U.S. Embassy Hosts Daniel Pearl Day Concert Featuring the Band ‘Overload'

October 9, 2010

Islamabad - The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad sponsored a concert in honor of Daniel Pearl World Music Day featuring the Pakistani band ‘Overload.'  The concert, held at the Pakistani National Council of the Arts, was one of hundreds of World Music Days concerts held around the world to honor the life of the slain reporter Daniel Pearl and to bring people from different cultures together through music.

"The U.S. Embassy is proud to support Pakistani efforts to spread a message of hope in the face of violence and to connect our two countries through music," said Larry Schwartz, Minister Counselor at the U.S. Embassy.  "Overload's fusion of eastern and western music styles is just one example of how young Pakistanis are building on their rich cultural heritage to create something new and positive."

Daniel Pearl was a Wall Street Journal bureau chief who was brutally murdered by extremists in Karachi in 2002.  Pearl was also a musician who joined music groups wherever he travelled.  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.

At this year's concert, the U.S. Embassy selected the Pakistani group ‘Overload' to perform its mix of eastern and western music. Founded in 2003, the band is one of Pakistan's most popular rock groups. It has won several awards for its blend of traditional Sufi beats with modern rock.