The Lost Gems of the Pakistani Music Scene

Like any other country, Pakistan too, has produced several geniuses in various fields- most importantly, the music industry. It is, however, quite ironic and sad at the same time, that the same industry which produced legends like Nusrat Fateh Ali khan and Noor Jehan, now bemoans the dearth of talented, if not legendary, individuals who can at least breathe new life into its on-the-verge-of-dying soul.

This article is to throw light on some of the musical gems of Pakistan who revolutionized and dominated the music scene through out the world with their unprecedented talent and unchallenged skills.

Aziz Mian

The period 1970-1988 is often regarded as the "Golden Age Of Qawwali Music In Pakistan". Contrary to the popular belief, it was not Nusrat Fateh Ali who brought Pakistan on the forefront as the soil for best qawwals or qawwalis, but a little known gem known as, 'Aziz Mian'. 

Remember the sultry and sizzling song, "Mein Sharaabi", from the Indian flick, Cocktail, a song which we all went crazy for? Well, the man behind the song was none other than Aziz Mian who rocked the music scene with it when it was released in 1973. Surprisingly enough, it was not the song but the uniqueness of the style in which he sang and his powerful vocals that had an intoxicating effect on his audiences. A testing evidence to this is the fact that a cultural writer reviewing one such Aziz Mian concert in Karachi in 1975 described him as being ‘the Nietzschean Sufi!’ He is not just remembered as a qawwal but as a man who had enough guts to talk about his love for alcohol, which he believed to be a metaphor for the state and the love God had for him, even in the times of the reactionary military dictator Zia-ul-Haq, who had come with the mission of imposing his Islam, which included a complete prohibition of alcohol. His concerts were often raided by the police during the dictator's regime for finding people in a state of unconsciousness, to the extent that Aziz, given his witty and stubborn nature, began making a joke out of this by telling the audiences to remain calm as the police would arrest him and not them, when he wrapped up his concerts with the ever popular, Mein Sharaabi. Ironically, yet sadly, it was his immense love for alcohol that eventually took his own life when he died in 2000 as a result of liver cancer, caused by excessive drinking.

Nazia Hassan

In 1979, a fifteen year old, extremely young and talented, British born Pakistani became the youngest and the first ever Pakistani to win the Indian equivalent of the Oscar- A Filmfare Award. It was the one and only Nazia Hassan, who had rocked the Indian music industry with her song, Aap Jaisa Koi,  a track pictured by the alluring and highly popular film actress, Parveen Babi. 'She came, she saw, she conquered' is what perfectly describes Nazia Hassan when she arrived in the music scene in early 1980's. She left her Indian fans craving for more with Aap Jaisa Koi, until she came back with a bang in 1982, with the release of her album, Star, the songs of which were used in an Indian movie with the same name. The chartbuster of this album was 'Boom Boom' , that was recently remade by Nescafe Basement as well. With just one single and and album down the lane, Nazia had already rocked the world with her melodious voice. She was the one who gave birth to pop music in South Asia with her songs. Disco Deewaane (1983), Young Tarang (1984) and Hotline (1987) , were all the albums she released in the following years. Ankhein Milaane Waale, Disco Dewaane, Dum Dum Dee Dee, Telehone piyar were all big hits off of these albums. Surprisingly they topped the charts in Russia, Poland, Latin America and West Indies as well! Such was the precedent of the popularity and fame of Nazia! Sadly, she left the music world in 1991 with the release of her last album Camera. Just two years later she was diagnosed with cancer, that eventually took her life and the graceful soul departed from this world on 15 August 1997.

Junaid Jamshed

Now this is one individual who is very much alive and still enjoys the same status and popularity that he did two decades ago, but he is a lost musical gem in a sense that he isolated himself from the glamorous world of music and shifted to being a business man and religious scholar ( a job he has so far done very carelessly indeed).

JJ joined the Vital Signs in 1987 when he was still an engineering student at a college in Lahore. His voice and sense of melody were two of the leading reasons behind the Signs' meteoritic rise between 1988 till the group’s demise in 1997. He was also an incurable romantic. Though most of his band mates had a series of flings with a host of women, in 1989 Junaid got embroiled in a torrid affair that pushed him on the brink of suffering a nervous breakdown. Though not noticed much at the time, even during the height of the Signs’ fame in 1994-95, JJ had already started his gradual flip towards a state of mind that would eventually land him as becoming the puritanical Tableeghi Jamaat’s poster boy. 

