U.S. Embassy Daniel Pearl Music Days Concert and ‘Overload' Band

Islamabad - On October 9, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad hosted a World Music Days concert with the Pakistani band ‘Overload' to celebrate the legacy of Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl.  World Music Days was created in response to the 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl by extremists in Karachi. At World Music Day concerts around the world, musicians commemorate Pearl's life through the universal language of music to spread a message of hope and bring people together in a united stand for peace.

Daniel Pearl was a talented musician who joined musical groups in every community in which he lived, leaving behind a long trail of musician-friends spanning the entire world.  Commemorating his October 10th birthday, World Music Days uses the universal language of music to encourage fellowship across cultures and build a platform for "Harmony for Humanity."  Since World Music Days' inception in 2002, more than 4,900 concerts in 102 countries have been dedicated.

"Danny was a talented musician who joined musical groups in every community he visited. He firmly believed in the power of music to unite people," said Judea and Ruth Pearl, parents of Daniel Pearl and Co-Founders of the Daniel Pearl Foundation.  The Daniel Pearl Foundation was formed in 2002 in memory of journalist/musician Daniel Pearl to promote the ideals that inspired his life and work.  It works domestically and internationally to promote dialogue and understanding, to counter cultural and religious hatred, to encourage responsible and balanced journalism, and to promote peace through music.

At this year's concert, the ‘Overload' band performed a mix Eastern Classical and Sufi folk beats with contemporary rhythm and music. The band was formed by drummer/music producer Farhad Humayun in 2003 after a casual jam session with Dhol players backstage at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Since then the band has received acclaim from music veterans, artists, literary figures and the general public. In 2006, ‘Overload' received the Lux Style Award.

Their debut album, released in January 2006, was the highest selling album of the year. The album received numerous awards including "the Indus/MTV breakthrough artist award". Over the past two years ‘Overload' has played festivals and solo concerts in Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Norway, UAE and UK.

New works by ‘Overload' are full of funky bass grooves, soaring vocal melodies, explosive drumming and the signature pounding beats of the dhol. Their second album titled 'Pichal Pairee' came out in October 2009.