'JAL' is the leading pop rock band in India.It originated form Lahore in Pakistan.Initially the band consisted to two members,Goher Mumtaz who was the song writer,lead guitarist and vocalist of the band and Atif Aslam who was the vocalist.The first song from them was "Aadat" which created a sensation everywhere topping all the local music charts.This song was recorded in Meekal Hasan's studio and was made freely available on internet and this song became very popular and was the most downloaded Pakistani song in 2002.
Due to some differences between them Atif Aslam left the band and Goher Mumtaz then recruited Farhan Saeed (on vocals)and Aamir Sheraz(on base guitar). With the new line up Jal came out with there debut album "Aadat" in 2004.This was the best selling album of that year.In 2007 the band came with another album "Boond"which topped several music charts in Asia.The band won "MTV Asia Award for Favorite Artist India" in 2006.
In the mean time Atif Aslam came with his debut album Jal Pari which included some songs from Jal's first studio album.This again lead to a conflict between the two and Goher took the matter into court.
In 2006 video of the song ''Ik Din Aayega"was declared as the second best video out of 100 selected by ARY Music channel.
In 2007 Jal struck a deal with Gibson Guitar Corporation for the first South Asian band in history to create working relationship with any guitar manufacturer.According to the contract Jal will exclusively use Gibson Guitars in concerts,Recordings and Music Videos.In return Gibson will sponsor various endeavors of the band and also provide concert halls and equipment as and when required.
About Goher Mumtaz(Coke Studio Profile)
In his teens, Jal’s lead guitarist and vocalist Goher Mumtaz sold his bike, bought a guitar and hid it under his bed. “Everybody in my family has PhD’s and are doctors, so they didn’t really understand my passion for music,” recalls Mumtaz now 29, “I’d wait for them to leave home so that I could practice.” One day, just before his Intermediate exams Mumtaz had an accident and broke his leg. Bed-ridden, he was stuck in his room for months, free to spend many hours a day alone with his guitar. This, he claims, was the turning point of his life.
The band Jal was formed in Lahore four years later in 2002, when Mumtaz, bursting with ideas, went hunting for artists who shared a similar approach to music. Initially the band consisted of Mumtaz and Atif Aslam, and the duo created their sensational debut song “Aadat”. Due to differences, they soon went their separate ways and Mumtaz started looking for a new vocalist. He met Farhan Saeed through a mutual friend and fellow musician, Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, and they instantly clicked. “We got a positive response with the new line up on our very first performance,” explains Mumtaz, “and the rest is history.”
Jal’s first album “Aadat” became an instantaneous hit, and their second album “Boondh” won the Lux Style Award for Album of the Year. The song “Sajni” from this album also won the Song and Video of the Year at the same ceremony, but the “proudest moment” for Mumtaz was when they won at the international MTV India Music Awards in 2006. “Winning in another country was an honor, especially because we felt like we represented the entire nation.”
