Zeb and Haniya
Encyclopedia
Zeb and Haniya is a pop
group from Kohat
, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
. The duo's songs are mostly in Urdu
, but some lyrics are also in Pashto, Persian
and Turkish
. Their music has been described at various times as alternative, art folk
, ethnic blues and easy listening
by international reviewer's and critics.
While their family is originally from Kohat
, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, much of the band's work takes place in Lahore
. Haniya is a native of Islamabad
, and the act spend time working in Karachi
too. Their itinerary for the global tour is being set in 2009. They have performed mostly in the Persian Gulf
region, in some parts of Sindh
and Punjab
.
The band is a project started by two musicians, who are cousins, Zebunnisa Bangash and Haniya Aslam. Both are ethnic Pashtun
s. They began writing music together when studying as undergraduates at Smith College
and Mount Holyoke College
in the United States, although have stated that music was always a part of their life at home.
, where Zeb studied Economics and History of Art and Haniya studied Computer Science and Anthropology. Chup, their first song, came to life in sessions at an abandoned café in the basement of Zeb's dorm. After a tremendous response from the college community, Zeb and Haniya recorded a rough version of Chup and another song titled Yaad with Mekaal Hasan
(of Mekaal Hasan Band
). Once again, the response was remarkable. The songs were a hit. They spread on the internet and soon found their way onto Pakistan’s City FM 89
radio waves.
, the accompanying musicians on the album read like a ‘best of’ list in the national music scene: former Noori drummer, Louis 'Gumby' Pinto on percussion, Shallum Asher Xavier
of Fuzon
on lead guitar, and bass by Kamran 'Mannoo' Zafar. Mauj’s Omran Shafique contributes blues lead guitar on one song, and Co-Ven’s Hamza Jafri, Sikander Mufti and Sameer Ahmed feature on the album's closing number, a high-spirited fusion track. Finally, the accomplished Norwegian jazz trumpeter, Hildegunn Øiseth, makes an unforgettable appearance in five tracks.
After the success of Chup and Yaad, Zeb and Haniya’s climb up the music industry ladder began with live performances. The first was commissioned by the American Consulate in Islamabad
. This was followed by the first full-length Zeb and Haniya concert in Lahore
. In 2007, the girls began the process of recording their debut album, which was released in Pakistan in July 2008. In addition to recording the album and shooting for videos, 2007 and 2008 were marked by a rising tide of publicity and acclaim, including a multitude of appearances on many major Pakistani television networks, including Geo
, Dawn
, Aaj
, CNBC
, and many others. Since the album launch, Zeb and Haniya have been touring the major cities of Pakistan, promoting their album with live shows and media appearances. Zeb and Haniya have also graced print media, with multiple appearances in local Pakistani newspapers and magazines, including The News International
, Dawn News
, The Friday Times, Newsline, and numerous others, including a feature in the cover story of The Herald's 2008 Annual Issue. Apart from this, the girls have also appeared in many renown international publications, including Newsweek International
, BBC Online World Service
, Rolling Stone India
, Khaleej Times and The Hindu, to name a few. They were also recently featured in their respective alumnae magazine, Smith College
and Mount Holyoke College
, as well as on an NPR radio show, The World.
The band have said that they attempt to produce a diverse body of work, combining pop music
with Pushto and Dari
folk music. Their debut album received positive reviews in most of Pakistan's major newspapers, and they have been hailed as one of the (if not the) first all-female bands from Pakistan.
along with artists like Noori
, Atif Aslam
, Ali Zafar
, Strings
and many other successful musicians. They performed "Paimana Bitte", "Chup" and "Chal Diye" at the Coke Studio Sessions
. On 14 August 2009, The group performed at the last Coke Studio Session with their song, "Rona Chor Diya".