Soon after the release of the Signs’ fourth album, Hum Tum, in 1995, Junaid started to mail letters to various newspapers complaining that their music pages were promoting and glorifying “druggie music” and bands whose members were “Satan worshippers.” Though by then his two closest allies in the music business, Rohail and Shoaib, had become aware of the growing conservatism in the religious and social ideas held by Junaid, they still couldn’t see through the obvious fact that in front of them was a man spiralling downwards towards a situation in which he would ultimately start questioning their faith! The mid and late 1990s was also a time when a number of Islamic evangelical outfits had begun to mushroom in all the major cities of Pakistan. They almost squarely targeted young middle-class urbanites as recruits and for this they began to ‘covert’ and conscript famous personalities from the Pakistan cricket team and the show-biz scene. Though the Tableeghi Jamaat was far more established, it was in the 1990s that they began to approach young urbanites that were associated with cricket, show business and the military. J

unaid’s conversion into becoming a Tableeghi Jamaat man was not sudden. It was a gradual, slow and rather painful process, unfolding piece by piece. He was the hungriest for success and stardom in the band, not only in pop music but also in film and television. He is on record saying that music was his life as he went on to release two impressive post-Signs' solo albums.  This made him one of the hardest working members of the group and he actually wanted to continue recording with the band beyond Hum Tum (the Signs’ last album). But more and more he was falling prey (rather willingly) to his frustrations, as his desire to work again with the Signs got no serious response from Rohail and his dream to star in a Shoaib Manoor film only got him lazy chuckles from the director.

 In spite of the fact that Rohail’s liberal mindset, tastes and lifestyle always clashed with Junaid’s idea of being an artiste (even though he himself was leading a rather posh and lavish life), this undercurrent eventually turned into open resentment by the time Rohail did come around and agreed to reform the band in 2002 for a special Nazia Hassan tribute concert. It was interesting to note how Junaid responded to Rohail’s call. Only a few days prior to the concert, Junaid had already announced to the press that he was joining the Jamaat full time and would quit making music. In fact he had been spending his time preaching and being preached at a congregation in Raiwind when he suddenly reappeared on the day of the concert flanked by two members of the Jamaat but with his long, flowing beard (that he had begun to sport from 2001 onwards) now trimmed into a neat, stylish goatee. When asked by the press about his earlier statement regarding his retirement from music (and that ‘music was unIslamic’), Junaid said that after consulting with some elders in the Jamaat, he has been assured that there was nothing wrong with playing music. Wearing a T-shirt, denims and with a stylised goatee, Junaid played an excellent set with Rohail, Shahzad and the original VS guitarist, Salman Ahmed. However, at the end of the concert he looked anguished as he started making his way towards his two Tableeghi comrades waiting in the wings to gather him back. Then he refused the lead role in Shoaib Mansoor’s 2007 film, ‘Khuda Kay Leeay.’ He publicly criticised the way Mansoor portrayed jihadis and Islamic evangelists in the film, saying that it is Shoaib who is confusing the youth about Islam and not him. 

But, of course, Junaid’s own confusion regarding the subject is now well documented and his lectures and statements never fail to sound contradictory as he goes about denouncing the material and the ungodly nature of music and showbiz, but continues his long-standing stint as an expensive clothes’ designer and a naat-reciter. He released his naat albums through exactly the same immoral promotional and distribution channels used by his pop music counterparts. After finally deciding to let go of his need for fame and attention through music, he has ironically found almost an equal amount of fame and fortune as a naatkhuaan, televangelist and designer.

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Humara Karachi, Humara Pakistan

Despite all that we have gone through, we karachiites haven't let it affect us. True, we've become indifferent. At the same time, however, we've shown the world: you can't shut us down. We all know how unsafe our city is; we all know we are likely to die any second due to a bomb attack; but guess what? We've still come out strong. Even today, the people of Karachi spend nights on the streets, living their lives to the fullest. While some youngsters play football (the most played sport since FIFA began), other elders have a little chat at a nearby dhabba. Lyari; the place no one ever wants to go, has people watching World Cup matches on the streets. The world can try to tame us, but they'll always be in vain. Because we're still alive, our hearts are still beating, and till the day they stop, we will fight for our country. We will stand back up every time someone pushes us down.

