Shahab Hussain
Shahab Hussain is a self-taught vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, whose love for singing began in Karachi’s summer monsoons, when he and his brother would belt out Bollywood songs as they danced in the rain. As a teenager, Shahab learnt to play the flute in his school’s marching band, tried his hands at the drums, and eventually picked up the guitar, teaching himself through observation and guidance from friends. Sometimes, months would pass, and Shahab would practice the same few chords, teaching himself numerous songs on those particular chords. Shahab now recalls those days with fondness, looking back at them as formative in his musical learning.
In 2006, Shahab formed an indie band known as Bell, which performed numerous gigs around Karachi, and has also worked and performed with Jimmy Khan, Mauj and Chand Tara Orchestra. Always inclined towards poetry, Shahab co-wrote the single Pariyan which went onto feature in the 2017 film Chalay Thay Saath. A backing vocalist for Coke Studio since Season 9, Shahab has displayed his prowess in crossing genres and singing harmonies that fuse the East with the West and has continued to evolve and grow as he takes on the challenges brought on with each new song.
“Music gives you goosebumps. It is something extraordinary. It plays next level games with your mind. We are attracted to it and we are also driven away from it. “