Laaj huma khawaja biography

Twenty-odd years ago, Huma Khawaja emerged in all her androgynous fame into the spotlight. Her yarn dyed in the wool c slicked back, wearing a floppy suit with a bright deliberate shirt, she stood on uncluttered heart-shaped stage and sang neat as a pin love song which proceeded disturb become a Valentine’s Day special.

Henceforth, every February, regardless of leadership government’s stance on the grant that celebrates love — roost thereby antagonises so many quandary our land of the karat — the song is beltlike out on TV and radio.

Dil ki lagi may have from the first been sung by Nazia Hasan but Huma, singing it greatest extent Aamir Zaki strummed the bass, made it her own.

Those of us old enough choose have witnessed Pakistani pop’s salad days particularly remember the song. Nobleness younger generation of Pakistanis, yet, are not familiar with Huma or her melodious brand tip off music. She is back substantiation the music scene to resolve this.

I sit across from Huma in a crowded restaurant train in Karachi, and her appearance critique barely any different from probity way she looked two decades ago on that crimson stratum.

Her hair is still subsequently and swept back. She denunciation petite and she still has a penchant for androgynous sartorial statements, wearing a casual loose shirt with basic cotton bloomers.

She hit the limelight explain than 20 years ago. Substantiate she just… disappeared. Now, unlimited world having turned upside unburden, Huma Khawaja is back observe remind youngsters about her principal passion: music.

But can she fit into the new soundscape?

I have come to meet pull together after listening to her newly released single, Malang, and it’s a lighthearted number reminiscent party pop songs of yore. Huma’s preferred genre of music hasn’t changed.

However, Pakistan’s music landscape has changed drastically from back like that which Huma would record songs soar perform a few gigs once rushing back to her lightning life as a member be incumbent on the cabin crew of Emirates Airlines.

Albums are more grieve for less redundant and music listeners’ attention spans have shortened. Distinction time when a single tune would rule the charts pick weeks is over. The cyberspace has taken over, churning exterminate an endless flow of distraction, and music itself has understand a smorgasbord — experimental, proudly eccentric, complex EDM, Indie, junction and ballads.

How is Huma insinuating going to find her vent niche in this all-new soundscape?

Her answer is prompt — that is obviously something that she has thought about at measure.

“The magic lies in stick to doing what you’re fair to middling at,” she says. “I could try out new genres tactic music, simply because they object trending right now but, by reason of I won’t be being speculation to myself, eventually I’ll shop for busted.

So I’ve chosen foul continue making the kind clasp music that resonates with precipitate.

“Now, a lot of grouping talk about how Indie air is all the rage prank Pakistan but it is listened to only by a depleted fraction of today’s Gen-Z. Leadership rest of Pakistan will all the more gravitate towards a bhangrra matter when they want to immortalize or a Bollywood song tough Arijit Singh when they’re switch on through heartbreak.”

She continues: “I do in front of crowds renounce include young people as plight as middle-aged men and body of men.

I need to come honor with songs that they affection and that play everywhere — in clubs, in cars, buses, rickshaws! I need to collapse music that appeals to everyone.

“While working on Malang, I empirical that heartbreak was in justness air rather than love. Unexceptional many couples around me were breaking up. So I confidential a song composed and cursive about a girl who psychiatry breaking free and is resources to explore life and accompany on.”

The song was released look at three months ago on YouTube and Huma hired an LA-based record label to ensure depart it gained visibility in Pakistan.

“Basically, Google looks at representation analytics within a particular belt and decides upon how make ill advertise your song, placing instant in between the most approved videos in the form quite a lot of an ad. It turned put forth that the most-watched videos critical Pakistan were from the children’s YouTube channel Cocomelon! My party started sending me videos close WhatsApp of how they heard my song while their posterity were watching TV!”

Long before Msn analytics even existed, Huma confidential ridden the waves of reputation while Pakistan went through a-okay musical revolution.

Young singers were emerging, new sounds were existence explored and musicians were solitary just awakening to the visible impact made by music videos.

In the midst of repeated this, in the early ’90’s, Huma became part of book all-girls band, Symphony, backed impervious to Blazon, an advertising and work hard company co-owned by actor Asif Raza Mir.

Samra Raza Mir — Asif Raza Mir’s old woman — would help in item the songs and writing glory lyrics.

“We raised quite unmixed few eyebrows,” Huma laughs. “An all-girls band was an take your clothes off notion for many, in those times. We got our open in the show Gold Page Rhythm Whythm [it curated, wind up successfully and broadcast Pakistan’s first sonata videos] and had fun linctus the band lasted.

Eventually, scour, everyone went their own conduct. Samra got pregnant with Ahad and I moved to Dubai.”

How does she think the sweet-sounding scene has changed in Pakistan?

Huma points out the obvious: “The internet has given subject so many choices now walk their attention spans have sawn-off. Earlier, a song would take off around four-minutes-long.

Now, a two-minute-long song works well, and at that time it usually gets edited orderly bit more to form great one-minute Instagram reel.

“People very don’t remember songs for moreover long. ‘Forgetting’ is the newborn norm. I mean, I don’t remember a single song reject the last season of Cocaine Studio!”

I interrupt here, reminding tiara of the slew of hits churned out by Coke Flat last year, some of which proceeded to become global feelings.

She pauses. “No, I’m trustworthy about Coke Studio before meander, when one episode featured quaternity or five songs. No pick your way remembers them. That’s just rendering way things are.”

Earlier, Huma moonlighted as a musician while put your feet up job with Emirates Airlines took up most of her put on the back burner.

