Rohail Hyatt (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instr ...

, and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

. As record producer, Hyatt is largely credited with pioneering Pakistani pop rock music by incorporating western

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

and pop influences. In 1986, Hyatt founded the band

Vital Signs Vital signs (also known as vitals) are a group of the four to six most crucial medical signs that indicate the status of the body's vital (life-sustaining) functions. These measurements are taken to help assess the general physical health of a ...

and released its commercially hit and critically acclaimed album, ''

Vital Signs 1 ''Vital Signs 1'' was the first album of the Pakistani band Vital Signs. Fresh from the success of their smash hit Dil Dil Pakistan Vital Signs went to work on their debut album, with Shoaib Mansoor providing the lyrics to all but 2 songs. D ...

''. The first album included the international number-one single "

Dil Dil Pakistan Dil Dil Pakistan ( ur, ) is the most popular patriotic Pakistani song, sung by Junaid Jamshed. It was released in 1987 by the pop band Vital Signs. The song was featured in the band's debut album, ''Vital Signs 1'', in 1987. Dil Dil Pakistan is ...

" and "Tum Mil Gaye", which were composed by Hyatt. The big commercial success of Vital Signs' first album helped shape the

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

industry of Pakistan. In 1991, Hyatt produced and released the band's second album, ''

Vital Signs 2 ''Vital Signs 2'' was the second album of the Pakistani band Vital Signs released in 1991. Track listing All music composed by Vital Signs. All songs written by Shoaib Mansoor. Personnel All information is taken from the CD. ;Vital Sign ...

'', distributed by EMI Pakistan, which received mixed reviews. Between 1993 and 1995, Hyatt garnered recognition and critical acclaims for composing the two best-selling albums which improved the recognition of his work in the music industry. In 1998, Hyatt discontinued Vital Signs after facing various issues, leaving

Junaid Jamshed Junaid Jamshed Khan ( ur, ; 3 September 1964 – 7 December 2016) was a Pakistani singer-songwriter, television personality, fashion designer, actor, and preacher. After graduating with a degree in engineering from the University of Engineeri ...

to focus on his solo career. Hyatt later founded Pyramid Productions which subsequently emerged as one of the most prominent music production companies of Pakistan, and produced a ''

ghazal The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...

'' album featuring

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Rahat Fateh Ali Khan ( Punjabi, ; born 9 December 1974) is a Pakistani Singer, primarily of Qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music. Khan is one of the biggest and highest paid singers in Pakistan. He is the nephew of Nusrat Fateh Ali Kha ...

. In 2007, he composed the soundtrack of highly critical acclaimed and internationally successful film, ''

Khuda Kay Liye ''Khuda Kay Liye'' (also released as ''In the Name of God'' in international markets) is a 2007 Pakistani drama film directed by Shoaib Mansoor, produced by Brigadier Syed Mujtaba Tirmizi from ISPR and stars Shaan Shahid, Fawad Khan and Iman Al ...

,'' which helped promote his work within the country as well as internationally. In 2008, Hyatt founded the international music outlet, ''

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 ...

,'' and he is credited with featuring both established as well as upcoming Pakistani artists through the platform.

Early life and education

Hyatt grew up in

Rawalpindi Rawalpindi ( or ; Urdu, ) is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and third largest in Punjab after Lahore and Faisalabad. Rawalpindi is next to Pakistan's ...

in the

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

province of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

in the Khattar family of Sir

Liaqat Hayat Khan Khan Bahadur Nawab Sir Liaqat Hayat Khan (also sometimes 'Liaquat Hyat Khan'), (February 1887 – 1948) was an Indian official who served for most of his career as a minister and later Prime Minister of Patiala State, in British India. Early l ...

, a prominent Punjabi leader during

British rule The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...

of whom Hyatt is a great-grandson. He studied at St. Mary's Academy before embarking on his career in music. Hyatt recalls that his interest in music grew in his early childhood and his parents encouraged his interest in Western music. He grew up in the midst of "a serious hippie community. His parents' choice was dominated by

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

and Engelbert Humperdinck, but after his parents bought him his first

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

, he began composing traditional Pakistani and Sufi music. His mother had great impact on him and his interest in music: she arranged music lessons for him to learn

. Hyatt recalls that "his mother had him go to sleep in the afternoons by putting the

radio on ''Radio On'' is a 1979 film directed by Christopher Petit. It is a rare example of a British road movie, shot in black and white by Wim Wenders' assistant cameraman Martin Schäfer and featuring music from a number of new wave bands of the ...