On May 15, 2010, the lineup for Coke Studio confirmed that Zeb & Haniya will feature in the third season along with many well-known artists and bands like Noori
, Aunty Disco Project
, Karavan
, Entity Paradigm, Abida Parveen
and many other successful musicians. On June 1, 2010, Zeb & Haniya recorded and released a soundtrack, also named "Daam", for the Pakistani TV serial Daam. On June 6, 2010, at the first episode, "Reason", of Coke Studio third season Zeb and Haniya featured among well-known artists like Arieb Azhar, Abida Parveen
, Meesha Shafi
(of Overload
), Karavan and Arif Lohar
. Zeb and Haniya performed an Afghan folk song, "Bibi Sanam Janem", at the first show of Coke Studio third season. On June 20, 2010, Zeb & Haniya performed a duet "Tann Dolay" with Noori at Coke Studio third season second episode, "Will". On July 18, 2010, Zeb & Haniya performed "Nazaar Eyle", a cover of Turkish singer Barış Manço
, at the Coke Studio third season fourth episode, "Form".
the band discussed about music in time of extremism in Pakistan. The duo concluded regardless of the country situation the are fully focused on their work and are working on releasing an album. “It is relevant to us, this is the world that we are living in, this the situation that we are surrounded by and we are responding in someway or the other. This song we just wanted it to be a lovely pleasant song that makes you smile and makes you feel good,” said, lead guitarist, Haniya Aslam. And lead vocalist, Zebunnisa Bangash, added “Despite everything, there are beautiful things happening in this country, there are moments of happiness, there’s happiness all around, so we thought it might actually be nice to bring that together into a song.”
On May 11, in an interview to the newspaper The Express Tribune, Zeb and Haniya confirmed that they will be releasing a seven track Extended-play, The Happy Song, in fall through the record label True Brew Records. Vocalist, Zebunnisa Bangash, during the interview, said “We are feeling a bit more confident, so we are taking a few experimental steps here and there, kind of pushing our envelope a little bit,” and in regard to the album said “It’s going to be a collaborative effort, and several known as well as lesser known people will be involved.”Lead guitarist, Haniya Aslam, added “It’s going to be exciting because the writings are being done without the aim of releasing an album, so the spirit in which things are being done has excited us.” The band also claimed that they are looking forward in making a career in India
. Zebunnisa said “India has a huge classical music tradition, which is one of my passions,“.
Their sound is not confined to one genre, and has been described as alternative
, art folk
, ethnic blues
and World Music. Their influences are many, including pioneering pop and folk from Pakistan, 60s and 70s folk guitar-based music from the US and UK, classical South Asian music
, classic jazz
, delta blues
. The artists skim across decades, genres and borders to produce a truly innovative sound. Their songs seamlessly mix blues grooves and jazzy rhythms into complex melodies grounded in local traditions. Finally, we have a sound that touches the brilliant kaleidoscope of language, history and culture that is Pakistan.
The band draws upon a diverse set of influences including Suzanne Vega
, Turkish singer Barış Manço
, and jazz and blues singers like Muddy Waters
.
and Rohail Hyatt
.
Singles
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
group from Kohat
Kohat
Kohat is a medium sized town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 33°35'13N 71°26'29E with an altitude of 489 metres and is the capital of Kohat District. The town centres around a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. A British-built narrow gauge...
, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. The duo's songs are mostly in Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, but some lyrics are also in Pashto, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
. Their music has been described at various times as alternative, art folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, ethnic blues and easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
by international reviewer's and critics.
While their family is originally from Kohat
Kohat
Kohat is a medium sized town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 33°35'13N 71°26'29E with an altitude of 489 metres and is the capital of Kohat District. The town centres around a British-era fort, various bazaars, and a military cantonment. A British-built narrow gauge...
, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, much of the band's work takes place in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. Haniya is a native of Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
, and the act spend time working in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
too. Their itinerary for the global tour is being set in 2009. They have performed mostly in the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
region, in some parts of Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
and Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
.
The band is a project started by two musicians, who are cousins, Zebunnisa Bangash and Haniya Aslam. Both are ethnic Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
s. They began writing music together when studying as undergraduates at Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
and Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
in the United States, although have stated that music was always a part of their life at home.
