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I am a few steps away from Hassan Rahim, who is singing live on stage.
Hassan is a true musical sensation, a young, energetic prodigy with a flair for mixing melodies, beats, adding some indie, a touch of R&B and developing his own distinctive sound. His fan base is huge and I had heard of the jostling, over-enthusiastic crowds that tend to attend his concerts.
Yet here I was, avoiding the jostling and jostling altogether and getting to see Hasan Rahim up close, performing live, celebrating the release of his Nautanki album.
A definite advantage of the journalism profession is being able to attend exclusive invitation-only events where concerts and performances are organized for a select list of guests. This was certainly an advantage, as I intended to write this story about Hassan later that night, and even as I stood in this select, not very obtrusive crowd, I could witness the excitement he inspired.
The crowd dances along and many of them know all the lyrics, even the quick rap sequences—I know some of them too. Hassan has released so many popular songs in his short career and everyone has their favourite. Hassan is in his element on stage. He smiles, talks to the crowd between songs, dances a little. Only 25 years old, hugely successful, carving out a niche for himself with his experimental musical sound, he visibly enjoys the audience’s applause on his popular tracks, the way they sing, the way they want him to keep performing and continues.
About half an hour before he took the stage, Hassan and I had a short chat where he told us what it’s like to perform live.
Hassan Rahim is one of the most popular musicians among the youth in Pakistan right now, although his music may not be for the masses. From the distinctive musical style he has developed to his unique sense of style to his laid-back way of giving interviews, what makes the newly graduated doctor go his own way?
“I go on stage and I just forget everything. I am in a different state. I know I’m here to sing for these people and they’re here to hear me sing. And then when I look into their eyes and they look back at me, we have a telepathic connection. I know they are having fun and so am I.”
His words come flooding back to me as I watch him on stage now.
It’s been a while since I wanted to meet Hasan Rahim, but the arrangement took years. Last year, during a phone conversation, he had said that he wanted to talk more when we met for an interview. Now that he has just released his album and is about to start his tour in Pakistan, my questionnaire about him has certainly increased.
“I’m just glad it’s happening,” he says just before we start talking.
I’m being ironic. Yes, it could have happened earlier, but there could have been two interviews instead of one! But I see what Hassan means because he hardly ever sits down for interviews – a quick Google scan confirmed that. Why?
“Basically, our art is not highlighted by the media. The focus is on other things, like our personal lives, and that’s just not necessary. As musicians, we’re emotionally connected to our art, and I just want people to ask me more about that.”
So I can’t ask you about your personal life? “Nahin, poochh lein [No, go ahead and ask]”, he laughs softly.
It’s an invitation I can’t resist, so I ask a question that unites his art with his love life: is there any particular girl that his romantic songs hint at?
“There is no one [currently] but there are past experiences,” he admits. “Every time a heart breaks and then gets back together a little and then breaks again and then you break someone’s heart… dil se gaana nikalta hai [a song emerges from the heart]. I put all these emotions into the album and each song has a certain feeling.”
At a time when most artists are just churning out singles, Hassan has put together a five-song album. Some of the songs became instant hits – the unique names Kaleji and Peanut Butter spring to mind – others met with mixed reactions, like the title track Nautanki.
Even Nautanki’s music video is off the wall; Hassan paces around the bathroom, fighting his emotions, at one point covered in colored blood. His signature sound may be his claim to fame, but at this stage in his career, does he ever consider creating some songs that would be more commercial and connect with the masses more easily?
“Experimenting with music challenges me. It brings out the best in me and I come up with tunes I didn’t even know I could do,” he says. “But I’ve never limited myself when it comes to music. I also like more commercial songs — I think I’d sing one if someone brought me a song I liked. And many of my songs are danced to at weddings,” he points out.
I go on stage and just forget everything. I am in a different state. I know I’m here to sing for these people and they’re here to hear me sing. And then when I look into their eyes and they look back at me, we have a telepathic connection. I know they are having fun and so am I.”
With the mixed reactions that Nautanki received fresh in my mind, I ask him if he considers how well a song will be received while composing and recording it. He immediately shakes his head no.
“When me and my boy Abdullah Kasumbi — kudos to Abdullah, my main man who has been with me since the beginning of my career! — sitting in the studio just working on music we love. We feel that if we enjoy a tune, then the audience will too. We don’t dwell much on reviews. We’re just throwing the song out there. So far, audiences like what we like.”
And does he monitor audience feedback after the song is released?
“I’m not obsessed with them, but, yeah, people tag me in the comments and I end up reading some of the reviews,” he says. “Some will like a song, some won’t. I love this polarity. It keeps you in the conversation and I’m absolutely fine with bad reviews. The title track of my album Nautanki, for example, is very conceptual and experimental, which some people find strange. They are slowly starting to enjoy them though. It was well received and it encourages me to do even more next time.”
