Qurram Hussain recalls early days with JoSH

‘Aaye Mausam’ hitmaker was studying, working and making music, all at the same time

LAHORE: As one-half of popular Indo-Pak band JoSH, Qurram Hussain has churned out four successful music albums and 27 videos, including hits such as Kabhi, Aaye Mausam and of course, Josh Naal Pao Bhangra.

But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing: Qurram has had his fair share of struggles in the initial days of his career. “I believe people should try and motivate others by opening up about their failures, instead of just talking about success,” he told The Express Tribune.

PHOTO: PUBLICITY

Qurram revealed that his fellow JoSH-member Rup Magon had already formed the band with his brother Rick when he joined in. “Initially, we used to sing live at private functions. I remember I would attend engineering school in the mornings, work at a software firm in the evening and devote the rest of my day to music,” he recalled. “Raj Vadavia, the boss at our firm, was the one who encouraged us to make our own songs. We established JoSH in India and selected our first recording studio from the back of a cassette cover. We made demo tapes, hopped onto a rickshaw and dropped off a piece of hearts at different studios.”

During the late 1990s, bhangra music had become all the rage. JoSH’s music, comparatively, was more soulful and soft. “We had to modify our sound a bit so it took us sometime to gain recognition,” shared the Desan Da Raja hitmaker.

PHOTO: FILE

Then came a major setback for the band. “Two of our band members left and it came down to just Rup and myself. But I believe that not everyone feels as passionately about something as you do. There goals are different. You, yourself, cannot give up if someone leaves you,” stated Qurram.

Fortunately, signing a deal with Tips Music was a great turning point. “After that, there has been no looking back. We had many hits and JoSH even won the MTV award for Best Newcomer for Kabhi. We really connected with the audience in India and Pakistan.”

Qurram continued, “There are always challenges, every day. But we must work hard to overcome them. There have been many failures in my life but I always believed that one day, I will be a successful singer.”

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