Shuja Haider or Shuja Hyder (; ; born 20 November, 1982) is a Pakistani singer, songwriter, composer, and record producer. Haider is best known as a playback singer for films ''

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 ...

'' (2007) and '' Bol'' (2011) and more recently for his work on Coke Studio, Pakistan. Haider served as music director for

Lux Style Awards The Lux Style Awards is an award ceremony held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The awards celebrate "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, and it is the oldest event dedicated to cinema, television, fashion, music and film industry ...

for two years. He has produced over 50 albums in his career and is considered one of the most established music producers in Pakistan today.

Early life and background

Shuja Haider was born in Lahore, Pakistan to Sajid Ali (1950 – May 24, 2022), a singer-musician, and is one of four siblings. His grandfather was renowned Pakistani pianist, Master Sadiq Ali (1935-1984), often referred to as the master pianist of the subcontinent. Exposed to numerous genres of music from across the world as a child, Haider started dabbling in music at the age of seven, although his primary interest was in athletics. He recalls that he always wanted to be a cricketer, inspired at a young age by cricketers

Wasim Akram Wasim Akram HI (; born 3 June 1966) is a Pakistani cricket commentator, coach, and former cricketer and captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. Akram is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, and several crit ...

Javed Miandad Mohammad Javed Miandad PP SI (Urdu: ; born 12 June 1957), popularly known as Javed Miandad (Urdu: ), is a Pakistani cricket coach, commentator and former cricketer known for his unconventional style of captaincy and batting. ESPNcricinfo desc ...

, and

Imran Khan Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi ( ur}; born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician and former Cricket captain who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to until April 2022, when he was ousted through a no-confidenc ...

. Haider's family moved to

Karachi, Pakistan Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

in the early 1990s, just as the city was becoming a cultural and creative hub for young musicians from all over Pakistan due to the influx of pop music and TV music channels. Haider eventually decided to pursue a career in music, and his main interest was in songwriting, composing, and producing music. He notes that he spent significant time during this period learning the ropes of digital music production which was still a relatively new technology at the time. Haider lists Sting,

Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University ...

Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...

, John Williams, and

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan ( pa, ; born Pervez Fateh Ali Khan; 13 October 1948 – 16 August 1997) was a Pakistani singer, songwriter, and music director. He was primarily a singer of qawwali — a form of Sufi devotional music. Sometimes ...

among his musical influences and has stated that listening to the Bee Gees,

The Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct, soft, musical style, combining Karen's contr ...

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

Abba ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group ...

and

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

as a teenager was particularly impactful for him. He recalls that seeing composers such as Bakhshi-Wazir at close quarters helped him understand the nuances of making music: "I’m very lucky that I saw them making songs. It’s by watching them that I learnt a little about how a song is made, how its weight should be distributed, and what tempo it should be in." Haider lists

Gustavo Santaolalla Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla (born 19 August 1951) is an Argentine musician, composer, and record producer. He is known for composing his film scores with his collaborator and acclaimed director Alejandro González Iñárritu, which composed the ...

as his favourite composer.

Career

Career beginnings

Haider established his own recording studio, Speed of Sound, in 1996 and produced Haroon's first solo album ''Haroon Ki Awaz'' in 2000 and

Ahmed Jahanzeb Ahmed Jahanzeb Usmani ( ur, ; born 28 May 1978) is a Pakistani pop singer and composer. Soon after, he rose to prominence as a singer with his very first single, "Tera Woh Pyar," composed by two of his brothers and released in 2004-05 by the

Indus Media Group Indus Media Group (also abbreviated as, IMG) is a Pakistani company broadcasting a mix of free-to-air news and entertainment channels via satellite. IMG owns and operates the Indus brand of television channels in various global markets. It o ...

. In 2008, Haider wrote and performed a song for the Indian film ''

Ru Ba Ru ''Ru Ba Ru'' is a 2008 Indian drama film directed by the debutant director Arjun Bali. Filmed in Hindi, the film revolves around the relationship between a live-in couple caught amidst their busy professional careers. The film stars actors Randeep ...

