Haider Rahman
Encyclopedia
Haider Rahman is a Pakistani musician and current band member of the band Laal
. He plays the bansuri
(flute) for the band. He also sometimes lends his voice for backup vocals. He is recognized all over Pakistan because of his being a shagird
of the legendary Pakistani flute
player Akmal Qadri and the famous north Indian
classical musician Hariprasad Chaurasia
. He also spent some time training with Mohammad Ahsan (aka Pappu).
with whom he spent nearly 4 months in training as a Shagird (student). He has dedicated his life to training for and playing the bansuri
because of the Pandit's
influence.
Haider is also credited for taking the North Indian flute playing
genre to a new level because of his work and performances with Jazz
, Cuban, Bulgarian, Hungarian and western classical folk
musician's while he was studying for a master's
in Economics
from London.
. His main performance comes when he is given a "space" for a Flute solo, in which he plays the flute for 5 to 6 minutes. He has quoted in several interviews that he is not told what to play. He improvises according to his mood and also says that he plays the sound that he hears inside him, and does not play anything that he has played before. He also claims that he does not rehearse before going out on stage. Haider is considered to be a great asset not only to the band but also to the Pakistani music industry
.
(flute) player in the band's debut album Umeed e Sahar.
Laal (band)
Laal is a musical band from Pakistan known for singing socialist political songs, especially on the poetry written by leftist Urdu poets such as Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Habib Jalib...
. He plays the bansuri
Bansuri
The bansuri is a transverse alto flute of Bangladesh, India and Nepal made from a single hollow shaft of bamboo with six or seven finger holes. An ancient musical instrument associated with cowherds and the pastoral tradition, it is intimately linked to the love story of Krishna and Radha, and is...
(flute) for the band. He also sometimes lends his voice for backup vocals. He is recognized all over Pakistan because of his being a shagird
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
of the legendary Pakistani flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
player Akmal Qadri and the famous north Indian
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
classical musician Hariprasad Chaurasia
Hariprasad Chaurasia
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is an Indian classical instrumentalist. He is a player of the bansuri, the North Indian bamboo flute. Chaurasia is a classicist who has made a conscious effort to reach out and expand the audience for classical music.-Early life:Hariprasad Chaurasia was born in...
. He also spent some time training with Mohammad Ahsan (aka Pappu).
Early life
Haider started playing the flute at a very young age. His main inspiration was Pandit Hariprasad ChaurasiaHariprasad Chaurasia
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is an Indian classical instrumentalist. He is a player of the bansuri, the North Indian bamboo flute. Chaurasia is a classicist who has made a conscious effort to reach out and expand the audience for classical music.-Early life:Hariprasad Chaurasia was born in...
with whom he spent nearly 4 months in training as a Shagird (student). He has dedicated his life to training for and playing the bansuri
Bansuri
The bansuri is a transverse alto flute of Bangladesh, India and Nepal made from a single hollow shaft of bamboo with six or seven finger holes. An ancient musical instrument associated with cowherds and the pastoral tradition, it is intimately linked to the love story of Krishna and Radha, and is...
because of the Pandit's
Ustad
Ustad is an Arabized Persian word is a honorific title for a Muslim man in South Asia. The title precedes the name and is usually used for well regarded teachers and artists, most often musicians. It is applied and used via informal social agreement. It is abbreviated as ut. or ud.-References:*...
influence.
Haider is also credited for taking the North Indian flute playing
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
genre to a new level because of his work and performances with Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, Cuban, Bulgarian, Hungarian and western classical folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
musician's while he was studying for a master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from London.
Laal
Haider is a founding member of the band LaalLaal (band)
Laal is a musical band from Pakistan known for singing socialist political songs, especially on the poetry written by leftist Urdu poets such as Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Habib Jalib...
. His main performance comes when he is given a "space" for a Flute solo, in which he plays the flute for 5 to 6 minutes. He has quoted in several interviews that he is not told what to play. He improvises according to his mood and also says that he plays the sound that he hears inside him, and does not play anything that he has played before. He also claims that he does not rehearse before going out on stage. Haider is considered to be a great asset not only to the band but also to the Pakistani music industry
Music of Pakistan
The music of Pakistan includes diverse elements ranging from music from various parts of South Asia as well as Central Asian, Persian, Turkish, Arabic and modern day Western popular music influences...
.
Discography
Haider has performed as a bansuriBansuri
The bansuri is a transverse alto flute of Bangladesh, India and Nepal made from a single hollow shaft of bamboo with six or seven finger holes. An ancient musical instrument associated with cowherds and the pastoral tradition, it is intimately linked to the love story of Krishna and Radha, and is...
(flute) player in the band's debut album Umeed e Sahar.
Awards and honours
| Year | Award/Title | Work | Organization/Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Best Amateur Flute Player of the Year | N/A | All Pakistan Music Conference All Pakistan Music Conference The All Pakistan Music Conference was founded in 1959 for the promotion of classical music in Pakistan. Ever since its inception, it has been a constant source of inspiration for thousands of music lovers nationwide.-History:... |
| 1998 | Honorary Member of the Literacy Brigade | Lok Raj | The Literacy Brigade |
| 1995, 1996, 1997 | Meraj Medal, Mazari Medal, Ghazanfar Medal | Live Performances | All Pakistan Music Conference All Pakistan Music Conference The All Pakistan Music Conference was founded in 1959 for the promotion of classical music in Pakistan. Ever since its inception, it has been a constant source of inspiration for thousands of music lovers nationwide.-History:... |
| 2000 | Assistant General Secretary | N/A | Millennium Festival 2000 |
See also
- LaalLaal (band)Laal is a musical band from Pakistan known for singing socialist political songs, especially on the poetry written by leftist Urdu poets such as Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Habib Jalib...
- Shahram AzharShahram AzharShahram Azhar is a Pakistani singer and is the lead vocalist of Laal The Band. He has a masters from Warwick University and is a graduate of Lahore University of Management Sciences. He is currently going to study for a Ph.D in Economics, at University of Massachusetts in USA...
- Taimur RahmanTaimur RahmanTaimur Rahman is an academic, political activist and a musician from Pakistan. He is the band leader and spokesperson for the music group named Laal. His father Rashid Rahman is the editor of Daily Times. He is also the General Secretary of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party. He was involved with...
- Mahvash WaqarMahvash WaqarMahvash Waqar is a Pakistani artist and current band member of the Laal Band. She is the backup vocalist for the band. She has also been famous for a stint on the radio network as a RJ.-Early life:...
- Habib JalibHabib JalibHabib Jalib was a Pakistani revolutionary poet. A left-wing activist and politician, he was a staunch democrat who opposed martial law, authoritarianism and state oppression.-Early life:...
- Faiz Ahmed FaizFaiz Ahmed FaizFaiz Ahmad Faiz was a Pakistani intellectual, poet, and one of the most famous poets of the Urdu language. He was a member of the Anjuman Tarraqi Pasand Mussanafin-e-Hind and an avowed Marxist. In 1962, he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize by the Soviet Union...
- Urdu poets