Contemporary Pakistani Music

It’s not all about Junoon anymore, if it ever was.

CNN ran this article several months ago about heavy metal in Pakistan, including some type of hip-hop dancing thing. Videos below:

Compare this view of music to what the Kominas deal with in their expression of punk (h/t Sepia Mutiny):

Of course, both sources have distinct narratives they need to tell. The truth of the popularity and acceptability of such music in Pakistan is somewhere in the middle. Although Junoon did lay the ground work, the increase in Islamist activity and thinking means that performing music remains problematic. I’m not sure what is says about “Western” music.