''. He has since done work as songwriter, composer, and vocalist for

Pakistani drama Pakistani dramas, or Pakistani serials, are televised serials produced in Pakistan. Although most of the serials are produced in Urdu, an increasing number of them are produced in other Pakistani languages such as Sindhi, Pashto, Punjabi an ...

soundtracks (known as OSTs) including ''Tum Mere Hi Rehna'' (2014), '' Muqaddas'' (2015), ''

Sehra Main Safar ''Sehra Main Safar'' ( ur, , lit=Journey Through the Desert) is a Pakistani romantic drama serial premiered on Hum TV on 18 December 2015. It is produced by Momina Duraid under MD Productions and written by Sarwat Nazir. Synopsis Episode ...

'' (2015), '' Mann Mayal'' (2016), ''Baaghi'' (2017), and '' Alif'' (2019). Haider is known for his collaborations with

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 ...

in his films ''

'' (2007) and '' Bol'' (2011), where he recorded solos and duets with

Ahmed Jahanzeb Ahmed Jahanzeb Usmani ( ur, ; born 28 May 1978) is a Pakistani pop singer and composer.

Work in Coke Studio

Haider made his Coke Studio debut in 2016 as music director and songwriter in

Season 9 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...

with the songs "Aaqa" (performed by Ali Sethi and

Abida Parveen Abida Parveen ( Urdu, sd, ; born 20 February 1954) is a Pakistani singer, composer and musician of Sufi music. She is also a painter and entrepreneur. Parveen is one of the highest paid singers in Pakistan. Her singing and music has earned ...

) and "Khaki Banda" (performed by

Ahmed Jahanzeb Ahmed Jahanzeb Usmani ( ur, ; born 28 May 1978) is a Pakistani pop singer and composer.Umair Jaswal). ''Aaqa'' received praise for its "beautiful melody" and "thoughtful flourishes." Haider was lauded for his composition and arrangement in "Khaki Banda," as well as for his innovation in incorporating

Bulleh Shah Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri ( pa, ; ; 1680–1757), known popularly as Bulleh Shah ( pa, ; ) and Bulleya, was a Punjabi philosopher and Sufi poet during 17th-century Punjab. His ancestors had migrated from Bukhara (modern-day Uzbekistan) ...

's Sufi verses into the song. Haider's songwriting in both "Aaqa" and "Khaki Banda" was noted for its Sufi-rock fusion, evocative imagery, and devotional expression. In the same season of Coke Studio, Haider also directed a medley of two of his original singles — " Tera Woh Pyar" (originally released in 2004) and "

Nawazishein Karam "Tera Woh Pyar" ( ) is a Pakistani Urdu song by Shuja Haider. Originally released in 2004 as a single, the song gained newfound popularity in 2016 when it was performed on '' Coke Studio''. 2016 version In 2016, Asim Azhar and Momina Must ...

" — performed by

Asim Azhar Asim Azhar (; born 29 October 1996) is a Pakistani singer, songwriter, musician and an actor. He started his career as a singer on YouTube, covering contemporary Western songs before he became a public figure. Career Asim Azhar was born o ...

and

Momina Mustehsan Momina Mustehsan (; born 5 September 1992) is a Pakistani singer, musician, and social activist. In 2017, BBC named her one of the 100 most influential women, and the following year, ''Forbes'' featured her among its "30 Under 30" Asia list a ...

and produced by Strings. In the season finale, Haider made his debut as a vocalist on Coke Studio with "Sab Jag Soye," performing with Quratulain Balouch. The following year, in Coke Studio Season 10, Haider continued to work as a producer but also wrote, composed, and sang "Baanware" with

Aima Baig Aima Noor-ul Ain Baig (, ; born 10 March 1995) is a Pakistani singer. She started her career in 2014 when she uploaded her songs onto SoundCloud, through which she was approached by different people. She is known for her appearances on Dunya N ...

