Shuja Haider شجاع حیدر | |
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| Born | (1982-11-20)20 November 1982 (age 43)[1][2] |
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| Years active | 2005 – present |
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Shuja Haider orShuja Hyder (Urdu:شجاع حیدر;pronounced[ʃʊˈdʒaːˈɦɛːdər]; born 20 November 1982) is a Pakistani singer, songwriter, composer, and record producer. Haider is best known as aplayback singer for filmsKhuda Kay Liye (2007) andBol (2011) and more recently for his work onCoke Studio, Pakistan. Haider served as music director forLux Style Awards for two years. He has produced over 50 albums in his career[3] and is considered one of the most established music producers in Pakistan today.[4]
Shuja Haider was born inLahore, Pakistan to Sajid Ali (1950 – 24 May 2022),[5] a singer-musician, and is one of four siblings.[6] His grandfather was renowned Pakistani pianist, Master Sadiq Ali (1935-1984),[7] often referred to as the master pianist of the subcontinent.[8][9][10] Exposed to numerous genres of music from across the world as a child, Haider started dabbling in music at the age of seven, although his primary interest was in athletics. He recalls that he always wanted to be a cricketer, inspired at a young age by cricketersWasim Akram,Javed Miandad, andImran Khan.[6]
Haider's family moved toKarachi, Pakistan in the early 1990s, just as the city was becoming a cultural and creative hub for young musicians from all over Pakistan due to the influx of pop music and TV music channels. Haider eventually decided to pursue a career in music, and his main interest was in songwriting, composing, and producing music. He notes that he spent significant time during this period learning the ropes of digital music production which was still a relatively new technology at the time.[citation needed]
Haider listsSting,Coldplay,Henry Mancini,John Williams, andNusrat Fateh Ali Khan among his musical influences[6][11] and has stated that listening to theBee Gees,The Carpenters,Queen,Abba andThe Beatles as a teenager was particularly impactful for him.[12][13] He recalls that seeing composers such as Bakhshi-Wazir at close quarters helped him understand the nuances of making music: "I’m very lucky that I saw them making songs. It’s by watching them that I learnt a little about how a song is made, how its weight should be distributed, and what tempo it should be in."[12] Haider listsGustavo Santaolalla as his favourite composer.[11]
Haider established his own recording studio, Speed of Sound, in 1996[11][14] and producedHaroon's first solo albumHaroon Ki Awaz in 2000 andAhmed Jahanzeb's second studio albumParastish in 2003.[4] Soon after, he rose to prominence as a singer[11][14] with his very first single, "Tera Woh Pyar," composed by two of his brothers and released in 2004-05 by the Indus Media Group. In 2008, Haider wrote and performed a song for the Indian filmRu Ba Ru. He has since done work as songwriter, composer, and vocalist forPakistani drama soundtracks (known as OSTs) includingTum Mere Hi Rehna (2014),Muqaddas (2015),Sehra Main Safar (2015),Mann Mayal (2016),[15]Baaghi (2017), andAlif (2019). Haider is known for his collaborations withShoaib Mansoor in his filmsKhuda Kay Liye (2007) andBol (2011), where he recorded solos and duets withAhmed Jahanzeb.[16]
Haider made hisCoke Studio debut in 2016[13] as music director and songwriter inSeason 9 with the songs "Aaqa" (performed byAli Sethi andAbida Parveen) and "Khaki Banda" (performed byAhmed Jahanzeb andUmair Jaswal).[17]Aaqa received praise for its "beautiful melody"[18] and "thoughtful flourishes."[19] Haider was lauded for his composition and arrangement in "Khaki Banda," as well as for his innovation in incorporatingBulleh Shah's Sufi verses into the song.[20] Haider's songwriting in both "Aaqa" and "Khaki Banda" was noted for itsSufi-rock fusion, evocative imagery, and devotional expression.[3][21] In the same season of Coke Studio, Haider also directed a medley of two of his original singles — "Tera Woh Pyar" (originally released in 2004)[13] and "Nawazishein Karam" — performed byAsim Azhar andMomina Mustehsan and produced byStrings. In the season finale, Haider made his debut as a vocalist onCoke Studio with "Sab Jag Soye," performing withQuratulain Balouch.
