Farhad Humayun of Overload fame is back in the spotlight, and not just with a new track or a music initiative but some alarmingly sexist remarks.
Farhad Humayun of Overload fame is back in the spotlight, and not just with a new track or a music initiative but some alarmingly sexist remarks.
Speaking to the press regarding his upcoming collaboration with Levi’s, Humayun said some very unbecoming things regarding female musicians in Pakistan.
When discussing the year long project titled ‘Levis Live’ with a leading local daily news paper, Humayun discussed the details of the initiative (to which he is creative consultant) and added how finding a female musician is a struggle.
“We want a female musician to be part of it and are looking for one, but girls either don’t have original music or have parental issues. Or parents want a bigger influence in the planning and we can’t involve them with such an event,” said Humayun.
Not surprisingly, this misogynistic statement has not gone down well with industry insiders and those outside of it because it’s simply not true and reeks of ignorance and lack of awareness.
From Zoe Viccaji to Natasha Humera Ejaz, Sara Haider to Meesha Shafi, Zeb Bangash to Slowspin, Haniya Aslam, Alycia Dias, Qurutulain Balouch, and Rushk’s Tara Mahmood as well as the many lesser known but refreshing indie acts to the many diverse voices found in folk and across other genres, there are plenty of women who have added inimitable texture, depth and value to the music scene.
Following the publication of Humayun’s statements, Meesha Shafi, former Overload member and one of music’s most cherished name and one of Coke Studio 9’s hit-makers, while engaged in a discussion on Twitter wrote: “this unapologetic misogyny is why I left! Not ‘parental issues’”.
The sad irony here is that later, Humayun goes on to mention Zeb Bangash’s name, saying that she has been contacted to feature on the very show that apparently cannot find female musicians.
The word ‘epic fail’ comes to mind.
