Asfar Hussain is a Pakistani singer, music composer and songwriter best known as the vocalist in the Pakistani rock band ‘Bayan,’ who gained recognition after appearing in the first season of the Pakistani show ‘Nescafe Basement’ in 2012.
Wiki/Biography
Asfar Hussain was born on December 17, and he hails from Chitral in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius. In Chitral, where music is part of the culture, Asfar grew up witnessing musical gatherings, mehfils at home where his friends and relatives sang the verses of his poet father while his brother played the sitar. When Asfar was in high school, he moved to Peshawar for a while, where he was introduced to the rising Pakistani pop music of the early 2000s. In an interview, he said,
Because back then in Chitral I didn’t have cable or internet. Over there [in Peshawar] We have done. So, I was influenced by pop music there.”
Although there was some opposition in his family about pursuing a career in music, his father supported his decision. After attending a local school in Chitral, he enrolled at the National College of Arts (NCA) in Lahore, Pakistan, to study musicology. Although Asfar has been singing since he was in 7th grade, he took center stage for the first time during his college days. In 2012, Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, producer and mentor of the show ‘Nescafe Basement’ (2012), met Asfar at the NCA audition for the show. For the audition, Asfar sang Raaz-e-Fitna and Tau Kia Huwa. He also participated in the All Pakistan Music Conference (APMC) where he stood second in the Thumri (Indian music style) category.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 6′
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Family
Not much is known about his family. Unlike Asfar, who leans towards Urdu and pop music, his brother, a Chitrali sitar player, hails from his hometown.
Asfar Hussain with his mother
Career
Asfar Hussain is a member of Pakistani rock band ‘Bayaan’ based in Lahore. The band came into limelight after appearing in the popular Pakistani TV series ‘Nescafe Basement’ (2012). During jam sessions and recording for the show, the band members, all college students at the time, met and became fast friends. As a result, their musical chemistry led to the inauguration of ‘Bayan.’
Asfar Hussain in the show ‘Nescafe Basement’
Alternative contemporary rock/pop group consisting of Asfar Hussain (vocalist), Haider Abbas (bassist), Shahrukh Aslam (guitarist), Muqeet Shahzad (guitarist), and Mansoor Lashari (drummer).
Members of rock band ‘Bayaan’- Asfar Hussain, Haider Abbas, Shahrukh Aslam, Muqeet Shahzad, and Mansoor Lashari
In 2015, the group gained huge popularity with its first original song, Nahin Milta, written by Asfar.
Nahin Milta official video cover photo (2015)
The song was later compiled under the follow-up drama ‘4 Saal’ (2019), released under the record label Rearts records. Among other songs, ‘4 Saal’ also contains the crowd-pulling songs “Farda” and “Din Dhalay.”
Bayan EP 4 Saal (2019) cover photo
‘Nahin Milta’ was featured in the 2017 Pakistani war epic ‘Yalghaar,’ marking the group’s debut in Lollywood.
The band’s first live performance was at the Pak Media Revolution concert in Lahore. At the Lahore Music Meet 2020, the group announced the launch of its debut album ‘Suno,’ released under the record label Rearts records. The album consisted of the chartbuster songs “Teri Tasveer” and “Mera Musafir.” Raised in the mountainous region of Chitral, Asfar wrote the introductory line “Mera Musafir” imagining his home.
Cover of Bayan’s debut music album ‘Suno’
In 2018, the band won the Pakistani music competition TV series ‘Pepsi Battle of the Bands,’ beating a band called Xarb. As the winner of the show, Bayan received a cash prize of Rs. 50 lakhs and an album contract with Pepsi.
The Pepsi Battle of the Bands group won the Bayan group with trophies and cash prizes
The songs Bayan performed on the show were featured on various music streaming services. During an interview in 2018, Asfar revealed that apart from working with the group, he also works as a teacher, teaching performing arts and music at a private school. While talking about the busy schedules of all the band members, he said,
We all have day jobs and besides that we just love making music. The music itself is so time-consuming that we hardly have time to do anything else.”
The group reappeared on Pepsi Battle of the Bands in its fourth season to perform alongside Season 2 winners, Kashmir – The Band. Other singles by the group include Bekhabar (2019), Aaj Bazaar Mein (2020), and Faryaad (2021). All Bayan music is distributed and licensed by Rearts records. In March 2020, Asfar Hussain, among other artists, lent his voice to PepsiCo Pakistan’s popular cricket promotional song “Khel Ja Dil Se.”
Following the launch of the song, Asfar also appeared on the limited edition cold drink bottle label of PepsiCo in Pakistan.
Asfar Hussain is featured on the limited edition Pepsi cold drink bottle label in Pakistan
In February 2022, the group’s YouTube channel was awarded a Silver Creator Award, for exceeding 100,000 subscribers.
Members of the Bayan group pose with the Silver Creator Award in 2022
In 2022, on the Pakistani television program ‘Coke Studio,’ she sang the song “Mehram,” along with Brooklyn-based Pakistani vocalist Arooj Aftab.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- LUX Style Award (2022) for Best Song of the Year for the song “Teri Tasveer”
Asfar Hussain poses with the LUX Style Award (2022)
- Shaan-e-Pakistan Music Achievement Award (SEPMA) (2020) in the Best Lyrics category for the song “Bekhabar”
Bayan group member at Shaan-e-Pakistan Music Achievement Awards (SEPMA) (2020)
Favourite
- Movie: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
- Movie Series: Gangs of Wasseypur
- Singers: Mehdi Hassan, Kishore Kumar, and Ustaad Ghulam Ali Khan
Facts/Trivia
- Asfar Hussain is an avid dog lover. He posted various pictures with his pet dog named Roussie on his Instagram account.
Asfar Hussain with his pet dog, Roussie
- He is also known as Asfar Chitrali.
- In addition to singing, he is also skilled in playing rabab, guitar, tabla, and Chitrali sitar.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