The following year, inCoke Studio Season 10, Haider continued to work as a producer but also wrote, composed, and sang "Baanware" withAima Baig. He also wrote, composed, and directed "Allahu Akbar,"[3] a traditionalhamd performed byShafqat Amanat Ali Khan andAhmed Jahanzeb. The song received critical acclaim for its "complex structure" and "larger-than-life atmosphere,"[3] and Haider was praised for his ability to blend "Middle-Eastern and South Asian musical motifs."[3] In the same season, Haider directed "Dam Mast Qalandar" — sung byUmair Jaswal andJabar Abbas — as a musical tribute toNusrat Fateh Ali Khan as well as "Jaan-e-Bahaaraan" (sung byAli Zafar) as a tribute to the composerMaster Inayat Hussain.[22]
InCoke Studio Season 12, Haider performed the song "Saiyyan" withRachel Viccaji, produced byRohail Hyatt, the co-creator of Coke Studio. The composition was praised for its striking visual metaphors and its fusion of traditionalPunjabi folk music with a playful musical arrangement.[21] Haider continues to be closely associated withCoke Studio Pakistan and has been credited with bringing greater variety to the show in recent years.[23]
In 2008, Haider composed and produced the song "Yeh Hum Naheen" (transl. This is Not Us), written byAli Moeen.[24] The song was part of an anti-terrorism campaign aimed at reaffirmingIslam as anti-terrorism and promoting a more positive image of Pakistan to other nations.[25] Haider sang the song along with artistes such asStrings,Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan,Ali Zafar, andHadiqa Kiyani among others.[24][26] The song led to a record-breaking 62.8 million Pakistanis signing a petition to uphold the message of the campaign,[25] and was entered into Guinness World Records as the most signed petition ever at the time.[27]
In 2017, Haider announced his work onSoundscape, meant to be an interactive, multi-city live music series that would feature a number of artistes from around the country, representing different musical genres.[28][29] Although largely completed, this project is currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also in 2017, Haider featured in and produced music for Season 5 ofNational Ka Pakistan, a reality adventure show on YouTube that explored and highlighted the unique culinary diversity across the four provinces of Pakistan.[30]
In the aftermath of themurder of Zainab Ansari in 2018, Haider wrote, composed and sang the song "Jeevan Daan" (featuringSaba Qamar) which addressed the issues of gender inequality and child abuse.[31] In 2020, Haider produced and composed music for Season 3 ofStrepsils Stereo,[13][32] the first musical platform in Pakistan geared at producinga cappella music and presenting new musical talent.[33]
In 2022, Haider launchedThe Idol Online, an online talent hunt to scout, train, and develop up-and-coming musical talent from across Pakistan.[34] Haider asserted that Pakistan lacks the "institutions and platforms that make artists. There is no orthodox teaching of music anymore. WithIdol Online, I want to provide a platform and an institution which would find and train artists as a means to give back to the community. I want to contribute to the betterment of the youth through music."[35]
Haider has stated in various interviews that for traditional Eastern classical music to survive, it is necessary to blend it with Western music to make it more accessible and attractive to listeners today.[4] Haider's music aims to highlight traditional compositions and instruments while thematically reinterpreting them in a modern context.[36] Fusing musical styles, cutting across genres, and experimenting with arrangements is therefore a prominent feature in Haider's music.[29]
Haider is also a vocal advocate for creating original music as opposed to the current culture of churning out cover songs, stating in an interview that "cover songs...(are)…the formula for overnight fame. But let’s not overdo it as at the end of the day you only become a respectable star in your own right when you bring about original numbers that create ripples."[37] In another interview, he similarly contended, "I personally don't agree with the practice. You can't own someone else's work. You cannot put your own name on someone else's art."[38] Despite his significant success as a singer, Haider has stated in various interviews that he primarily considers himself a composer, songwriter and record producer: "Personally, I have always enjoyed creating music far more than singing. This is what I’ve acquired over time – songwriting, that is...Going on stage and making people raise their hands to applaud frantically for me was never my thing."[37]
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| Song | Episode | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aaqa | 01 | Composer |
| Khaaki Banda | 03 | Composer and songwriter |
| Aaya Laariye | 04 | Composer |
| Tera Woh Pyar/Nawazishen Karam | 06 | Composer |
| Sab Jag Soye | 07 | Composer and singer |
| Song | Episode | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Allahu Akbar | 01 | Composer and songwriter |
| Jaan e baharan | 02 | Composer and songwriter |
| Sab Maaya Hai | 05 | Composer |
| Dam Mast Qalandar | 06 | Composer |
| Baanware | 07 | songwriter, composer, singer |
| Song | Episode | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aatish | 04 | Singer, Composer and songwriter |
| Jind Mahiya | 07 | Singer, Composer and songwriter |
| Song | Episode | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Saiyaan | 02 | Singer, Composer and songwriter |
| Song | Episode | Notes |
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| Na Tutteya Ve | 01 | Composer and songwriter[55][56] |
| Har Funn Mola | 03 | Composer and songwriter[57] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 2020 | Alif | Shuja Haider (As himself) | Episode 20 & 21 |
It's a hot and unusually humid night in 1997 Lahore. 14-year-old Shuja has returned home after the daily grind....
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