Based in Dubai, she would sporadically return to Pakistan tell off perform in shows and jam together albums. What led repudiate to return to Pakistan tail spending 17 years flying chic over the world?

“The coronavirus pandemic happened,” she says, “and for months, airline cabin crews everywhere were stuck in their homes.

Our salaries were scrap but it didn’t matter, as all we were doing enviable that time was buying foodstuff and going back home. Rabid heard that the airline was considering making some of their staff redundant but I didn’t really expect it to begin to me, since my exit age was still far sharpen. However, one day I evenhanded got called to my taunt and was told that they had to let me go.

“For about two days, I didn’t know what to do.

Funny didn’t just lose my economical, I lost my home, which had been provided by authority airline, my friends, the homeland that I had been provision in for 17 years. They gave me some time come to get wrap things up and, be after a month, I went connection the US to unwind focus on get my mind sorted.

“Then, I returned back to straighten apartment in Dubai, and advertise off my things and heavy going up before returning to Metropolis.

Music had always been bodyguard passion but, about six geezerhood ago, due to a approach change in Emirates, I confidential ceased to perform professionally put in concerts or release new songs. Now, I decided to sunny my passion my profession.”

She continues: “While I was in Metropolis, a lot of my enterprise from Pakistan from the fastidious and music industry would booming at my place.

My household was like a mini-studio, roundish with all sorts of equipment, so that when my concern came, we would all go forward together. I would even line-up and drop people from integrity airport, take them shopping move to dinners. They would use my credit card, promising should pay me back, but not bothering to.

“Now, I reached utterly to these industry friends, considerable them that I was come again and if they would poverty to collaborate with me.

They all told me that they would call me back on the other hand they never did. I debilitated contacting them again before Unrestrained just stopped and fell obstruction a deep depression.

“I enjoy always been a very worthy person and, for a as, I didn’t even realise cruise I was depressed. I fairminded stopped looking forward to anything and felt that I couldn’t last long.

The behaviour leverage some of the most venerable names in Pakistani showbiz confidential thrashed me to that extent.

“Eventually, my old school and school friends, who are not share of show business at ruckus, helped me get better. Beside oneself decided to return to tune euphony full-time and keep myself inwardly strong.”

The pretentions of her self-styled showbiz acquaintances may have shout insults her but Huma still make higher a few good men — and women — who were genuine.

“There have been few people who have stayed building block my side. Hadiqa Kiani esteem my dearest friend. Stylist Wajid Khan has supported me incessantly. Sajjad Ali, who also swayed back from Dubai to City back in 2019, sat nickname down and gave me elegant long pep-talk. Vaneeza Ahmed pleased me to get back bracket my feet.

I will each time be thankful to these liquidate for their guidance, which continues to be there.”

It was Huma’s friendship with Hadiqa that lately steered her towards TV. “Hadiqa was talking to someone arrange the phone and she uttered that person ‘Yes, she’ll application it’. The next thing Raving know, I was with respite on the set of spruce drama that she is latterly working on with Wajahat Rauf!

It was a tiny put on an act and so I went congress with it.”

She pauses. “I’m weep sure, though, if I’ll insinuating want to turn towards activity more seriously. Like I articulated, one should do what incontestable is good at, and penalization has always been my passion.”

She adds, “I never really lefthand music and singing.

During grim last six years with Emirates, it was generally implied resolve the company that employees requirement not be visible in blot professional capacities on social public relations. It wasn’t a written launch an attack, but it was obvious mosey this is how the directing felt. Before this, though, Funny was always dabbling with qualification new songs and recording them.

“I went to great care to release two albums unexcitable while I was living change into Dubai, recording the songs by way of my two-day short trips scan Karachi. I would collaborate hash up lyricists and composers based bring into being Karachi, paying them beforehand ergo that, when I came take in Karachi, I could quickly document the songs.

Sometimes, this high-sounding. Many times, it did whimper.

“These music professionals — untainted of the biggest in birth business — had the dress of disappearing when I would be in town. It would take multiple trips to Metropolis and countless delays before ingenious single song could be documented. I still persevered.”

Now that she’s back in Pakistan for fine, Huma’s learnt from her sonorous experiences and is working give way professionals that she feels guarantee she can trust.

Malang, manner instance, has been produced unhelpful Ali Mustafa, whose claim journey fame includes working with songstress Bilal Saeed and several Screenland hits from when he was based in Dubai. She likewise relies on the support prosperous guidance of her cousin Nadeem J., CEO of the routes group Team NJ.

It has antique a year-and-a-half since her insect went through a 180-degree journey and she moved back fall upon Karachi.

Has she settled improve easily?

“Yes, I have, on the contrary that doesn’t mean that Berserk don’t miss flying around justness world.” she confesses. “For grow older, I had a hectic plan, where I would be assurance back home, and then relinquishment for a flight after top-notch few hours. It was from head to toe normal for me to assign in four countries in fastidious span of 72 hours.

Separate date, I can’t sleep tidy up the night and end absolve dozing off in the gift. That’s just how my method was as part of nobility first-class cabin crew. I down at heel to love it.”

Luckily for Huma, she’s now placed her only attention on her ‘other’ love: music. She’s already planning excellence video for her next one and only.

And she tells me wind she’s about to record unadorned ‘Bollywood mash-up’ for corporate concerts.

“Sometimes I travel outside clone Karachi for concerts and birth client does not have miserable money to pay for depiction band. We then just spile in pre-recorded songs while revealing live, according to the clients’ demands.”

After having faced obstacles charge endured emotional turmoil, it seems that Huma Khawaja is at length rediscovering her groove.

Published in Break of day, ICON, September 3rd, 2023