The Great Awards Bazaar
Not surprisingly, Junoon swept Indian music awards ceremonies across the country. They picked up the Best International Group title in 1998 and performed onstage with international icons like Sting and Def Leppard. They were nominated for the Best International Album for being the highest selling album in both Pakistan and India that year.

Junoon flew straight out of the frenzy in Delhi into the BBC Mega Mela, the largest Asian festival outside the subcontinent. Junoon closed the show on all three days of the Mela and performed at the star-studded BBC Asian Awards.

In March 1999, the Prime Minister of India, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, in a spirit of cross-border friendship, invited the band to perform at the anniversary of his government in Delhi. Travelling in the same gilded bus that Vajpayee had travelled cross-border to shake hands with Pakistan and sign the Lahore declaration, Junoon crossed the Wagah border from Lahore into India. In a very emotional performance before the Prime Minister, they performed the Jupiter hit, Dosti onstage with Indian supergroup, Silk Route.

To release their follow-up to the mega Azaadi, Junoon went down to the legendary home of the Beatles recordings, Abbey Road studios, London. Here they began to master the tracks that would make up the album, Parvaaz.

Junoon dedicated Parvaaz to the memory of the great Sufi poet, Bab Bulleh Shah who lived in Kasur in the 17^th century. The album taps the wealth of Bulleh Shahs poetry for lyrical inspiration. Salman Ahmad used the Sufiyana Kalam for the debut release, Bulleya. The punjabi poetry in this track is Bulleh Shahs translation of the verse of the world renowned Persian Sufi Rumi. The poets work really shines through on Ab to Jaag and Aleph.

Can a three hundred year old message work with rock music and have relevance to a subcontinent in the techno- throes of the year 2000?
If its Junoon, of course. While the albums lyrics remain rooted in tradition, musically, the bands new sound is contemporary and innovative. Fusing the rhythms of dholak and drums, Junoon creates other-worldly percussion threads that redefine the sound of pop. Thats because Salman Ahmad believed in the big sound he kept hearing in this head. "John, Brian and I really worked well to achieve the sonic picture," he says of his visionary arrangements. "I think weve been 80% successful in capturing it this time in the studio." For the talented Junoon, they say its the closest theyve ever come.

The quintessential Junoon sound remains though. Thats because they pulled out Azaadi producer, John Alec from New York to work on Parvaaz. "We were more professional in the studio," John-Alec says, "and there were fewer blackouts this time round in Lahore."

Ali Azmats vocals now have a new maturity, OConnells bass lines ring with assertion and Salmans guitar only climbs into new frenzies. Ali tried his hand at writing this time, with great success. "On Sajna, I was trying to get a completely new sound, something far removed from anything Junoon has done in the past. Recording Parvaaz was close to a spiritual experience for me; emotions ran very high, as we tried out best to get the perfect sound," Ali says.

All the band lent a hand. Bass guitarist, OConnell threw himself into production, "I love the super- impositions of the rhythms we have used, bringing the bass guitar and dhol together."

Theyve been called all the words between "Sufi Rock Stars" and "traitors". Theyve been banned in their own country while awards pour in from around the entire world. "We went through heaven, hell, heaven, hell in 1998. Our awards juxtaposed against the bans and media campaigns against us. But were all the better for it," Brian muses.

You can hear it in Parvaaz. Junoon spreads its wings way beyond their Azaadi fans. The support tour for Parvaaz will travel the US of A, the UK, the Middle East and theyre probably going back to new territories like Scandinavia where they recently had a few sell out concerts.

Junoon remain one of the most credible, influential and talented bands in the subcontinent. Theyre the rock in rock-steady. In the end, Salman Ahmads lyrics from the track Matti say it best

Take That had a swan song called 'Never Forget'. Junoon, of course, needs no such composition. Theyve only just begun to remember.