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    Retro Vibes with In Time Band at Commune Artist Colony

    Written by: Sania Ahmed Khan
    Posted on: December 11, 2019 |

    In Time Band Playing for the Crowd

    Setting Commune Artist Colony as the destination on Google Maps, I left my house at 9pm on Saturday night to attend “Retro Vibes with In Time Band”. The organizers had promised a night of grooving and swinging to jazz music, and advised attendees to dress “western casual”. Expecting to arrive at a well-lit, hip club, you can imagine my surprise when the directions instead led me to old warehouses in the middle of Miskeen Gali.

    I had arrived at a residential area, whose residents (judging by the silence and darkness) had hit the hay many hours ago. My attention soon turned to a gate painted in colors of the Pakistani flag, which slid open to make way for a Toyota Landcruiser. I followed suit and entered a mini convention center, noticing murals of Allama Iqbal and Abdul Sattar Eidhi in the dim moonlight. A chirpy team member of the organizers, Crow’s Mind, matched the serial number on my ticket to her list on a clipboard, and showed me the way to a small hall. One look at the animated dance floor told me I had come to the right place.

    The Band Performing

    Organized by Crow’s Mind, a new arts collective founded in 2018 by Karachi-based Ali Diwan (Ion Audio Video) and Abid Merchant (Sanat Initiative), Retro Vibes--a yesteryear concert at Commune Artist Colony--was the first event in a series. Through the Crow's Mind programming, Ali and Abid aim to make opportunities for creative expression—not only for talented visual and performing artists, but also for Karachi’s art- and fun-lovers.

    Back in the 1960s, the music scene in Karachi was abuzz with so much talent. One very recognizable name was The Moonglows, the resident band at the Beach Luxury hotel, where Norman D’Souza served up the vocals and rhythm on guitars. After a long successful run, he parted ways with The Moonglows and was joined by Colin D’Souza, Charlie D’Souza, and Ronnie Rangel to form The Talismen. A valuable addition to The Talismen, was bass guitarist Johnny Miranda, who played a custom-made Höfner, the first violin-shaped bass guitar to be used in Karachi. At that time, the only other in use was on the other side of the globe by none other than Paul McCartney, during The Beatles’ heydays.

    The Moonglowers in 1960s Karachi (photo credits to LMKonline)

    The Talismen played at Beach Luxury as resident band for the 007 nightclub, covering genres of rock n’ roll, jazz and commercial pop music. Norman also played at the Metropole disco in the early 1970s as part of a new band called The InCrowd, before rejoining The Talismen on a tour of the Far East in 1974. This took him to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Bangkok.

    In Time Band Now

    Today, Norman plays various gigs with Maxwell Dias and Glenn Dcruze as part of the In Time Band. They are joined by Hillary Rodrigues, the grandson of the saxophone and violin maestro Alex Rodrigues. While keyboardist Clifford Lucas has been playing since 1984 (starting with his own band, Parent’s Problem), Rodney is the baby of the group, who just recently shifted from Heavy Metal to Jazz Music.

    Keyboardist Clifford Lucas

    With tickets priced at Rs. 2,000, there is no denying the fact that the event was intended for and accessible to a certain segment of society. The activity inside Commune offered a stark contrast to the cold, barren atmosphere of Miskeen Gali. It was certainly a sight to watch so many people still grooving to the old classics in modern day Karachi.

    Lead Norman D'Souza

    People were seen swaying to In Time’s rendition of Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, as well as making requests for hit songs of John Denver, Louis Armstrong, Stevie Wonder and Tom Jones. The band encouraged people to fill up the dance floor, and the young willingly responded to the request. Perhaps as a wild card, the band played “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins, which got everyone on their feet, for no one can escape the energy of this number.

    If you missed this, Crow’s Mind says that there is a Lollywood Night coming up!

    All Photo credits go to Tapu Javeri and the Crow’s Mind.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021