, and it was all local

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...

. However, his interest in producing and playing Western music began after his aunt bought

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...

's ''

The Wall ''The Wall'' is the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest/EMI and Columbia/CBS Records. It is a rock opera that explores Pink, a jaded rock star whose eventual self-imp ...

'' album in 1980, which he listened to for hours. About the Pink Floyd, he reportedly quoted: "That just did it for me. It opened up a whole new direction of soundscapes and influences." During his youth, he was a member of the

Pakistan national under-19 cricket team Pakistan Under-19 cricket team are twice ( 2004 and 2006) Cricket World Champions at the under-19 level. Their second win made them the first, and to date only, back-to-back champions. They are also 3 time runners-up (1988, 2010 & 2014) and hav ...

and it seemed that his future was in the sport until he came across

Rizwan-ul-Haq Rizwan–ul–Haq is a Pakistani guitarist, music composer, and backing vocalist, earning fame as lead guitarist for the acclaimed band, Vital Signs (band), Vital Signs. Early life and education Rizwan–ul–Haq grew up in Karachi and later Raw ...

. The two became acquaintances and Hyatt discovered that Haq was also a guitarist after Haq played guitar at school playing the song. At the

Peshawar University The University of Peshawar ( ps, د پېښور پوهنتون; hnd, پشور یونیورسٹی; ur, ; abbreviated UoP; known more popularly as Peshawar University) is a Public university, public research university located in Peshawar, Khy ...

, he met with guitarist

Shahzad Hasan Shahzad Hasan (also known as Shahi Hasan), is a Pakistani musician, record producer, occasional actor, bass guitarist, backing vocalist and music industry executive. Co-founding the pop and rock band, Vital Signs, with keyboardist Rohail Hyatt ...

(Shahi) and decided to form the band, although no name for new band was reached. In 1980s, he was a member of two underground bands – Progressions and Crude X. Bassist

Nusrat Hussain Nusrat Hussain (Urdu:نصرت حسین), is a Pakistani musician, airline pilot, guitarist, and keyboardist. He played guitar for the Vital Signs and keyboard for Junoon in the mid 1990s. He soon left both bands opting for a career in PIA as ...

, whom he cites as a major influence in learning and on his outlook on music along with the global acts of that era, was a member of Progressions and Shahi was in Crude X. During the mid of 1980s, Hyatt left the university and referred himself as "a bum," in the university. Hyatt later was employed at the

British embassy This is a list of diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, excluding honorary consulates. The UK has one of the largest global networks of diplomatic missions. UK diplomatic missions to capitals of other Com ...

where he worked in a desk job. He later abandoned this job as the idea of playing keyboards and guitar in a band was far more alluring. His son Danial Hyatt is also a musician, having participated, with his band Mole, in the third episode of ''Coke Studio'' season four with the instrumental "Baageshri", while later composing the background score of the 2019 action-thriller movie ''

Laal Kabootar ''Laal Kabootar'' ( ur, , lit=Red Pigeon) is a 2019 Pakistani action crime thriller film directed by Kamal Khan, produced by Hania Chima and Kamil Chima, and written by Ali Abbas Naqvi. Taha Malik is the music director while Danial Hyatt, son o ...

''.

Vital Signs

In the midst of 1980s, Hyatt partnered with Shahzad Hasan (Shahi) to begin working on the rock/pop music genre; both launched

in 1986. Earlier in 1983, Hyatt met

who sang "

Careless Whisper "Careless Whisper" is a song written by George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. Released on the 1984 Wham! album ''Make It Big'', the single release was credited either to ''Wham! featuring George Michael'' (in North America and several other count ...

", a 1984 single by

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...

, at the Islamabad Model College. During this time, Hyatt was looking for a singer for his new band and he had earlier wanted to work with Jamshed, but due to various reasons, could not arrange a meeting with him. That night at the university campus, Jamshed sang "Careless Whisper" and impressed Hyatt to become band's new lead singer. With the help of Hyatt and

, Jamshed was inducted into Vital Signs and signed a record deal with record executive and producer

Shoaib Mansoor Shoaib Mansoor (Full name, Shoaib Mansoor), ( ur, ; born 4 February 1951 Karachi) is a Pakistani television and film director, writer, producer, lyricist and musician of Muhajir origin. Active in the television industry since 1980, he first f ...

to his PTV Music Studio. For the most of the part of the decade, Hyatt was the leader of

. Hyatt led the Signs on the internal creative core and the entire financial management of the Signs. Together, Vital Signs produced five albums and were under contract with

Pepsi Cola Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961. History Pepsi was ...

from 1991 to 1997. Rohail played the role of band member, producer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist at different times in the band's history. The first hit for Vital Signs was "

", which was voted the third most popular song in the world by a poll carried out by

BBC World BBC World News is an international English-language pay television network, operated under the ''BBC Global News Limited'' division of the BBC, which is a public corporation of the UK government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and S ...

