KARACHI: The popularity of Coke Studio’s rendition of Chehra is testament to the indelible impact that Nazia and Zoheb Hassan have had on the Subcontinent. It was not just the sibling sensations’ music but also their riveting screen presence that set a precedent for musicians for generations to come. Being arbiters of song-and-dance on the sets of PTV, the duo changed the dynamics of music in Pakistan.
But in the wake of Nazia’s demise, Zoheb lost his edge as he went on to make unsuccessful comebacks, such as the one with his album Kismat (2006). His kismat may not have been by his side then, but with his stint on the ongoing season of Coke Studio, the one-time prince of Pakistani pop is slowly regaining his throne.
“I know Bilal and Faisal well and almost everybody who has been featured on Coke Studio, but I was still hesitant because I had been away from the Pakistani music scene for a long time. But they kept on insisting and I agreed to it,” Zoheb tells The Express Tribune.
The singer, however, put forth a few conditions before he appeared on the show, one of which was to perform a tribute song for his late sister. “I had made it clear that I want to do at least one song as a tribute to my sister. That’s why the third song I performed on the show is Jana,” he says. The song, which was a duet sung by the sibling duo for their second music album Boom Boom, will feature Zoe Viccaji alongside Zoheb.
By trying his hand at the Coke Studio platform, he also hoped to clear misconceptions about him as a singer. “People used to think that I can’t sing live and that I had my voice altered in the studio,” he shares.
The Chehra singer speaks at length about the reasons behind his decision to explore avenues apart from music. “When Nazia passed away, I no longer had the heart to carry on. Not only was she my sister but also my colleague,” he states. He attributes the failure of his album Kismat, which features the song Fashion, to the changing trends of the music business, “Unfortunately, the industry has changed, not the music,” he says. “It’s the promotion of a song or album that determines its success rather than the song or album itself. This is a major reason behind why Coke Studio is a success. Its reach is great,” adds the singer.
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Zoheb, who has already performed two yesteryear classics Chehra and Dheeray Dheeray on Coke Studio, enjoyed his time on the show and lauds the diversity among the house band and producers for putting on a brilliant show.
The collaboration with Strings reminded him of the Indian-born English music composer Biddu, who is often considered as the genius behind the duo’s music. “Biddu was more pop-centric and Strings’ tilt towards a more rock and dance-rock feel suits my heavy voice,” he comments. He clarifies that Biddu wasn’t initially interested in doing Pakistani and Indian music, and that most of the compositions were written by Zoheb himself and not Biddu.
“Biddu was doing so well in the west that he wasn’t interested in any of our melodies. His interest in our music sparked when he heard some of my compositions,” he recalls. Zoheb has already released six albums, including Disco Deewane. Now, he is set to release another album in which he will be collaborating with Biddu, who has worked with the likes of Apache Indian, Stereo Nation and Shania Twain.