The young singer from Gilgit-Baltistan revealed some interesting snippets about himself and his personal life to Forbes, which has dubbed him “The wonder-kid making waves in Pakistani music” in an article published on January 22.
Hasan Raheem told Forbes a lot of things about himself that we didn’t know before, like the first time he “felt the palpable power of live concerts.” He performed popular dance music by the British-Indian band RDB on stage in fifth grade, and the audience “leave their seats to bust a few moves.” For the singer, this was just the start of a huge dream.
Raheem is the eldest of three siblings, born to a father who was in the army and a mother who is a housewife. He described himself as a “rebel” while staying committed to medical school, he continued to make his mark in the music industry as well. Not only that, but he’ll be releasing his record and organizing a national tour soon.
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It would be erroneous to say that Raheem “broke out” into the Pakistani music industry in 2020. The musician carefully made his presence felt without any bells and whistles gimmickry, much like his music – quiet, laid-back R&B and rap. In his music videos, Raheem and his characteristic Gilgiti-inspired dance routines are just simply good old music.
Anyone can resonate with my music: Hasan Raheem discusses the poetic simplicity in Forbes feature
In the interview, The singer also spoke about the changing landscape of Pakistan’s music industry & about his creative process, as well as where he feels the Pakistan music industry is headed. The pop sensation spoke about his major objective of connecting with his followers while reflecting on the simplicity of his lyrics, which have recently been fuel for spoof tweets. He shared, “I pour my feelings into my music. I try to keep it as simple as possible so that anyone who listens to my songs can connect with them. I keep it straight forward so that everyone understands what I have to say.”
Explaining how his music and style are constantly evolving, the singer revealed, “I think I’m learning and experimenting with my music every day. I’m a student of this art form. I try to sing and write in different ways… I practice constantly.”
The journey from the bottom to Coke Studio!
Raheem, who will be in Coke Studio 14 later this year, talked about the Pakistani music industry. He said “I think the future of Pakistani music will be a mix of genres,” the singer said, adding, “Right now we have a whole new indie and hip-hop culture, there are so many different sounds out there that I’m very confident Pakistani music will go global in the next decade or so.”
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“If we keep with the old sound, it’s not going to improve our industry,” Raheem said. New artists require additional motivation, and if they see us working with older artists on fascinating projects, they will be ecstatic to get back to work on their art. I believe our music industry is thriving.”
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Raheem began playing the acoustic version of his smash tune, Aisay Kaisay, at a live performance in Karachi late last year.
However, before he could begin singing, the audience took over. It had reappeared. That all-too-familiar sense of tangible magic. The performer could barely hear himself speak. He let the audience sing while he played for them, smiling to himself. It seemed like a complete circle. A recall of everything that had led up to that point.
Raheem was grateful no one could see the tears running down his face as he sat on a crate under the Karachi sky. “I don’t even have the words for it,” he says of the experience.
Hasan Raheem is the PISA Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award for 2021, with hits including Aisay Kaisay, Joona, Aarzuu & Pukaar.
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