Formation (2000–2007)
Zebunnisa Humayun Bangash and Haniya Aslam, a female duo, have evolved from two college kids experimenting with music as a hobby to artists who have created one of the most anticipated albums of 2007. Zeb has been singing since age eight and has been training as a vocalist since 1998 with acclaimed Ustad Mubarak Ali Khan. Her fellow musician and first cousin, Haniya, is a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter. Zeb and Haniya was conceived circa 2000-2003, the girls’ college days in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where Zeb studied Economics and History of Art and Haniya studied Computer Science and Anthropology. Chup, their first song, came to life in sessions at an abandoned café in the basement of Zeb's dorm. After a tremendous response from the college community, Zeb and Haniya recorded a rough version of Chup and another song titled Yaad with Mekaal Hasan
Mekaal Hasan
Mekaal Hasan is a leading Pakistani musician and record producer from Lahore. He has worked in the capacity of a guest artist and/or record producer in the music industry of Pakistan with many Pakistani bands and solo artists at home and abroad. He is also the leader and composer for Mekaal Hasan...
(of Mekaal Hasan Band
Mekaal Hasan Band
Mekaal Hasan Band, sometimes shortened to MHB, is a sufi rock band formed in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan in 1999 by composer-songwriter, guitarist Mekaal Hasan...
). Once again, the response was remarkable. The songs were a hit. They spread on the internet and soon found their way onto Pakistan’s City FM 89
City fm 89
CityFM89 is a Pakistani radio station network. It is broadcast from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Faisalabad. It was established in 2004 and is a subsidiary company of the The DAWN Media Group CityFM89 is Pakistan’s No.1 FM Network...
radio waves.
Chup! (2008)
Zeb and Haniya released their debut album in July, 2008. 9 of their debut album’s 10 songs are original compositions. Produced by Mekaal HasanMekaal Hasan
Mekaal Hasan is a leading Pakistani musician and record producer from Lahore. He has worked in the capacity of a guest artist and/or record producer in the music industry of Pakistan with many Pakistani bands and solo artists at home and abroad. He is also the leader and composer for Mekaal Hasan...
, the accompanying musicians on the album read like a ‘best of’ list in the national music scene: former Noori drummer, Louis 'Gumby' Pinto on percussion, Shallum Asher Xavier
Shallum Asher Xavier
Shallum Asher Xavier is a Pakistani guitarist, composer and music producer. He has been recording professionally for 15 years, and has played as a session musician and recorded with most of the renowned Pakistani mainstream artists including Ali Haider, Najam Shiraz, Zeb and Haniya, Hadiqa Kiyani,...
of Fuzon
Fuzön (band)
Fuzön is an alternative rock band from Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan formed in 2001. The name has been derived from fusion as the former vocalist Shafqat Amanat Ali describes the band as a fusion of Indian classical music and modern rock music.The Fuzon art insists on setting feelings above mere...
on lead guitar, and bass by Kamran 'Mannoo' Zafar. Mauj’s Omran Shafique contributes blues lead guitar on one song, and Co-Ven’s Hamza Jafri, Sikander Mufti and Sameer Ahmed feature on the album's closing number, a high-spirited fusion track. Finally, the accomplished Norwegian jazz trumpeter, Hildegunn Øiseth, makes an unforgettable appearance in five tracks.
After the success of Chup and Yaad, Zeb and Haniya’s climb up the music industry ladder began with live performances. The first was commissioned by the American Consulate in Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
. This was followed by the first full-length Zeb and Haniya concert in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. In 2007, the girls began the process of recording their debut album, which was released in Pakistan in July 2008. In addition to recording the album and shooting for videos, 2007 and 2008 were marked by a rising tide of publicity and acclaim, including a multitude of appearances on many major Pakistani television networks, including Geo
Geo TV
Geo TV or Geo Television is a Pakistani television network, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002...
, Dawn
Dawn News
Dawn News was Pakistan's 24-hour Urdu news channel. Based in Karachi, the station is a subsidiary of Pakistan Herald Publications Limited , Pakistan's largest English-language media group. The test transmission of the station occurred on May 25, 2007, and the channel went live on July 23, 2007...