While the whole world has labeled our country as not being safe, we prove to them, that they have underestimated us. Just visit the famous Burns Road one night, and you'll see what I'm talking about.  Every other nation might be out to get us but we're not scared. We still spend our nights at different food stalls having biryani or the country's favorite nihari. Because despite all the threats, we know where we stand. We've got something not many people have. We have a heart that beats as one. We might look divided, but we are united. And that's important.

Because even if they kill us all, they can't kill our good intentions. Our previous generations didn't quite make a difference, but you know what? We're trying. We want to play our part and we aren't scared. They can bomb us, they can raid us, but one thing they can't take away: our jazba. We are working as one, to show them all that, true, we aren't the most stable nation in the world, but why on earth does that mean we can't live the way everyone else does? Why does that mean we can't be as successful as other nations?

Poverty plagues us, illiteracy erodes us, but like I said, we are trying. We might fail once, twice, maybe even thrice, but the best thing is: we learn from our mistakes. Don't take us lightly, world. We might not look strong, but you just don't know us yet. Silent, we might be. But who told you silence means we're sleeping? Beware, because we are awake, and we are planning. Soon, there'll be fireworks, something big is coming, and the world better watch out for it.

By Khudayja Makda 

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Walking Through the Streets of Taksim

 

I am the kind of person who enjoys walking aimlessly on the streets. Too bad I don’t do that very often in Karachi because the life of an A-Level student demands a bit too much in very limited time, but whenever I visit another city, the best way I choose to explore it is by walking on its streets. Be it a small village in Kenya, the downtown of Kuala Lumpur, the alleys of Bur-Dubai or the Holy city of Makkah, I’ve done it everywhere. Walking around is perhaps the best way to feel the spirit of the city you are visiting, for it allows you closer contact with the lifestyle and traditions of the people. And being a person who loves to explore new cultures and communities, this exercise has always been very fruitful to me.

 I landed at Atta Turk International Airport on New Year’s Eve of 2013. Little did I know that my four day visit to Istanbul would be one of the best vacations of my life.

My hotel was in the heart of Istanbul known as Taksim, a place not only popular for being one of the major tourist spots in the city but also the main center for all mass political processions. Its streets were always crowded with people, both locals and visitors. The hotels ranging from three stars to five stars were always occupied and the restaurant serving both street and fine dine menu produced an aroma that grasped every passerby’s attention. While walking on Takism, you could always smell the scent of Turkish sheesha from every corner of its alleys. You could see people wearing from the most modest to the highest form of high street fashion clothing. You could see men brewing chaiye or making fresh showarmas and hamburgers for pedestrians. And every now and then, you can observe a policeman walking around Taksim Square, keeping a sharp eye on the pickpockets.

My journey to explore this wonderful city begins from Takism. Walking on the perfectly bricked pavements with buildings portraying traditional European architecture with Turk Cell advertisements hanging on them every now and then, there is a lot to the city that is to be learnt about and explored.  What makes Istanbul one of the greatest cities in the world is that it lies in both Europe and Asia. Thus, the city is a blend of different cultures living together and hence at each corner of the city, you go through an entirely different experience. Its large population comprising of different cultures, classes and faiths is perhaps one of Istanbul’s key factor in making it feel very much alive.

Tourism is one of the largest industries in Turkey and cities such as Istanbul are usually crowded with tourists from all parts of the world nearly all year around. Thus, the city is beefed up with tourist spots and it has something to offer for everyone. Take a cab and go straight to Sultan Ahmett Camii (Blue Mosque) and be awestruck by its amazing architecture and beauty. Or take the metro to Hagia Sophia museum, a church which is also a mosque and dive into the history of Romans and Ottomons. 

Late in the afternoon, take a ferry to Princess Islands while feeding sea-gulls on your way and simply relax there till late in the evening at the famous pollution-free island by roaming around on a bicycle or a horse-cart. Smell the sweet scent of flowers and grass on the island and for a few minutes, sit back on the rocks and observe the sounds of the waves hitting the island shore.