Work in Coke Studio

Hyatt launched the music platform ''Coke Studio Pakistan'' in 2008, produced by

The Coca-Cola Company The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational beverage corporation founded in 1892, best known as the producer of Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Company also manufactures, sells, and markets other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, ...

. Hyatt has shared that his vision for the TV show was to experiment with fusion music and bring to the forefront the extensive depth and breadth of Pakistan's traditional music by incorporating it into an electronic landscape, stating that "the idea was to share our traditional music with the world, but in a palatable sound scale." Hyatt felt strongly that the show should "promote Pakistan's folk, classical and indigenous music by marrying it to more popular or mainstream music." Hyatt's plans for the show were met with some skepticism initially, and he was allowed to produce only three or four songs for the first season of ''Coke Studio Pakistan''. However, their instant popularity allowed him to experiment more decisively in subsequent seasons. Hyatt produced Seasons 1-6 of ''Coke Studio Pakistan'' as well as Seasons 12 and 13. Discussing his musical philosophy and creative approach to ''Coke Studio'', Hyatt has stated that he aimed to make ''Coke Studio'' as inclusive and accommodating as possible for artists and musicians, asserting that "everybody is welcomed with equal warmth and there is no division of spotlight. And this is by design, at least anything I am a part of will be neutral, it has to be a win-win for everyone." He further elaborated that "it isn't just about being a part of the show, it is much bigger than that. It is about giving the musicians the respect and recognition they deserve as people with amazing talent and skillset." As producer, Hyatt is said to have brought a psychedelic vibe to the show and has been praised for infusing energy and creativity into ''Coke Studio's'' production. Through his work in ''Coke Studio'', Hyatt is credited with shaping musical trends in the South Asian soundscape, being instrumental in reinventing traditional sounds, and redefining music production in Pakistan. Hyatt is also acknowledged for facilitating "creative collaborations between two different dimensions of music, the established contemporary Western artists alongside regional, folk, classical ones..." as well as for scouting and promoting new talent through the show. Writing for ''

The News on Sunday ''The News International'', published in broadsheet size, is one of the largest English language newspapers in Pakistan. It is published daily from Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad. An overseas edition is published from London that cat ...

'', Maheen Sabeeh contended that "under Rohail Hyatt’s days as producer, C''oke Studio'' became something of a phenomenon, both in Pakistan and outside that was both cool enough for the youth and appealed to an older generation as well."

Further success

Hyatt is currently Coca-Cola's music consultant helping other markets to launch the

franchise.

Re-recording of the Pakistan National Anthem

Mandated by the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provin ...

in April 2022, a steering committee was established to create a re-recording of the original

national anthem of Pakistan The "" ( ur, , ; "National Anthem"), also known as "" ( ur, , ; "Thy Sacred Land"), is the national anthem of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and formerly the Dominion of Pakistan. It was written by Hafeez Jalandhari in 1952 and the music ...

to mark the 75th anniversary of the independence of Pakistan. The new recording was aimed at reflecting the inclusivity and diversity of voices while also retaining the sanctity of the original composition. The committee enlisted 140 vocalists from diverse regional, religious, and ethnic backgrounds and all musical genres across Pakistan. Hyatt served on the audio sub-committee and produced the anthem along with Arshad Mehmood. Hyatt stated: "the idea was representation of all people who called Pakistan their homeland and not restrict it to a certain class or religion but make sure that it puts minorities front and center along with the majority."

Awards

* 2008 Lux Style Awards, Best Original Soundtrack album for ''

'' *

Hilal-i-Imtiaz The ''Hilaal-e-Imtiaz'' (; ), also spelled and transliterated as Hilāl-e-Imtiyāz, is the second-highest (in the hierarchy of "Hilal") civilian award and honour given to both civilians and military officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces by the ...

for Art (Music Composition) 2021

References

External links

Vital Signs – A Personal History by NFP"In The Name of God"Rohail HyattCoke Studio
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hyatt, Rohail Living people Hayat Khattar family Pakistani musicians Pakistani male singers Coke Studio (Pakistani TV program) Pakistani rock keyboardists Pakistani keyboardists University of Peshawar alumni 1966 births