The shocking event of the bomb blasts in London has jolted the world over. The ricochet of the impact has also changed status quo here in Chennai for the JRO 2005 ‘Curtain Raiser’ concert.

Here is an excerpt from the official statement of the Unwind Center and British Council: We regret to inform you that AZIZ IBRAHIM’s show scheduled to open JRO 2005 on Saturday 9 July, 7 pm at the Bucks Theatre, YMCA Nandanam has been postponed to Saturday 23 July. This postponement is due to unforeseen events in London on Thursday 7 July as a result of which Aziz and his team were unable to reach London’s Heathrow Airport for their onward journey to Chennai. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused and we hope to see you at AZIZ’S show on 23 JULY.

The leader of the band Aziz is the man himself ‘Aziz Ibrahim’ who is considered to be the one of the most contemporary guitar maestros of western urban rock. He has created a music genre that is impossible to categorize and that could be placed somewhere between raga and hard rock. Without a doubt, the Asia blues were born with Aziz.

Those who have bought passes and received invites can use the same passes for the 23rd show. Please spread the word around so that everyone knows the plan.

The Duo: Aziz – vocals, guitars
Dalbir Singh Rattan - backing vocals, tabla

A look into the musical journey of Aziz reveals a child prodigy. Born to Pakistani parents, Aziz grew up in Longsight, Manchester and from there his first professional experience was the tour with Simply Red. He later was the only Asian in the band ‘Asia’ and then briefly with Stone Roses. His collaborations with Ian Brown, Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller and other artists, resulted in the creation of his studio album called Lahore to Longsight.

Aziz’s stint with the Stone Roses, described by Oasis guitar player Noel Gallagher as “the hardest job in the world”, established him as a guitar player capable of standing in for one of the biggest and most influential British rock guitar players, John Squire. Aziz also infused his Eastern heritage and successfully created a new rock guitar sound that he describes as ‘Asian Blues’. The Stone Roses were one of the greatest bands of the late eighties, who pioneered a revolution in British urban rock & roll, and cleared the path for bands like Oasis and the Stereophonics.

Even after the demise of the Roses, Aziz continued with their vocalist Ian Brown, contributing to several tracks of his album, Unfinished Monkey Business and its follow-up Golden Greats, becoming a permanent fixture on Brown’s touring band. Along the way, Aziz also collaborated with other big names in the music industry like PM Dawn, Paul Weller and Talvin Singh