The night life at Istanbul is pretty fascinating as well. One can shop till they drop at the Istekhlal street or simply enjoy themselves at any of the late night Turkish dance shows. Or one can explore the Turkish sufi culture by visiting a Seema ceremony of the whirling dervishes. But what’s best out of them all is perhaps a cup of chaiye at street view restaurant. The chaiye isn’t the traditional milk/black tea but is in fact a kahva made of tea leaves that tastes like green tea, or perhaps even better. In my view, there’s nothing better than a cup of chaiye on a very cold Istanbul night with Turkish music in the background.

Observe and you’ll discover that Istanbul is a city that comprises of many hilly islands connected together with huge magnificent bridges. Each bridge tells its own story too for on either sides of the bridge exists an entirely different culture and community. There is a great similarity between its streets and its mosques, for both have layers in them. The streets of Istanbul like on any hilly island are constructed in perfect layers placed on top of each other, just like the domes of its mosques are, both representing fine architecture.

As my four day journey to this magnificent city was drawing to an end, I decided to take one last stroll to see as much as I could from my surroundings. And I’m glad I took one, for it was on this day I learnt a great deal from this city. I remember crossing by a night club full of people of both sexes wearing western attire, drinking and dancing next to each other. And right next to the club was a small tea house with chairs and tables on the pavement occupied by a group of women wearing the Islamic hijab in the most modest way, sipping chaiye and chatting away with each other. And I was surprised how neither side complained against one another, nor were they bothered what was happening on the other end. It was the element of co-existence in the Turkish people that won my heart. 

Despite the greatest amount of diversity one can ever see in a metropolitan city, the people of this city live together in perfect harmony, peacefully supporting each other in making sure Istanbul remains one of the greatest city in the world.

Perhaps Napoleon Bonaparte was right when he said, “If the earth was a single state, Istanbul would be its capital.” And truly he meant it when he said that.

PICTURED BELOW are some more photographs taken by Zeeshan

By Zeeshan Hasan Khan 

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THE NEW SEVEN DEADLY SINS

Ladies and gentlemen- THINGS HAVE CHANGED! Gone are the days when honesty was considered the best policy and selflessness was a golden quality. In this era, if your head is not held high with pride, you are stamped with low self esteem; if a business is not run with greed, it will never reach the top, without envy, one will never strive to be superior, ambition as they call it.

I would like to propose the new seven deadly sins, a new amendment, a new history, a new world order! So let's begin.

Deadly sin numero uno: Contentment. If you're happy with who you are and what you have, you will never yearn to be the ace. Without the hunger to improve, my friend, we're as good as dead.

Number two: Humanism. Yes, we are human, but that in no shape or form justifies us being humane! This is a dog eat dog world and if we start tending to every fallen soldier or say starving child, we'll be eaten ourselves! Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Mortal sin number three: Hard work. A wise man once said "work smart, not hard." working hard leaves one tired and with less ‘me’ time. An even wiser woman, Aunty Acid said "Don't take life too seriously, you won't make it out alive anyway."

Deadly sin number four: Tension. Just relax! World hunger? So what? Oil crisis? Pshhhh! Let the 'higher power' deal with it. The only thing stress brings is high blood pressure. You do remember that's how Mumbaz bhai died, right? The poor guy got married. This brings us down to the most horrendous sin of all, number five.

Love: You fall in love and boom, you're a goner. Seriously, folks, love, sins and death are very closely associated. Romeo, poor, naïve kid, fell in love at the tender age of sixteen and had to take poison because he couldn't take Juilet’s  endless rants about how brave Tybalt had been. Love- just DON'T do it!

Sudden death number six: Forgiveness. When you bestow your mercy upon someone, really you're just handing them a loaded gun with a smile on your face. Compassion, I say, is only in the Lord's capacity. Let's leave the tough stunts to the professionals, shall we?

And last but not least, I present to you the seventh deadly sin! The LACK of lust. Now, I can already feel the smiles playing on your lips, sorry to disappoint you but I mean the lust for power. If we didn't have  power hungry people in the world, how would we be blessed with stupendous leaders like C C Patal and good ol' Hitler?

You see, ladies and gentlemen, the world is evolving, we are no longer cavemen using the barter system, the laws of living are no longer to have a conscience. In fact, if you still have one of those, you should probably toss that bad boy out before you enter the real world. Because everyone knows, dishonesty is the best policy.

