Ali Azmat, who became synonymous with Pakistani rock music after achieving massive success with Junoon, may be a household name today, but he revealed in an interview that no one in his extended family, except his parents, believed he could become a rock musician. Music, or indeed singing, was a passion worth pursuing.
“They all thought I should do something different,” the singer said on the TV show. Shan-e-Suhoor. “Probably a radio-TV mechanic or something. “None of them understood why they had to sing and dance professionally.”
Fortunately for countless Junoon fans across the country, such unsolicited advice and taunts fell on deaf ears, as did his teacher's words. “I was never a good student,” Azmat said, recalling his school days. “I barely passed the test, but when I think about it, I don’t think any of the kids know what they want to do.”
Even after joining local band Jupiter as a teenager and buying a motorcycle with the money he earned from performing, Azmat said he never set out to pursue music professionally in his life.
“I had no intention of doing this as a career,” Azmat said. “But he fell in love with music when he started singing. It was intoxicating. But my family thought I would be better suited as a mechanic. They never understood that there could be another job that would suit me.”
Azmat's addictive love for music made him ignore all doubts about the small amount of money coming in at the beginning of his career. “I never did this for the money,” Azmat recalled, echoing the sentiments of numerous successful musical acts before their careers brought them fame and critical acclaim.
Azmat's dedication, along with his passion for singing and his thirst to prove that he could never be more of a mechanic than a musician, led to the formation of Junoon, and the rest is history. Azmat's addictive love for music and his desire to prove to his family that he could succeed as a musician despite his family's opposition led to the formation of Junoon, and the rest is history. Over time, Azmat's Dadi's heart softened toward his chosen profession, and after accepting his success, Azmat recalled shedding tears over how far he had come.
“He said he saw me at a concert and doubted me for no reason!”
For Junoon fans, Azmat's spirit and determination to move forward despite the odds was probably the best thing that happened to the rock band scene in Pakistan.
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