2013 was a year that I will remember for many good reasons and I wanted to share some of the experiences with you all. It began in January with our concert in the Mirpur Cricket stadium in Bangladesh where we performed in front of 40,000 fans for the opening ceremony at the BPL league. Over the years Ive enjoyed performing for the Bangladeshi fans but this time, what was more important, was the fact that the concert was televised live across the country. We were on the center of the cricket field itself and the fans had packed the stadium were surrounding us. I believe some people in remote villages of Bangladesh saw a music concert for the first time. Things like these make me glad. We need to introduce music to as many kids as we can, especially in our world regions. From Bangladesh to Denmark, the band and myself had fun performing at Tivoli gardens. It was a freezing cold evening in March, and with every breath I could almost touch the icy air in front of me, but once we hit the stage the audience warmed my heart and we had a great night. I look forward to return to Denmark someday. From Denmark to Dubai, and we played no less than 3 nights in pearl of the Middle East this year. Dubai is home for us and I was glad to share the WTC stage with Honey Singh, but the concert at Atlantis beach, beside the Arabian Sea against the backdrop of the Dubai skyline was my personal favorite. Open air concerts are always more appealing to me, because the voice travels across distances and does not bounce of the house walls. I feel more inspired performing at outdoor concerts and Atlantis was memorable. Equally, it was also great to play to a packed house at Domeland Chi the lodge in Dubai. As professional artists for me and my band, whether a concert arena or an intimate setting we give a full 1000%. I personally always look forward to interacting with my audience and exchanging my energy with theirs.... its a special connection I share with my fans who come for my concerts. Around this time, I made the biggest decision of my life, to start a new beautiful journey with my life partner, Sara. We got married in Lahore and I was glad to find some time to enjoy this special occasion with my family and close friends. I am blessed to have, in Sara, a constant source of positive energy in my life. Marriage life is great. I highly recommend it !! The 2013 UK tour was among the highlights of the year. London has a special place in my heart. It began with my concert at The Royal Albert Hall a few years back, followed by Wembley and then the 2012 concert at the O2 Arena. I love performing in England and over the years the audience always gives me such love and respect it makes me want to perform for hours on end. We played the O2 Arena again this year.... and thats an achievement for me and my team. To perform for the 2nd time in 12 months at this magnificent venue is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. You cant just walk into venues like the O2 Arena and simply just perform there. Many things must come together for such concerts to take dplace and to have done so twice, Alllah has been very kind to me. The response throughout the UK was tremendous. Manchester & Birmingham were great audiences to perform for. Later in the year I returned to London, where along with my band members, we had a very special experience recording at Real World Studios. This stunning music production estate created amidst nature by the genius musician Peter Gabriel, it was an inspiring experience for all of us. After working closely with Peter on The Reluctant Fundamentalist soundtrack, he is someone I have the highest regard for and feel proud to consider a friend. Peters support to my music is something I value deeply. There is so much to learn from such masters of the industry who have been through all the eras of music. It was definitely a privilege. Also with us at Real World was my friend from LA, Lanny Cordola who is another inspirational musician to work with. Along with the constant touring I was happy to see my studio projects doing well. Last week we were glad to discover that YouTube declared my song Jeene Laga Hoon as the most viewed song of the year online in Asia. The response to my other new songs, Rang Sharbaton Ka, especially when I play them in my concerts, is also very humbling and a great reward to all the people who work behind the scenes on the productions between Pakistan, India & Dubai. Touring continued extensively and we stopped over in Thailand for a brief tour before a one night only concert in Sydney at the Olympic Park Sports Arena. I love Australia and Im looking forward to a more extensive tour in the future. Finally we wrapped things up with another wonderful night in my favorite island, Mauritius! Year after year the lovely people of Mauritius keep calling me back... Theres something about Mauritius ....but you have to go there to find it out :) And here we are, a new beginning to take on all the challenges ahead of us. This year will mark 10 years since my debut album and Ive got a lot of surprises in store for all the aadeez & my well wishers. Every now and then all of u ask me about my album , So THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OF THIS YEAR WILL BE COMING YOUR WAY INSHALLAH. Take care of yourselves ...share the love & ill see you guys on the road ;) Atif
Posted on: Sun, 19 Jan 2014 09:28:57 +0000
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