. He also wrote, composed, and directed "Allahu Akbar," a traditional ''

hamd Hamd ( ar, حمد, ḥamd, praise) is a word that exclusively praises God - whether written or spoken. Thus, The word "Hamd" is always followed by the name of God (Allah) - a phrase known as the Tahmid - "al-ḥamdu li-llāh" (Arabic: ) (English ...

'' performed by Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan and

Ahmed Jahanzeb Ahmed Jahanzeb Usmani ( ur, ; born 28 May 1978) is a Pakistani pop singer and composer. and Haider was praised for his ability to blend "Middle-Eastern and South Asian musical motifs." In the same season, Haider directed " Dam Mast Qalandar" — sung by Umair Jaswal and

Jabar Abbas Jabar Abbas is a Pakistani singer-songwriter and musician who started his career in 1997 as child artist. He gained notability during his presidential tenure of Nazir Ahmed Musical Society at Government College University, Lahore from 20032007. ...

— as a musical tribute to

as well as "Jaan-e-Bahaaraan" (sung by

Ali Zafar Ali Zafar ( pa, ; born 18 May 1980) is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, model, actor, producer, screenwriter and painter. Zafar started out on Pakistani television before becoming a popular musician. He later also established a career in Bol ...

) as a tribute to the composer

Master Inayat Hussain Master Inayat Hussain (Punjabi, ur, ; 1916 – 26 March 1993) was a Pakistani film music composer. Early life and career Inayat Hussain was born in the Bhati Gate area of Lahore in 1916.Coke Studio Season 12, Haider performed the song "Saiyyan" with

Rachel Viccaji ''Coke Studio'' ( ur, ) is a Pakistani television programme and international music franchise which features studio-recorded music performances by established and emerging artists. It is the longest-running annual television music show in Paki ...

, produced by

Rohail Hyatt Rohail Hyatt (Urdu: روحیل حیات) is a Pakistani record producer, keyboardist, and composer. As record producer, Hyatt is largely credited with pioneering Pakistani pop rock music by incorporating western rock and pop influences. In ...

, the co-creator of Coke Studio. The composition was praised for its striking visual metaphors and its fusion of traditional

Punjabi folk music Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British ...

with a playful musical arrangement. Haider continues to be closely associated with

Coke Studio Pakistan ''Coke Studio'' ( ur, ) is a Pakistani television programme and international music franchise which features studio-recorded music performances by established and emerging artists. It is the longest-running annual television music show in Paki ...

and has been credited with bringing greater variety to the show in recent years.

Other work

In 2008, Haider composed and produced the song " Yeh Hum Naheen" (), written by

Ali Moeen Ali Moeen (born 20 November 1968) is a Pakistani playwright and a lyricist. Early life and career Ali Moeen was born 20 November 1968 in Lahore. He completed his masters degree in English literature and political science from Government Colle ...

. The song was part of an anti-terrorism campaign aimed at reaffirming Islam as anti-terrorism and promoting a more positive image of Pakistan to other nations. Haider sang the song along with artistes such as Strings, Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan,

, and

Hadiqa Kiyani Hadiqa Kiani (in Punjabi and ur, ) is a Pakistani singer, Songwriter, Guitarist, composer, actress, and philanthropist. She has received numerous local and international awards and also has performed at the Royal Albert Hall and The Kenn ...

among others. The song led to a record-breaking 62.8 million Pakistanis signing a petition to uphold the message of the campaign, and was entered into Guinness World Records as the most signed petition ever at the time. In 2017, Haider announced his work on ''Soundscape'', meant to be an interactive, multi-city live music series that would feature a number of artistes from around the country, representing different musical genres. Although largely completed, this project is currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also in 2017, Haider featured in and produced music for Season 5 of ''National Ka Pakistan,'' a reality adventure show on YouTube that explored and highlighted the unique culinary diversity across the four provinces of Pakistan. In the aftermath of the murder of Zainab Ansari in 2018, Haider wrote, composed and sang the song "Jeevan Daan" (featuring Saba Qamar) which addressed the issues of gender inequality and child abuse. In 2020, Haider produced and composed music for Season 3 of ''Strepsils Stereo'', the first musical platform in Pakistan geared at producing a cappella music and presenting new musical talent. In 2022, Haider launched ''The Idol Online'', an online talent hunt to scout, train, and develop up-and-coming musical talent from across Pakistan. Haider asserted that Pakistan lacks the "institutions and platforms that make artists. There is no orthodox teaching of music anymore. With ''Idol Online'', I want to provide a platform and an institution which would find and train artists as a means to give back to the community. I want to contribute to the betterment of the youth through music."