, Aaj
AAJ TV
AAJ TV is a 24 hour Pakistani news television channel. Aaj in English means "Today".-Channel and its Programmes:AAJ News was initially started on March 23, 2005 by the Business Recorder Group...
, CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
, and many others. Since the album launch, Zeb and Haniya have been touring the major cities of Pakistan, promoting their album with live shows and media appearances. Zeb and Haniya have also graced print media, with multiple appearances in local Pakistani newspapers and magazines, including The News International
The News International
The News International , published in tabloid size, is the largest English language newspaper in Pakistan. The News has an ABC certified circulation of 140,000. It is published from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad...
, Dawn News
Dawn News
Dawn News was Pakistan's 24-hour Urdu news channel. Based in Karachi, the station is a subsidiary of Pakistan Herald Publications Limited , Pakistan's largest English-language media group. The test transmission of the station occurred on May 25, 2007, and the channel went live on July 23, 2007...
, The Friday Times, Newsline, and numerous others, including a feature in the cover story of The Herald's 2008 Annual Issue. Apart from this, the girls have also appeared in many renown international publications, including Newsweek International
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, BBC Online World Service
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Rolling Stone India
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Khaleej Times and The Hindu, to name a few. They were also recently featured in their respective alumnae magazine, Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
and Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
, as well as on an NPR radio show, The World.
The band have said that they attempt to produce a diverse body of work, combining pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
with Pushto and Dari
Dari (Eastern Persian)
Dari or Fārsī-ye Darī in historical terms refers to the Persian court language of the Sassanids. In contemporary usage, the term refers to the dialects of modern Persian language spoken in Afghanistan, and hence known as Afghan Persian in some Western sources. It is the term officially recognized...
folk music. Their debut album received positive reviews in most of Pakistan's major newspapers, and they have been hailed as one of the (if not the) first all-female bands from Pakistan.
Coke Studio (2009–2010)
In 2009, they performed at Coke Studio SessionsCoke Studio
Coke Studio is a Pakistani television series featuring live music performances. Although it is adapted from the original Brazilian show named Estúdio Coca-Cola, it is fundamentally different from the original version where the show was a concert style show whereas the Pakistani version records its...
along with artists like Noori
Noori
Noori is a rock band from Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, formed in 1996. The band is directed by founder, lead guitarist and songwriter, Ali Noor, and his brother, Ali Hamza, who were soon joined by bassist Muhammad Ali Jafri and drummer Salman Albert...
, Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam
Atif Aslam is a Pakistani pop singer. He is widely recognized in South Asia and has given several hit songs such as Aadat, Woh Lamhe, Tere Bin, Bakhuda Tumhi Ho, Pehli Nazar Mein, Tera Hone Laga Hoon, Tu Jaane Na, Tere Liye. He is one of the most popular South Asian celebrity on Facebook with...
, Ali Zafar
Ali Zafar
Ali Zafar is a Pakistani musician, composer, song writer, singer, actor, painter and model, popular in Pakistan for his music, including his hit songs like "Channo", "Rangeen", "Chal Dil Merey", "Dekha", "Masty" and "Sajania"...
, Strings
Strings (band)
Strings are an internationally acclaimed pop rock band comprising two members from Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. The band was initially formed by four college students, Bilal Maqsood , Faisal Kapadia , Rafiq Wazir Ali and Kareem Bashir Bhoy in 1988...
and many other successful musicians. They performed "Paimana Bitte", "Chup" and "Chal Diye" at the Coke Studio Sessions
Coke Studio
Coke Studio is a Pakistani television series featuring live music performances. Although it is adapted from the original Brazilian show named Estúdio Coca-Cola, it is fundamentally different from the original version where the show was a concert style show whereas the Pakistani version records its...
. On 14 August 2009, The group performed at the last Coke Studio Session with their song, "Rona Chor Diya".
