Kaifi Khalil ( ur, ; born 2 September 1996) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter and composer based in Karachi. He rose to prominence in 2022 after his debut in ''Coke Studio'''s Balochi song "Kana Yaari". His song " Kahani Suno 2.0" topped Spotify charts in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

Life and career

Kaifi was born and raised in Karachi's neighborhood of

Lyari Lyari (Urdu: ; sd, لیاري) is a historic locality in Karachi, Pakistan. It is the most densely-populated part of Karachi, and is one of its earliest settled areas.Sarwat Viqar (2014) Constructing Lyari: place, governance and identity in a Kar ...

to a family of

Baloch Baloch, also spelled Baloch, Beluch and in other ways, may refer to: * Baloch people, an ethnic group of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan * Baluch, a small itinerant community of Afghanistan * Balouch, Azad Kashmir, a town in Pakistan * Baloch (s ...

musicians. He lived a relatively troubled childhood with financial troubles after his father died, and frequently skipped school. In 2015, he started his own YouTube channel and uploaded his first video in 2016. His first song was a cover of "Mani Tawe Dost," a Balochi tune. He used to upload covers of songs and original music by him on his YouTube channel before being discovered in 2022 by ''

Coke Studio Coke Studio may refer to: * ''Coke Studio'' (Pakistan), a Pakistani television series featuring live music performances. * ''Coke Studio'' (India), an Indian television series featuring live music performances. * ''Coke Studio Bangla'', a Banglade ...

s music producer, Xulfi. He wrote and composed his verse in "Kana Yaari" three years prior to releasing it on the Coke Studio platform, singing alongside artists Eva B and Abdul Wahab Bugti. Since its release in 2022, his

Urdu language Urdu (;"Urdu"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. ur, , link=no, ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, In ...

song " Kahani Suno 2.0" continues to be the top song for Spotify charts in Pakistan with 350 million plus streams to date. It also topped charts in Bangladesh and became a trending song in neighbouring India. The song's top countries for listeners include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the UK, US and Canada. Its music video also secured a spot in YouTube's Top 10 Global Charts peaking at number 8, the first Pakistani music video to do so. It is also listed among the most-viewed Pakistani YouTube videos. In 2023, he announced his first international tour in

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...

, Saudi Arabia. He has a vast discography with multiple songs, including ''Dilbar Dila Bide, Afsos, Beqaraar, Jungle Jungle, Tauba Tauba, Drog'' and ''Kadi Kaye.'' Other singles released by Kaifi include Baali Guraab (2021), Kadi Kaye (2021) and Mast (2022).

Artistry

He is recognized for putting a contemporary spin on traditional

Balochi Balochi, sometimes spelt in various other ways, may refer to: * Balochi language, a language of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan * an adjective for something related to the Baloch people, an ethnic group of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan * an adjecti ...

folk music with modern day music.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khalil, Kaifi 1996 births Living people Pakistani male singer-songwriters Pakistani singer-songwriters Pakistani male composers Singers from Karachi Baloch musicians Balochi-language singers