Artistry

Haider has stated in various interviews that for traditional Eastern classical music to survive, it is necessary to blend it with Western music to make it more accessible and attractive to listeners today. Haider's music aims to highlight traditional compositions and instruments while thematically reinterpreting them in a modern context. Fusing musical styles, cutting across genres, and experimenting with arrangements is therefore a prominent feature in Haider's music. Haider is also a vocal advocate for creating original music as opposed to the current culture of churning out cover songs, stating in an interview that "cover songs...(are)…the formula for overnight fame. But let’s not overdo it as at the end of the day you only become a respectable star in your own right when you bring about original numbers that create ripples." In another interview, he similarly contended, "I personally don't agree with the practice. You can't own someone else's work. You cannot put your own name on someone else's art." Despite his significant success as a singer, Haider has stated in various interviews that he primarily considers himself a composer, songwriter and record producer: "Personally, I have always enjoyed creating music far more than singing. This is what I’ve acquired over time – songwriting, that is...Going on stage and making people raise their hands to applaud frantically for me was never my thing."

Discography

Singles

* "

Tera Woh Pyar "Tera Woh Pyar" ( ) is a Pakistani Urdu song by Shuja Haider. Originally released in 2004 as a single, the song gained newfound popularity in 2016 when it was performed on '' Coke Studio''. 2016 version In 2016, Asim Azhar and Momina Must ...

" (2005) *" Yeh Hum Naheen" (2008) *"Josh-e-Junoon" (2011),

Pakistan Cricket Team The Pakistan national cricket team or Pak cricket team, often referred to as the Shaheens (), Green Shirts, Men in Green and Cornered Tigers is administered by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The team is a Full Member of the International ...

Sports Anthem (Composer) *"Funn Mitti Se" (2018) * "Jeevan Daan" (2018) * "Kya Ho Gaya Hai" (2020) * "Teri Qasam" (2021) * "Rabba" (2021) * "Main Na Janoo" (2021) * "Dil Machis Hai" (2021) * "Dukh" (2021) * "Baaghi - Unplugged" (2021) * "Allah o Akbar"(2021) * "Faslon Ko Takaluf" (2021) * "Mere Maula" (2021) * "Alif - Unplugged" (2021) * "Jeena" (2021) * "Safina" (2021) * "Baanware - Original Version" (2021) * "Main Urra - Special Version" (2021) *"Mumkin" (composer, producer) for ''Strepsils Stereo'' Season 3 (2020) *"Udikan Laiyan Mein," for ''Strepsils Stereo'' Season 3 (2021) *"Dil Bhara Nahi" (2021) *"Want You Back" (2022) *"Pyar Nai Fir Kerna" for '' Kashmir Beats'' Season 2, with

Kinza Hashmi Kinza Hashmi (born 7 March 1997) is a Pakistani actress who works in Urdu television. She made her debut in 2014 with ''Adhura Milan'' as Nayab and later on appeared in several serials. Hashmi is best known for playing Rushna in Hum TV's romanti ...

(2022) *"Tu Hi Zindagi" (2022) *"Shad Rahe Pakistan" (2022) *"Nawazishein Karam - Original Version" (2022)

Film

* ''

'' (2007) * ''

'' (2008) * '' Bol'' (2011) * ''Verna'' (2017) * ''

Parwaaz Hai Junoon ''Parwaaz Hai Junoon'' ( ur, ; lit: ''Soaring is Passion'') is a 2018 Pakistani aerial combat-war romantic film, directed by Haseeb Hassan, produced by Momina Duraid and written by Farhat Ishtiaq. The film features an ensemble cast of Hamz ...

