Earlier this Spring, South Asian-Canadian musical group JoSH was part of a Canadian initiative for pluralism event in Karachi, Pakistan. JoSH, a two-person group comprised of Rupinder Magon and Qurram Hussain, performed at the event launched by the Canadian High Commission in Pakistan.

The event, Josh-e-Ittehad, was facilitated by youth resource group Blinck, and was attended by over 350 youth leaders and activists from a variety of colleges, ethnic and religious minorities. The event is part of a broader discussion on the role of pluralism and diversity in Canada and Pakistan.

Speaking at the event, Andrew Ng, Head of Communications for the Canadian High Commission, said the event was "a celebration of pluralism, bringing together Canadians and Pakistanis from all backgrounds", and said the concert was an example of how pluralism can be a force for creativity. JoSH's Rup (Rupinder Magon) was born and raised in a practicing Sikh family in Montreal and Q (Qurram Hussain) is a Pakistani immigrant to Canada.

“Canada has very strong people-to-people links with Pakistan. There are an estimated 300,000 Canadians of Pakistani origin, a number of whom I grew up with in Toronto. Much like Pakistan, Canada has evolved layers of policies to accommodate our diversity, such as federalism, bilingualism, multiculturalism and aboriginal self-government. Extremists believe that by targeting different communities they can provoke chaos and social disintegration in Pakistan but I must say, Pakistan is stronger than that, and today is an example of it. The fact that two Canadian artists can find such adoration in Pakistan speaks volumes about this nation’s acceptance level and love for music,” said Ng, quoted in the Pakistani magazine for youth, US.

Sidra Iqbal, Blinck's founder, said "This is an initiative for pluralism and what better is there other than celebrating it with JoSH, who are Canadian by nationality but have their roots from Pakistan and India - truly pluralistic in their approach.”




The event received much favourable media coverage, including reports from Pakistan's Corporate Ambassador, Daily Messenger, Pakistan Today, The Regional Times, Enterprise Magazine, and a cover story in The Weekly US Magazine.

JoSH are managed by Awesome Management, and are signed to Universal Music in India. The duo has released over 4 major albums worldwide, selling more than 2 Million records.  JoSH recently won Best Bhangra song for "Nasha Pyar Da" from their last studio album Mausam. "Mahi Ve", the first single from Mausam, reached #1 on the BBC Asian Charts in the UK, as well as top 10 sales and chart positions in Pakistan and the Middle East.