His spin on Pakistani music is refreshing, from the “ooooo” to the fast sequences, to the mellow beat of some of his most popular songs. It makes one wonder what genre of music he listened to growing up. Now I ask him this.
“I’ve never been picky about the music I listen to,” he says. “So I listen to whatever music I like. When you leave yourself open to different genres, you subconsciously absorb all those influences and develop your own style.”
He continues, “When I was little, my dad would hum old Bollywood songs while shaving and I would put my ear to the door and yell at him to sing a certain verse again. There was this particular verse that I loved. Tum apna ranj o gham, apni pareshani mujhe de do [give me your grief and troubles]”, Hassan sings Jagjit Kaur’s song from the black and white era of Bollywood — I’m tempted to ask him to sing more!
But we have to get on with the interview before he runs off to play.
So he inherited his singing genes from his father? “Yes, he sang very well. I got my love for writing poetry from my mother. She has an MA in English and Journalism and has written extensively. Parrhi likhi family hai [Mine is a well-educated family]! Good genes matter!”
I notice he seems very close to his family. “I am. I am the eldest. Before I flew to Karachi from Islamabad [where he lives with his family]I asked my mother to pray for me because I was going to give several interviews!”
You’re doing well, I tell him. He smiles in confirmation. He knows.
“I got so much support from home. I wake up in the morning and my family members are listening to my songs.”
What is their favorite song? “Juna and Kaleji too – they say it transports them somewhere!” he laughs.
And what are his fans’ favorite songs so far? “Joona and Aisay Kaisay,” he names two of his earliest hits that were instrumental in his meteoric rise to music stardom.
Hassan also collaborated with Justin Bibis and Talal Qureshi on Peechay Hutt, one of the most popular tracks on last year’s relaunched Coke Studio (CS). What has being part of the country’s most prestigious music platform achieved for him in a year recognized as one of its strongest ever?
“It’s diversified my audience,” he replies. “There were people who assumed I was fine. Loagon ne thorra sa galay lagaya [people embraced me briefly]. I look forward to working with CS again in the future.”
But while he may be a shining star in the country’s music stratosphere, Hassan has other dreams. He recently completed his MBBS and can now be aptly called Dr. Hasan Rahim. “I love it when people call me Dr Hassan Rahim,” he laughs. “I love my chosen profession of medicine and one day plan to practice medicine full time.”
And not doing music full time? “Yeah, maybe not. Sometimes I get tired of it,” he says, I think, half jokingly.
What kind of doctor is he anyway? “I haven’t specialized yet. But I hope to eventually pursue cardiology or radiology.
Half doctor, half musician, and when I comment on his eccentric, super cool dress sense, I discover that Hassan is also half fashionista. To be honest, it’s not much of a discovery – one instinctively knew the lad had a unique dressing sense when he serenaded the country with his first single wearing a pink hoodie at Karachi’s DHA Phase 8!
“I created these clothes myself, with a friend of mine. That’s something we’re working on.” He points to his clothes, describing his denim jacket as a “kimono design.” “I got my dressing sense from my friend [mother]. She would dress my brother and me in exactly the same way – same clothes, same shoes, same socks. I think all of this inspired me to create my own clothes as I grew up. When I was studying medicine, I would go to the market, buy fabric and make my own lab coats and trousers to my size.”
From the clothes to the music to the relaxed approach to interviews, perhaps Hasan Rahim’s main USP (unique selling point) is that he is determined to do things his own way.
His imprint is visible even in the venue where he is playing tonight: I enter the hall by passing through a passageway created by pink transparent plastic sheets. There are rolled up pieces of paper strewn across the floor, a tower made of toilet rolls, a bathtub in the corner (lots of people took pictures in it!) and a small pink wash basin – all the trappings one might associate with the latest Nautanki title track video.
What’s next for him? He is planning a tour of Pakistan. Most local artists simply visit different cities to perform concerts planned by the event organizers. What made Hassan invest in his own cross-country tour?
“Initially we plan to visit Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad because our capital is limited. Later we hope to visit other cities. We got so much love wherever we went that I felt it was important to put on these shows. We have been planning things for so many months, figuring out logistics, how to keep concert venues safe and crowd control, assessing the demographics of where we have the biggest audience…”
It’s obvious she loves him. Later, while I’m watching him perform, there’s a moment where he says, “Maybe I should sit down and sing now.” I think he must have sung seven or eight songs by then. However, he is not sitting. He danced some more. Pranks with the audience. He makes eye contact with the eager crowd around him and sings a verse, just for them.
Dr Hassan Rahim performing nautanki on stage is having a great time. So is his audience.
Posted in Dawn, ICON, January 29, 2023
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