On May 15, 2010, the lineup for Coke Studio confirmed that Zeb & Haniya will feature in the third season along with many well-known artists and bands like Noori
Noori
Noori is a rock band from Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, formed in 1996. The band is directed by founder, lead guitarist and songwriter, Ali Noor, and his brother, Ali Hamza, who were soon joined by bassist Muhammad Ali Jafri and drummer Salman Albert...
, Aunty Disco Project
Aunty Disco Project
Aunty Disco Project, sometimes shortened to ADP, are a boy band from Karachi, Pakistan. This band is purely inspired by boy bands from the 90's such as Nsync, Boyzone & Westlife...
, Karavan
Karavan
Karavan is a rock band from Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, formed in 1997. The band is founded by former Awaz lead guitarist Asad Ahmed with the help of his friend bassist Sameer Ahmed, who were soon joined by drummer Allan Smith and lead vocalist Najam Sheraz. Karavan are regarded as one of the most...
, Entity Paradigm, Abida Parveen
Abida Parveen
Abida Parveen , is a Pakistani singer of Sindhi descent and one of the foremost exponents of Sufi music . She sings mainly ghazals, Urdu love songs, and her forte, Kafis, a solo genre accompanied by percussion and harmonium, using a repertoire of songs by Sufi poets...
and many other successful musicians. On June 1, 2010, Zeb & Haniya recorded and released a soundtrack, also named "Daam", for the Pakistani TV serial Daam. On June 6, 2010, at the first episode, "Reason", of Coke Studio third season Zeb and Haniya featured among well-known artists like Arieb Azhar, Abida Parveen
Abida Parveen
Abida Parveen , is a Pakistani singer of Sindhi descent and one of the foremost exponents of Sufi music . She sings mainly ghazals, Urdu love songs, and her forte, Kafis, a solo genre accompanied by percussion and harmonium, using a repertoire of songs by Sufi poets...
, Meesha Shafi
Meesha Shafi
Meesha Shafi , is a female Pakistani model, actress and singer.-Fashion career:She started her career with fashion designing and now she is ranked as one of the Pakistan’s leading Fashion models.- Acting :...
(of Overload
Overload (band)
Overload is a heavy metal band from Bollnäs, Sweden. The band was formed by Tony Sunnhag and Tony Sandberg back in 1987. They got most of their present sound when Stefan Jonsson joined the band 1992. They have some kind of old style thrash metal sound, with rhythm, harmony and melody as their...
), Karavan and Arif Lohar
Arif Lohar
Arif Lohar is a Pakistani folk singer. He usually sings with native musical instrument resembling tongs . His folk music is representative of traditional folk heritage of the Punjab...
. Zeb and Haniya performed an Afghan folk song, "Bibi Sanam Janem", at the first show of Coke Studio third season. On June 20, 2010, Zeb & Haniya performed a duet "Tann Dolay" with Noori at Coke Studio third season second episode, "Will". On July 18, 2010, Zeb & Haniya performed "Nazaar Eyle", a cover of Turkish singer Barış Manço
Baris Manço
Barış Manço was a Turkish rock singer, composer, and television producer. He composed about 200 songs, some of which were translated into a variety of languages including English, Japanese, Greek, Italian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Persian, Urdu and Arabic...
, at the Coke Studio third season fourth episode, "Form".
The Happy Song (2011-present)
On April 7, 2011, while talking to NPR MusicNPR Music
NPR Music launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music discovery. The Web site is a project of National Public Radio, a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to 797...
the band discussed about music in time of extremism in Pakistan. The duo concluded regardless of the country situation the are fully focused on their work and are working on releasing an album. “It is relevant to us, this is the world that we are living in, this the situation that we are surrounded by and we are responding in someway or the other. This song we just wanted it to be a lovely pleasant song that makes you smile and makes you feel good,” said, lead guitarist, Haniya Aslam. And lead vocalist, Zebunnisa Bangash, added “Despite everything, there are beautiful things happening in this country, there are moments of happiness, there’s happiness all around, so we thought it might actually be nice to bring that together into a song.”