By: Shaza Malik

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LET'S TALK ABOUT IMRAN KHAN

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan called for widespread civil disobedience in Pakistan, urging supporters to stop paying taxes and utility bills in a bid to oust the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.  The populist politician also raised the stakes- in a speech following a third day of protests in Islamabad, he warned that after two more days he would no longer be able to stop his supporters from storming the prime minister's house.

Today, as I write this article, PTI and PAT supporters have entered the red zone and are staging a sit-in in front of the parliament in Islamabad, while supporters here in Karachi protest near my house. I can hear slogans such as “Naya Pakistan” and “Go Nawaz Go” which frankly speaking have become so over used and clichéd, that they've almost lost their meaning.

Imran Khan, in this situation, is a perfect example of an immature stubborn child with an extremely huge ego. What makes me laugh is the fact that he thinks he has over 1 lakh supporters in the ‘inquilab march’ with him, which is obviously ridiculously over estimated. He came into the political scene with such a boom, but he absolutely failed to deliver. I used to be an Imran Khan supporter but during the past few months, I feel  let down and disappointed. He can’t even seem to deliver a decent speech at his rally, going on for about 2 hours when he announced his ‘civil disobedience’ campaign, as if purposefully trying to drown in the lack of purpose in jargon.

He talks about fairness and ‘true democracy’ in this country, demanding re-elections in every province except KPK where he won the most seats. That just goes to show the double standards of this country’s politicians, who manipulate people for their own personal gain, and hide between slogans of ‘revolution’ and ‘change’. 

Tonight, as all of Pakistan sits glued to their television sets, watching what happens next, I pray that some sense is knocked into PTI and they decide to take up the government’s offer for dialogue; or else it’s highly possible that we’ll see a battle between the supporters and the 30,000 security forces deployed to protect the PM house.

 By: Sana Ahmad 

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THE IFTARI DIARIES: TGI FRIDAYS

                                         I've had better Fridays

Okay- let’s talk about TGI Fridays. A place I’m pretty sure a lot of you have already been to, but maybe not for iftari. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered in that department. Frankly, I was extremely surprised to see the restaurant fuller than dolmen mall a day before Eid when I went there and a little bit grateful that my friends had saved a seat for me. That, and the fact that I travelled via rickshaw (darn those petrol-run ones, cost me a packet), all added to a combined 20 minutes of waiting time AFTER the fast had been opened until I got my food. I can’t really blame them there.

They served a complimentary green chili platter covered in fried golden-brown breadcrumbs and a dip on every table, and ours was no different. They were absolutely delightful at the time, maybe because I was extremely hungry or simply because they weren’t half bad, but too many of those gave me a headache. Don’t let the word chili fool you-  they seemed like a poor excuse for chilies since they were not spicy at all. In fact, if you closed your eyes and ate them, you couldn’t tell them apart from soy beans. So the verdict on the starter would be a 7 out of 10- mainly because of the dip, and because they were free.

During  the twenty agonizing minutes of waiting for my “blackened chicken Alfredo” I took the occasional nibble from my friends’ plates to review them here to give you all a more detailed review of TGI Fridays (once again, you’re welcome). So I tasted the chicken fillet with white sauce and the chicken was very hard, as if I was cutting through a beef steak. However, the outside was crispy, the chicken inside pleasantly moist even though the dish seemed to be unevenly balanced. Since I have tried many chicken fillets that have tasted better, that too at lower prices- maybe a 6 out of 10. Next up was a very  good looking cheese burger- like art on a plate. If only it was as good on the inside as it was on the outside. Like a supermodel with a horrible personality. The beef was dry and bland, and cost a whopping 890 rupees roughly. So I’d rate the burger a solid 5.5 on a scale of 1-10. Burger lovers, there’s a Burger King right next door- I’d advise you to take that route if you’re in a particularly burgery mood.