'' (2018) *''Aya Lariye'' from ''

Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2 ''Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2'' (), sometimes abbreviated as ''JPNA 2'', is a 2018 Pakistani romantic comedy film, directed by Nadeem Baig and written by Vasay Chaudhry. It is a joint venture of Salman Iqbal Films, Humayun Saeed and Shahzad Nasib's ...

'' (2018) *''

The Donkey King ''The Donkey King'' ( ur, ) is a 2018 Pakistani computer animated comedy film, directed by Aziz Jindani. The film features the voices of Jan Rambo, Ismail Tara, Hina Dilpazeer, Ghulam Mohiuddin, and Jawed Sheikh. It was released in Pakista ...

'' (2018) *'' Laal'' (2019) *''Nayi Soch'' from '' Khel Khel Mein'' (2021) *'' Ghabrana Nahi Hai'' (2022) (composer and songwriter)

Television (OSTs)

* ''Tum Mere Hi Rehna'' (2014) * '' Muqaddas'' (2015) * ''

'' (2015) *'' Kisay Chahoon'' (2016) * '' Mann Mayal'' (2016) * '' Sanam'' (2016) * ''

Tau Dil Ka Kia Hua ''Tau Dil Ka Kia Hua'' ( So What Happened to the Heart) is a Pakistani television series aired on 2 July 2017 on Hum TV replacing Sammi. It stars an ensemble cast including Zahid Ahmed, Sami Khan, Ayeza Khan, Mansha Pasha, Imran Ashraf an ...

'' (2017) *'' Woh Aik Pal'' (2017) *''

Dil Banjaara ''Dil Banjaara'' ( ur, lit: ''Wander Heart''), previously entitled ''Gypsy'' is a Pakistani drama serial that was aired on Hum TV on 14 October 2016, preceded by '' Jhoot'' for 2016 Television season. It is directed by Siraj-ul-Haque, writt ...

'' (2017) * '' Baaghi'' (2017) * ''Zard Zamano Ka Sawera'' (2017) *''

Khafa Khafa Zindagi ''Khafa Khafa Zindagi'' is 2018 Pakistani family drama television series produced by Sadia Jabbar under Sadia Jabbar Production. The series focuses on trials and tribulations of a married couple played by Ali Safina and Sumbal Iqbal along wit ...

'' (2018) *'' Pukaar'' (2018) * ''

Kam Zarf ''Kamzarf'' () is a 2019 Pakistani television series, produced by Hassan Zia under their production banner Mastermind Productions. It featured Junaid Khan, Rabab Hashim and Nadia Khan in lead roles. The drama aired weekly episode on Geo Ente ...

'' (2019) * ''Sunehri Titliyan'' (2019) * '' Mein Na Janoo'' (2019) * ''Alif'' (2019) *'' Dil-e-Bereham'' (2019) *'' Dobara'' (2021) (composer and co-writer) *''Naye Hain Rastay'' from '' Khwaab Toot Jaatay Hain'' (2021)

Coke Studio Pakistan

Season 9 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
(2016)

Filmography

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Haider, Shuja 1982 births Living people People from Karachi Pakistani male singers Pakistani composers Pakistani record producers Singers from Karachi Singers from Lahore Sufi music Punjabi-language singers Urdu-language singers Hindi-language singers Coke Studio (Pakistani TV program) Pakistani musicians Pakistani songwriters

Early life and background

Career

Career beginnings

Work in Coke Studio

Other work

Artistry

Discography

Singles

Film

Television (OSTs)

Coke Studio Pakistan

Season 9 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
(2016)

Season 10 (2017)

Season 11 (2018)

Season 12 (2019)

Coke Studio 2020

Filmography

Television

References

External links

Early life and background

Career

Career beginnings

Work in Coke Studio

Other work

Artistry

Discography

Singles

Film

Television (OSTs)

Coke Studio Pakistan

Season 9 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ... (2016)

Season 10 (2017)

Season 11 (2018)

Season 12 (2019)

Coke Studio 2020

Filmography

Television

References

External links

Season 9 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
(2016)