MAHA, a talented new entrant into the Pakistani music scene, releases today her much awaited video for her song ‘Nazar’, exclusively on Pakistan’s first licensed music channel, 8xm. The song had already gained much popularity through its uploading earlier this month on Sound Cloud, achieving 13,071 plays and many re-posts from listeners, within a week.
One fan goes as far as saying: “One of the best voices in the Pakistani Industry! Amazing voice control and ability to sing very high notes! Best of luck for the future” – [Syed Haseeb Hassan]. Others suggest they just can’t stop listening to ‘Nazar’!
With Farhad Humayun and Sheraz Siddiq producing the song, MAHA’s ‘Nazar’ speaks of broken love and how life is an unpredictable game of chess – something the majority of people can relate to. The song itself is a power ballad that crescendos and decrescendos seamlessly giving the listener a kind of rush, at the same time releasing positive energy in them. The song makes you want to listen to it over and over again.
The video for ‘Nazar’, which has been directed by Farhad Humayun and shot by Sabeeh Khan at Riot Studios, portrays what is typically expected from a girl in a relationship, especially in our society – she dresses up and brings the man tea, but it is not enough for him.
The cut up fruit shown, represents wounds inflicted on the girl, from emotionally opening herself up to a man and placing all her feelings on a tray for him. The man however, isn’t there for her. It is a song about heartache and parting. The theme was conceptualized by Farhad himself which he executed with meticulous care and with an eye for detail. The video attests to Farhad’s genius as a Music director. The lyrics for ‘Nazar’ are written by Haroon Shahid of Symt.
Commenting on how she feels about Nazar’s video finally releasing, MAHA says: “I feel like I’ve been waiting for this moment forever. So I’m happy, excited and hopeful for ‘Nazar’ to be well received. I hope that people can relate to the Music Video and that they can connect to the song”.
ABOUT MAHA
Maha is a Pakistani singer/song writer who was born and grew up in Karachi, and later acquired her higher education in finance, macroeconomics and management from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
From early childhood Maha developed a taste for Music through exposure from her dad who has a penchant for both western classical music (Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and Vangelis) and old school 60s and 70s bands/artists. Maha’s earliest exposure to Music was through her dad, and it is no coincidence she picked up on the tunes he hummed and the songs he listened to.
With her dad’s vast repertoire of record collection at her disposal, she became familiar with the works of great artistic geniuses like Nancy Sinatra, Janis Joplin, John Leonnon, Mark Knopfler, Leonard Cohen, Rolling Stones, Simon and Garfunkel, The Smiths, Moody Blues, etc at a fairly young age.
These influences, in turn, bore upon her development as a singer and a song-writer. Through her early and mid teens Maha became an active part of Pakistan’s then booming underground Rock and Roll scene.
However, weighing her options, and with the council of her parents, in 2008 she decided to move to Melbourne to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Finance & Macro-economics / Management from Monash University. This hiatus from home, however, wouldn’t keep her away from her lifelong passion for Music.
Shortly after settling down in Melbourne, she joined the Choral Society at Monash University to develop an understanding of western classical music. Melbourne’s vibrant and very rich culture introduced her to a slew of new influences, such as jazz which made an impression upon her when she heard a jazz ensemble perform live at a cultural and performing arts theater in Melbourne.
She started listening to great jazz singers such as Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Vinton, Billy Holiday, etc. During this time in Melbourne, she took to writing her own songs.
Upon completion of her studies she returned to Karachi in October 2012. In 2013 she auditioned for Cornetto Music Icons and thereupon Shahi Hasan selected her as a backup vocalist for the show which was aired on ARY Digital. She is currently working on releasing her first single, Nazar, produced by Farhad Humayun & Sheraz Siddiq, video directed by Farhad Humayun, lyrics by Haroon Shahid of SYMT, and will be out August 2013.
ABOUT 8xm
Pakistan’s first 100% Licensed Content Music Channel and the No. 1 Music brand for the youth and young adults i.e. for everyone. With 8xm you become the first one to see and listen to the latest music, before the rest of the world.
