1. Which member of Coke Studio Pakistan’s in-house team was a part of the music group Kaavish during the band’s early years?

a) Zohaib Kazi

b) Bilal Iftikhar

c) Rakae Jamil

d) Sherry Khattak

2. From the following artists, which one wanted to be a game theorist?

a) Atif Aslam

b) Rohail Hyatt

c) Ali Hamza

d) None of the above

4. Which song by Atif Aslam/Jal was dismissed by a famous pop-rock group before its release?

a) ‘Aadat’

b) ‘King of Self’

c) ‘Khushfehmi’

d) All of the above

3. Which musician has worked with guitarists such as Salman Ahmed, Ziyyad Gulzar, Omran Shafique, Mahmood Rahman, Mohsin Raza Shah, and Mekaal Hasan?

a) Hasan Raheem

b) Shahi Hasan

c) Tanseer Dar

d) Ali Azmat

5. Which iconic artist has produced a song for Meesha Shafi’s debut album, Khilnay Ko?

a) Faisal Kapadia

b) Asad Ahmed

c) Rohail Hyatt

d) Arooj Aftab

– Photos by Soha Ayaz

Answers

1. The correct answer is a.

Zohaib Kazi, who was an Associate Producer and General Manager at Coke Studio from 2009 to 2017, was a part of Kaavish. He joined the band in its early years and left—due to personal reasons—after nearly two years. Kazi has gone on to release a variety of music including a digital album called Butterfly in Space, as well as Fanoos, Ismail Ka Urdu Sheher and Gulistan Janoobi. He’s worked with contemporary, folk and traditional artists along the way. He is a director and videographer as well, having worked with artists and platforms such as Bilal Maqsood and Spotify, among others.

2. The correct answer is c.

Ali Hamza wanted to pursue a PhD and become a game theorist. But things went in a different direction after he took a break from academia, left LUMS—where he was a TA—and went back home. He became a member of the band Noori as they were gearing up to release their debut album, Suno Ke Main Hun Jawan. His contribution to the debut album was minimal. But he truly came into his own as a singer and songwriter with the group’s second album, Peeli Patti Aur Raja Jaani Ki Gol Dunya. Irrespective of rumours, Noori is still intact. They are doing shows while Ali Hamza is also working on his debut album.

3. The correct answer is d.

Ali Azmat has had the good fortune to work with some of the finest guitar players Pakistan has ever known. During his heyday with Junoon, he worked with Salman Ahmed. After branching out as a solo artist, Azmat released two albums: Social Circus and Klashinfolk. Artists like Ziyyad Gulzar and Omran Shafique were a significant part of his studio albums. They—along with Mahmood Rahman, Mekaal Hasan, and Mohsin Raza Shah—have been a part of his live music line-up over the years. Mekaal Hasan, in addition to contributing to his live music line-up, has also been a part of the recording process of Azmat’s second record, Klashinfolk, as it was recorded at his studio in Lahore.

4. The correct answer is a.

In an interview, Atif Aslam revealed that the song that put him on the music map, ‘Aadat’ was originally written-off by Noori. They were a major mainstream act at the time. Noori had released Suno Ke Main Hoon Jawan in 2003 to popular acclaim while Atif/Jal’s ‘Aadat’ didn’t release until 2004. Ali Noor—who didn’t find the song appealing—was proven wrong. More than 20 years later, ‘Aadat’ remains one of Atif Aslam’s most well-known songs and cemented his position as a musical superstar.

5. The correct answer is c.

Rohail Hyatt, a founding member of pioneering music group, Vital Signs, co-produced ‘Sar-e-Aam’, with Abdullah Siddiqui. It was the first single released from Meesha Shafi’s debut album, Khinay Ko, in 2025. Hyatt is considered one of Pakistan’s finest producers. Among his many credits as a music producer is the debut album of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Charkha, as well as Coke Studio Pakistan (eight seasons in total).

He also produced the soundtrack of Shoaib Mansoor’s debut film, Khuda Kay Liye (2007) and the National Anthem of Pakistan (2022). He was the executive producer of ‘Aaya ZALMI’, Peshawar Zalmi’s official anthem in 2022. He contributed heavily to the song by playing multiple instruments including acoustic guitars, piano, strings, drums and bass. He also co-arranged the song with Ali Mustafa. These are just some examples from Hyatt’s long career as a strong, brilliant music producer.