.^[14]

The Sketches release Music video of ‘Hum Sab Hain Yahan’ which is the theme song of ‘The Freedom Radio’ India on 6 July 2012, that captures the perfect essence of ‘Freedom Radio’ by highlighting the spirit of independence.

Upcoming album is the second International Collaboration of The Sketches with American Musicians. Tracks are recorded both in Sindh, Pakistan and Santa-Fe, United States and feature a guest appearance by Grammy Award winning Harmonica player John Popper.

Other Musical Initiatives & Projects

Lahooti Live Sessions

^[15] Lahooti Live Sessions launched by Saif Samejo in June 2013, is a weekly activity where different musicians from Sindh gather at Samejo's place to play live music.The audio and video of the performances is recorded and released on social media. Samejo himself is the front man of the Jamshoro-based rock band The Sketches, and the Lahooti Sessions are in the vein of something that he has wanted to do for a long time; cultural preservation in its most unadulterated form. Lahooti live sessions appears as a dream come true for him.^[16]

"This is how we like to spend our weekends in Jamshoro , significant yet melodious," says Samejo "The aim was not only to record these musicians, but to do so in the highest possible audio-visual quality so that they can be presented in an equally good manner on social media," Samejo adds.^[17]

Around 50 different folk musicians have been recorded and released as part of the Lahooti live sessions and most of them have never been exposed to the camera or the recording equipment before. Some prominent names include Mai Dhai, Zulfiqar Fakir, Arieb Azhar, band Bell, two Changg players from Thatta – Ali Mohammad and Feroz Roonjho, Manjhi Faqeer, Talib Talari, Mai Hanjoo and Mohammad Hassan.^[18]

Lahooti Music Aashram

^[19] The Lahooti School of music is an extension of the Lahooti Live Sessions that Saif started a year ago, with the intent of preserving indigenous instruments and instrumentalists. Lahooti music School named as Lahooti Music Aashram is the first proper music School in Hyderabad/Jamshoro inaugurated in May 2014.

The school offers a thirty-six-hour learning module in keyboards, guitars, bass guitars and drums amongst western instruments and chung, boreendo, shehnai, danbooro, sarangi, narr, sitar, flute and dholak/tabla,^[20] along with other percussion instruments closer to home. Later on the students who show interest in the field of music production will also be provided with studio facilities to harness their skills.^[21]

"Even if the school manages to produce 30 to 40 dedicated musicians over a decade, I'd be the happiest man on earth. These musicians are going to take the Lahooti thought forward and preserve Jamhsoro and of Sindh's original identity." – says Samejo.

Influences and Inspirations

Saif Samejo is a believer of a nature that holds within a message of peace and grace for each of us. Waves of river, singing of birds, touch of a wind, blow of leaves all inspire us towards balance, harmony, patience and contentment.

Secondly he is inspired by the treasure that by his land has gifted in the light of Sufi saints. Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sachal Sarmast, Shaikh Ayaz, Meeral Fakir, Hazrat Baba Bulla Shah, Allan Fakir, Sufi Sohrab Fakir, Abida Parveen are his biggest inspirations.

Peer recognition

Saif's talent has been praised by various famous personalities belonging to the music, arts and culture. Few of the popular names include Abida Parveen, Rohail Hyatt, Sassui Palijo.

Discography

• Dastkari (2009)

References

1. ↑ "Saif Samejo bio". Saif Samejo. 
2. ↑ "The Sketches". The Sketches. 
3. ↑ Mahmood, Rafay. "Music along the Indus: Jamming in Jamshoro". 
4. ↑ chakdey, Nitin. "Saif Samejo of The Sketches on combating extremism with music & keeping folk traditions alive". 
5. ↑ Mirani, Mansoor. "Saif Samejo - Indus Band". 
6. ↑ Tribe, Then News. "Be original, say The Sketches". 
7. ↑ Mughal, Danish. "Introducing the band Sketches". 
8. ↑ Mughal, Danish. "The Sketches confirmed for Coke Studio Season 4". 
9. ↑ "The Sketches album 'You' is a worth-taking journey from Jamshoro to New Mexico". The Express Tribune. April 22, 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016. 
10. ↑ "Did you know?: Jogi by The Sketches bags nomination at New Mexico Music Awards". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 10 May 2016. 
11. ↑ "The Sketches collaborate with Mai Dhai". The Express Tribune. September 23, 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2016. 
12. ↑ Junaid, Hina. "Redefining Fusion– An Interview With The Sketches & Jono Manson". 
13. ↑ Ullah, Faiz. "The Sketches Feat. Jono Manson – Khahori". 
14. ↑ Rehman, Att Ur. "National Protest disrupts Jono Manson's Pakistani Project". 
15. ↑ "Lahooti Live Sessions: Traditional music in its purest form". The Express Tribune. 
16. ↑ Mahmood, Rafay. "Lahooti Live Sessions: Traditional music in its purest form". 
17. ↑ Mahmood, Rafay. "Music along the Indus: Jamming in Jamshoro". 
18. ↑ Ansar, Hasan. "Exploring Sindh beyond the cliché of folk music". 
19. ↑ "Musicians: Surreal beginnings". The Express Tribune. 
20. ↑ "Resonance of heritage: Sindhi musicians willing to give away life for Sur". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 12 May 2016. 
21. ↑ "Music along the Indus: Jamming in Jamshoro". The Express Tribune.