PRESS RELEASE - Najam Sheraz in 2008

NAJAM SHERAZ: A Look Back at 2008

January - March

The year began with wrapping up production on our new CD Najam. Recorded in the UK under the direction of British producer Chris Eaton, it featured a fabulous roster of England's best musical talent: Dan Wheeler, Mark Edwards, Miles Bould, Matt Weeks, Collin, Paul Burton (aka Paulie Poppadom) and Natalie Williams. This is Najam's first record made in Europe. The fusion of eastern classical and western pop was a long fulfilled dream.

April

Our promotion schedule began in early April of this year with the launch of the new CD Najam on the FrankFinn label in India and Fire Records in Pakistan. That same month, the music video Khwabon Ke Rishtey was released, and became an instant hit and subject of much discussion in South Asia. We traveled on a five city tour of India and Najam's peace anthem Only Love was presented to thousands at the Olympic Torch Relay Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Games at Islamabad Stadium. Music India named him Artist of the Month.

May

There were numerous television and radio appearances on popular programs in May. B4U named Najam their Artist of the Month, and the Screen India article about Najam was published.

June

June saw us all over TV and radio airways in Pakistan for live appearances and MTV Pakistan named Najam their Coolest Artist of the Month. Beach View Park in Karachi was the site of a huge Najam Sheraz concert. We traveled to Hollywood to appear at the World Peace for Life Concert, where Najam became the first ever Pakistani to perform on stage at the LA Convention Center. His peace anthem Only Love drew a standing ovation. He then flew on to Thailand to film a video of Chairay Man Ke Taar on exotic Krabi Island, under the direction of Indian film director Shareen Mantari.

July

A concert tour of the UK took place in early July, and India's Channel V named Najam their Next Big Thing. 

 August

We were back in busy Bangkok to shoot the music video for Menu Tere Naal with Shareen Mantari. This video was shot high on top of a helipad in the city.

September

The Universal Peace Federation honored Najam with their Ambassador of Peace Award.

October

The Musik named Najam their PICKED Artist of the Month of October. The Carlton hosted our concert mid-month and Najam was interviewed on the popular Sahir Lodhi Show. Towards the end of the month we were back in the UK, where we were given a reception at the British Parliament's House of Lords by MP Minister David Lammy. Islam Channel’s talk show host Sajid Varda interviewed Najam for his Saturday Night Live program to be aired in 2009. London publication The Asian Today published their article about us, as well as PakStar Magazine in Canada. Najam performed at the annual Global Peace and Unity Event at London's Excel Centre, which was his fourth appearance. Here he introduced his first all-English nasheed Take Me Back to full capacity crowds of 21,000 for two concerts and gave an historic performance.

November

Still in Great Britain, we shot the music video for Ja Re Ja on location in Eastbourne, just south of London, led by British film director Bryan Thompson. Back home in Pakistan, Najam's latest music video Dil Tumhara Bhi Hae was released. It was his first English/Urdu duet and featured the vocals of lovely London Jazz singer Natalie Williams. The Musik aired a documentary about Najam as part of their PICKED Artist of the Month tribute. Najam made an appearance on the MTV special anniversary celebration. Late in the month he was in concert in Kolkata, India, which went on air live across the globe. The next day he appeared on Tara News, discussing the Mumbai incident and condemning terrorism.

December

This month there were several televised concerts in Pakistan, including a special tribute performance in honor of the late Benazir Bhutto. TV Southasia began airing their new reality series Southasian Super Star featuring Najam as a celebrity judge and guest performer. With contestants from several South Asian countries, it is a talent competition that focuses on music tearing down barriers of language and bridging often contentious cultures with the universal message of song. Currently we are gearing up for The 2009 Only Love Tour of Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Bulgaria, Italy, UK, US and Canada and have plans to launch the mega single Menu Tere Naal in India.

Janet Goodman – Publicist
Miami, Florida, USA

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