Now for the dish I actually ordered for myself. Along with the pasta I ordered an electric lemonade as it looked gorgeous on the menu card. Right from the first sip I regretted ordering the blue monstrosity. It had the remnants of lemons, with actual lemons and pineapple chunks bobbling inside of it. Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, there were actual pineapples, in a lemonade. Having dragged myself half way through the very expensive (R.s 275) lemonade I had to request one of the waiters to put it through a blender so  the residue would be gone and only the juice would be left. He obliged and came back with a full glass of clear blue lemonade. He refilled the damn thing. It tasted the same although much easier to drink without the particles getting stuck in the straw. Being the Memon I am, I still completed the lemonade 70% through. Oh how I regretted not ordering a coke. Out of ten? I’d give it a 1.5. With it came my pasta: the plate housed a hefty amount of white spaghetti drenched in creamy white sauce. It tasted decent. Like how I’d expect  pasta to taste. Nothing that blew my mind away. But they ruined the essence of the extremely Italian dish by putting in diced tomatoes which should never be used in fettuccine. They ruined the essence of the Alfredo but the richness of the sauce and the nicely charred texture of the chicken made a nice dish altogether, both presentation and taste wise. Like its complimentary brother, it scored a 7.

For dessert we ordered a brownie with a scoop of ice cream on top. I wasn’t the one who placed the order thus I didn’t catch the name. It was the winner of the day as the ratio of ice cream to brownie was just about right and the coldness of the ice-cream juxtaposing the warmth of the brownie made a nice array of flavors melting in my mouth. The two complemented each other nicely. This also scored the most popular rating which is (you guessed it) a 7.

 This is what TGI Friday’s has to offer. For me, not something to get too excited about, and not a bad place to go to if you’re in the mood to have something different. Located in boat basin, TGI Fridays is just about your average Joe’s. In there it’s always Friday, but for me, it wasn’t. For you, maybe it will be. You’ll be the judge of that. Do try it and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Happy eating!

By: Mujtaba Khalid

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WITH GOODSIES - AN INTERVIEW

Uzma Saeed, founder and owner of Goodsies, a home run bakery of sorts, sat down with two of Nixor Media's writers to discuss her approach towards the business, further aspirations and what keeps her motivated. 

Q1. Goodsies. It's a name that's cute and warm. What's the inspiration behind its uniqueness?

A lot of people don't know this, but Goodsie is my nickname; a lot of people from my family call me Goods or Goodsie. I wanted to start a page, and I didn't want to use my name, because then it would've been Uzma's Cakes or something, and there are actually quite a few Uzma's who are in this business. I thought, why not Goodsies?

Q2. What kind of reception have you gotten? Do people like the name, or do you think people would prefer that you use your own name?

No, I think people prefer this. It's a brand name, and that's what I was after. I do have issues with people not pronouncing it right. A lot of people call it Goodies! But otherwise, I'm happy with it.

Q3. Cupcakes-  really a unique field to choose as a passion.  What was it that made you want to choose this career? 

I've been into baking all of my life. Since I was eight or nine I helped my mother; an expert baker, by the way. She conducts cooking classes, has written a cook book and goes on TV shows. So my mother is definitely my inspiration.

I've always been into baking rather than cooking. I still, to date, haven't made daal, biryani, qeema and things like that. I make Italian, Chinese, pizza - anything baked. I love baking. I used to make cakes for my children every year for their birthdays, and I used to get great feedback. Things like 'This is better than the best bakery cake we've had ever'.  So I thought 'Why not? I'll just start a Facebook page and see how it goes.'. So I did, and one order led to another. People liked it.

One thing a lot of people have said is that they order from many places, but what they like about my cakes is that they don't just look good, they taste good, too. For me, taste and looks go hand in hand. I mean, how long can you just look at a cake and admire it? You have to enjoy the taste also. It can look amazing, but if it tastes bad, people won't come back to me for another order.

Q4. So with things like sheet buttercookies with coloured icing and double chocolate caramel cupcakes that look like pieces of art, what is your typical approach to the cake making process?

Well, most of the time, people are very specific about what design they want on their cupcakes, so for those orders I make it exactly the way they want it.

Others just tell me it's an anniversary cake and then leave the rest to me. That's what I like.  It gets my creative juices flowing, and that I can have this and that. I might try and deliver on something special about that couple, or maybe try and copy them onto the cupcake.

I love creative freedom. My perfect order would be 'Make me an amazing cake. I'm leaving the design up to you. It's for a this-year-old's birthday'.

Q5. So they give you an empty canvas and leave the rest up to you?

Yeah, it’s like an empty canvas. I actually do love painting on cakes, and literally as well, because I have an art background. I studied at Parsons School of Design.  I studied graphic design. I’m a graphic designer. I worked before I got married, and for a little while after. But when I had my kids I thought that working full time just wouldn’t work out. I needed to be home.

