He's So Cool, He's So Fine, Out of Ten I'd Give Him Nine!

Oh ho, HERO!

Atif Aslam and the gang are currently touring in North America (except for Mexico...."No es justo!" they're saying in Tijuana) and several of my janne-wale have seen him perform. By most accounts Atif is an underwhelming live singer but by all accounts he gets the crowd excited like no one. Pakistan has had pop-stars dating back to the late 80's who were trend setters and acts like Nusret Fateh Ali Khan and Junoon have reached a world stage, but within Pakistan and the South Asian community no individual has had an impact on pop-culture like Atif Aslam. Since the day Jal dropped Aadat all of Pakistan's middle class teenage boys wanted to be pop-stars. Even in the west Pakistanis and Indians want to be the next Atif Aslam (cough cough). It is amazing how many people purchased a guitar after Atif Aslam came out of the closet with his first song. His essstyle is mimicked all over the world making me excited about my trip to Pakistan because now I get to sport a faux hawk, wear my sister's jeans, and occasionally a paan stained wife beater and some short shorts without facing ridicule. I also get to hold hands with other men in public! At this point whether Atif is better than Jal (definitely not) or whether or not he can hold a candle to Strings (again, no) is irrelevant. He is Pakistan's first legitimate rock star. He's Elvis, he's Elton John Lennon, and dare I say it, he is a cowboy, on a steel horse he rides, he's wanted, WANTED! dead or alive.