Zeb, Haniya and AR Rahman: Three’s definitely not a crowd

LAHORE: Working with legendary composer AR Rahman is perhaps beyond what even the musical duo of Zeb and Haniya had aspired to achieve. Their talent has landed them an opportunity to work alongside the renowned artiste in the song Sooha Saha for director Imtiaz Ali’s upcoming project Highway. Unlike their usual renditions, this one is in Haryanvi, a language they never imagined experimenting with. “Needless to say we agreed instantly. Haniya and I have grown up loving and waiting for Rahman sahab’s soundtracks. It feels a little unreal to be part of one today, and that too in an Imtiaz Ali film,” says Zeb excitedly. Recently, Zeb has been working independently as Haniya pursues further education in music production at a leading university in Canada. However, the two came together for this venture; Zeb took over playback vocals while Haniya played the ukulele for the track.

Zeb shares that Imtiaz approached them for a feature last year, after they met on a short visit. The song, that has been picturised on the ingenue Alia Bhatt, required her to get out of her comfort zone as a vocalist, but Imtiaz guided her very precisely over the accent and emotional state of the character. “Since I have never been exposed to Haryanvi, I really had to work hard to get the accent and dialect right. In other words, I had to be the character in order to sing for her. This was a first for me and it was great fun!” says Zeb. It is not the first time that Zeb has undertaken a project in B-town. Her previous song Mile Ajnabee, from the civil war drama Madras Café, was very well-received in India. While Haniya was present for the recording of Sooha Saha, by and large, it is first time Zeb has had to work without her partner. “It was very strange in the beginning to work without her, since my association with music has always been connected to Haniya in one way or another. However, now I also realise the importance of discovering your creativity on your own. Working alone has been enriching because I have been able to experiment a lot more, and do things musically that I would have shied away from in the past,” emphasises Zeb. Zeb explains that the playback gig has required her to acquire a different skill set as well which you may not be able to attain from your own compositions. This also means that it is far more invigorating and exciting for a vocalist. “In playback you are forced to push your boundaries and get out of your comfort zone to meet the vision of the music director as well as the film director, and at the same time you must add some value with your own unique rendition, which is a tough balance to maintain,” says Zeb. This year has been an interesting year for Zeb, and has seen her working independently and branching over into the world of playback singing. Recently, the media has been abuzz with the upheavals at Coke Studio following news of Rohail Hyatt’s retirement; a show has played a key role in the rise of the band. She asserts that the platform was instrumental in promoting Pakistani music. “We were deeply involved with Coke Studio in the early years and I found it to be a wonderful experience. Since the past few years, Haniya and I have been doing a lot of projects and work abroad. This year, too, we touched base briefly to record the songs and were away when Laili Jaan was released,” says Zeb. Zeb also discloses that the band’s album has been completed, and their first video off the album will be directed by the talented Umar Riaz and is set to release in March of this year. “The song and the video are very close to my heart and Umar has done a wonderful job with it,” adds Zeb. Currently, Zeb has several projects in the pipeline that she has done on her own and is waiting to see unfold. “I am very excited about a new international project, the details of which will be revealed very soon. Also I will be working on a number of Bollywood projects this year, as a singer as well a composer,” she says. Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2014.