The name Shumaila Hussain may not ring a bell at first but that’s perhaps due to the fact that the Dubai-based singer and composer maintains a very low profile.
However, with a repertoire that includes international collaborations and tours, singing for soundtrack of films like Sarmad Khoosat’s Manto, Bollywood films such as Julie 2 and composing-singing the Jazzy number ‘Theriye Huzoor’ from recently released film Azad, Hussain remains a dynamic talent. Not many people know this but she is also actor and writer Yasir Hussain’s sister.
One great example of her remarkable flair for music can be gauged from the soundtrack of drama serial Muqabil, which she not only sang but also composed (with poetry by the late iconic poet Jaun Elia).
Most recently, Hussain held a solo musical gig in Dubai where she paid tribute to legendary artists like Madam Noor Jehan and Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
I met the singer-composer for a brief chat after her unplugged concert in one of Dubai’s posh cafes (where she has a dedicated slot in a month and one that draws Pakistani music lovers from across Dubai). An excerpt from that conversation below…
Instep: Tell us about drawing inspiration from poet and philosopher Jaun Elia’s writings and how it led to you composing?
Schumaila Hussain (SH): I used to read Jaun Elia a lot and I always found his work very relevant for today’s world. The anger and frustration that were the defining traits of his personality are very much reflected in his writings as well. Loneliness, unrequited love and a sense of grief of separation are the central themes of his poetry and it’s a treasure for any music composer. He never wrote like a traditional poet, which is why his writings are the toughest ones to be composed and are hard to set on tunes. But then that is what I like about it.
Instep: Did you compose as well as sing ‘Keejay’ from drama serial Muqabil?
SH: Yes, but I had not sung that one for Muqabil. I had recorded ‘Keejay’ earlier and it was there in my work repository. The makers of Muqabil asked me (while the serial had already gone on air), if they could use it as the OST for their drama serial. I was surprised to see the response on YouTube and then I realized this was my calling.
Instep: You’re working on your next album. What can you tell us about it?
SH: My album is almost complete and it’s called Jani. This is going to be a compilation of Jaun Elia’s poems, which I’ve composed and produced. One thing I miss these days is the fact that singers don’t invest in albums and rely on singles. One has to have an album of their own. It’s like an artist’s resume; a profiling of his talent.
Whatever record label I have met in Dubai or in the USA or when I’m introduced to an artist, they give me their album. You have to offer variety through multiple songs to listeners. Creativity mein kanjoosi nahi karni chahiye.
Instep: Your style of singing and music feels inspired from Jazz and western music. A great example would be your song ‘Theriye Huzoor’ from Azad. Why Jazz?
SH: I have studied international music and have conducted several workshops in the US. During my college days, I was sent for a musical workshop under the US-UN Cultural Connect programme and I was handpicked by Mary Wilson, the band member of Diana Ross & The Supremes to perform across different states of America. Perhaps the influence has been there since then.
Instep: Do you think living outside Pakistan can prove to be a little challenging? If we talk about Coke Studio, they normally take local artists on board.
SH: Living in Dubai has its own advantages. You are available to many platforms and you are accessible for international event organizers as well. My Bollywood songs were recorded here in Dubai. I am also very close to Sajjad (Ali) bhai and Shuja Haider and we jam whenever our schedules match. As far as Coke Studio and other such platforms are concerned, they have engaged many artists from outside Pakistan in the past and my work is out there already. I believe if they find me good enough, they will get me on board. I would love to perform for those platforms.
– Sadiq Saleem is a Dubai based entertainment journalist. He is also an Instep & Something Haute correspondent and can be contacted on his page fb/sidsaidso.