Duur (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

: دور, literal English translation: "far") is the third album by the Pakistani pop band

Strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

, first released on 21 January 2000 and then re-released on 1 January 2002. Singles from the album were ''Duur'', ''Anjane'', and ''Aankhain''. The album was a result of the band's comeback into the Pakistani pop scene after a

hiatus Hiatus may refer to: * Hiatus (anatomy), a natural fissure in a structure * Hiatus (stratigraphy), a discontinuity in the age of strata in stratigraphy *''Hiatus'', a genus of picture-winged flies with sole member species '' Hiatus fulvipes'' * G ...

of eight years. Originally a quartet, the band decided to continue with only two of its former members. The album was poetically named ‘''duur''’ meaning ‘''far''’ in

to depict their journey restarted, towards a goal that they see from afar.

Background

Strings began as a quartet led by

Faisal Kapadia Faisal Kapadia () is a Pakistani musician, Musical composition, composer, singer-songwriter, and a guitarist. He is best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of rock music band Strings (band), Strings. After dissolution of Strings band ...

and

Bilal Maqsood Bilal Maqsood () is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, composer, music video director and painter, better known for being a founding member of the pop-rock band Strings (1988–2021). Early life and education Bilal Maqsood is the son of the popula ...

, accompanied by Rafiq Wazir Ali and Kareem Bashir Bhoy. The four disbanded in 1992 to continue their studies. While Kapadia went to

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

to continue business studies, Maqsood joined an art school and later joined an advertising agency as an art director. Upon his return from the USA, Kapadia joined Maqsood at the firm he was working at. Maqsood had sold his guitar and thoughts of getting into music occasionally crossed his mind. It was when Maqsood composed a tune for a song humming the word ''duur'' with it that Kapadia realised they should reform the band. Both had married, both had jobs. Kapadia even had a family business. Leaving all to satisfy their passion for music was hard. Upon consultation amongst themselves and friends from the music industry, especially

Rohail Hyatt Rohail Hyatt (Urdu: روحیل حیات) is a Pakistani record producer, keyboardist, and composer. As a record producer, Hyatt is largely credited with pioneering Pakistani pop rock music by incorporating western rock and pop influences. In ...

of the band

Vital Signs Vital signs (also known as vitals) are a group of the four to six most crucial medical signs that indicate the status of the body's vital (life-sustaining) functions. These measurements are taken to help assess the general physical health of ...

, the two re-formed the band. They tried to approach Rafiq and Kareem but they declined as they had settled well in their new lives. Thus the band was reincarnated and Maqsood asked his good friend Jamshed Mehmood to direct a video for their first song, ''Duur''. By mid-2000, the song hit the airwaves and became an instant hit with fans.

Track listing

All songs are written by

Anwar Maqsood Anwar Maqsood Hameedi (born 7 September 1939; ), popularly known as Anwar Maqsood, is a Pakistani scriptwriter, television presenter, satirist, humorist, and infrequent actor. He is well known for his drama write-ups for PTV in the late 1970 ...

except those mentioned below. All songs are composed by

Personnel

All information is taken from the CD. ;Strings: * Faisal Kapadia:

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

* Bilal Maqsood:

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

;Additional musicians * Vocals: Mikail Maqsood (Duur Reprise) * Flute: Rahat * Guitars:

Shallum Asher Xavier Shallum ("retribution") was the name of several people of the Old Testament. Shallum of Israel King of Israel. Alternative name of Jehoahaz King of Judah Son of Tikvah Keeper of the temple-wardrobe in the reign of Josiah (2 Kings 22:14) and h ...

, Nabeel Nihal Chishty &

Faraz Anwar Faraz Anwar (Urdu: فراز انور; b.15 July 1976) is a Pakistani musician, composer, singer-songwriter, bandleader, and a guitarist who founded the Mizraab, a heavy metal music and hard rock genre band based in Pakistan. His musical act o ...

;Production *Produced by

Nizar Lalani Nizar Lalani is a music producer from Pakistan. Lalani has produced renowned musical albums of Pakistan including ''Inquilaab'' by Junoon, '' Duur'' by Strings, ''Roshni'' by Hadiqa Kiani, and more. Discography Lalani professionally started m ...

& Shahzad Hasan *Recorded at NL Studios & Pyramid Productions,

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

*Mixing: Shahzad Hasan & Ehtashamulhaq *Engineer:

, Ishaq & Ehtashamulhaq *Keyboards engineer: Faizi *Art direction & design: Jami & Shariq Mushir

References

External links

Strings Online
- Official Website {{Authority control 2000 albums Strings (band) albums Urdu-language albums