On May 11, in an interview to the newspaper The Express Tribune, Zeb and Haniya confirmed that they will be releasing a seven track Extended-play, The Happy Song, in fall through the record label True Brew Records. Vocalist, Zebunnisa Bangash, during the interview, said “We are feeling a bit more confident, so we are taking a few experimental steps here and there, kind of pushing our envelope a little bit,” and in regard to the album said “It’s going to be a collaborative effort, and several known as well as lesser known people will be involved.”Lead guitarist, Haniya Aslam, added “It’s going to be exciting because the writings are being done without the aim of releasing an album, so the spirit in which things are being done has excited us.” The band also claimed that they are looking forward in making a career in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Zebunnisa said “India has a huge classical music tradition, which is one of my passions,“.
Music style and influences
Zeb and Haniya matured from the underground to the national scene, where their ascent continues today. Their songs bring a spectrum of style, instrumentation and influence. Some tracks ring with the cheeriness of pop while others capture the evocative richness of Pashto and Dari folk traditions.Their sound is not confined to one genre, and has been described as alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, art folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, ethnic blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and World Music. Their influences are many, including pioneering pop and folk from Pakistan, 60s and 70s folk guitar-based music from the US and UK, classical South Asian music
Sufi rock
Sufi rock is a subgenre of rock music that combines rock with classical sufi music traditions. It emerged in the early 1990s and became widely popular in the late 1990s in Pakistan. The term "sufi rock" was coined in 1993 by writer Nadeem F...
, classic jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, delta blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
. The artists skim across decades, genres and borders to produce a truly innovative sound. Their songs seamlessly mix blues grooves and jazzy rhythms into complex melodies grounded in local traditions. Finally, we have a sound that touches the brilliant kaleidoscope of language, history and culture that is Pakistan.
The band draws upon a diverse set of influences including Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her eclectic folk-inspired music.Two of Vega's songs reached the top 10 of various international chart listings: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner"...
, Turkish singer Barış Manço
Baris Manço
Barış Manço was a Turkish rock singer, composer, and television producer. He composed about 200 songs, some of which were translated into a variety of languages including English, Japanese, Greek, Italian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Persian, Urdu and Arabic...
, and jazz and blues singers like Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
.
Film soundtrack
Shaan Shahid confirmed that the group would be writing, composing and producing three songs for his upcoming film Chup along with Ali AzmatAli Azmat
Ali Azmat is a Ali Azmat is a...
and Rohail Hyatt
Rohail Hyatt
Rohail Hyatt is a Pakistani musician, producer, and a rock music artist known for his work with the popular 1990s pop band Vital Signs. He is one of the finest music producers in Pakistan. He is the man behind Coke Studio, from Pakistan.-Vital Signs:...
.
Discography
Studio albums- Chup!Chup!- Personnel :All information is taken from the CD.Zeb and Haniya:* Zebunnisa Bangash: lead vocals* Haniya Aslam: guitars, vocalsAdditional musicians* Guitars and Bass: Shallum Asher Xavier, Omran Shafique, Hamza Jafri, Sameer Ahmad and Kamran Zafar...
(2008)
Singles
- Aitebar
- Paimona (Coke Studio 2)
- Chup (Coke Studio 2)
- Rona Chor Dia (Coke Studio 2)
- Chal diyay (Coke Studio 2)
- Bibi Sanam Jaanam (Coke Studio 3)
- Nazar Eylee (Coke Studio 3)
Awards
- Zeb and Haniya won the Best Live Act Award at MTV Music AwardsMTV PakistanMusic Television Pakistan is the Pakistani subsidiary of MTV, a cable television network owned by Viacom Inc. headquartered in New York. The Pakistan franchise has been set up in collaboration with Pakistan's first satellite channel media group known as Indus Media Group . Indus TV is Pakistan's...
in 2009. - Zeb and Haniya were nominted for the Best Live Act Award at Lux Style AwardsLux Style AwardsThe Lux Style Awards is an award ceremony held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The awards celebrate "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, and honour the country's best talents in film, television, music, and fashion. Around 30 awards are given annually.The Lux Style Awards is considered...
in 2008.