My business actually suits me very well. I’m in my comfort zone. I’m working from home. If I have commitments, I can not take orders for that day.

Q6. So speaking of this comfort zone, we all know you are a wonderful mother and a phenomenal chef. So how do you manage to balance these very different aspects of your life? What’s the secret recipe for making it all come together?

Family comes first. Always. Which is why I’m not taking any orders in Ramadan. I’m heavily booked for Eid and afterwards as well, but not now. My kids are home, and they don’t want to see their mom dedicated to baking all day while they’re fasting. Family comes first and after that everything falls into place. My family is number one and then baking comes at number two.

Q7. So when you have so many flavors, do you feel likes some flavors get more preference than others? What do you think would be you most popular flavor?

Well, I’ve experimented a lot. When I started out I had the basic flavors like chocolate fudge, red velvet, vanilla. Some people said they wanted nuts, so I added caramel walnut and banana walnut, but it was a select few who wanted that. For the majority of people I would say the most popular flavor would be caramel chocolate and vanilla caramel. For people who don’t like it too chocolatey, it’s a vanilla base with a layer of caramel and cream cheese.

Red velvet really was a craze at one time. A lot of people were going for red velvet. One thing I really don’t like about red velvet is the artificial coloring. Although all my flavors, essences and chocolate are from abroad, artificial color and flavor isn't really such a great idea for a cake base.

Q8. What’s the strangest or most difficult order that you have made to date?

There was one order for a Lego Star Wars © themed cake. When I googled it and saw the picture, I was regretting why I took that order in the first place. It was one of the most mind-boggling designs that I’ve had to work with, because of all the lego pieces. In a cake you can’t go into too much detail, because if I had made an actual replica of that it would have taken me a week. There are time constraints that I have to work with. I can’t take 12 hours on one cake.

That said, I’m a detailed oriented person. I like to deliver. I like to give a properly detailed cake, with nothing rough or unfinished. I myself wouldn’t feel good about it.

Another issue is the weather in Karachi. It’s not good for fondant cake. I have to have the air conditioner on 24/7 while I’m working on the cake. If I don’t have it on, the cake starts to melt -- it starts to sweat, and starts to get a wet finish on the outside.

In the summer I dread making fondant cakes, especially if there are power outages. The other day I was working on a three tier cake. Everything was done, and I was waiting for it to set, and then the power went out. No AC. These things are really nerve-wracking for a baker. I have had to cancel orders because there was no power. I need electricity to run my machines. I can’t make the dough and everything else by hand. If there’s a long power outage, sorry, I can’t make your order.

Q9. In recent months, the food industry in Pakistan has boomed. Have you ever considered appearing on shows like Masterchef Pakistan and showcasing your talent to the rest of Pakistan?

I was asked once to come on a cooking show to demonstrate cake-decorating techniques, but coming on TV doesn’t fancy me. I’m a private person; I don’t want to be on television. I prefer it at home. Like I said, I’m in my comfort zone.

Q10. Where do you see yourself and your business 10 years from now?

I can’t really see myself ten years from now, but I do see myself expanding. I see myself hiring more people. Right now this is a one woman show. I do everything from baking to decorating and everything else, which is why I take very limited orders. The main complaint I constantly hear from my clients is that I’m always booked. They always have to order two or three weeks in advance. So yes, I need some hired help.

As far as an outlet is concerned, I don’t see that in the near future, quite frankly, because I like the personal touches on my cakes. I’m a perfectionist for the taste and the decor, and if I do this on a commercial basis I think somewhere along the line something will suffer.

Q11. So you think that going all out commercial would result in Goodsies losing what is special about it and its true essence?

Yes. I want to bake and decorate the cakes myself. For other things I can have hired help do, like help me with some aspects of decoration, but everything else I need to do myself.  I guess I’m a control freak that way, because I need to have control over quality.

Q12. For people who are starting their own businesses and trying to pursue their dreams, what advice would you give them?

No matter what you do, you have to give it your 101%. That is my advice for anyone who wants to make it in their career. You can’t be laid back and say ‘I’ll give it 50% and then things will fall into place.’. There are no shortcuts and no easy way to success. People who think that success comes easy are absolutely wrong. It is actually a lot sweat and hard work to achieve anything.

By: Adeel Pasha and Humza Hemani

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