KARACHI: In a recent video, Mekaal Hasan revealed his new band member, Rassab Amir. The vocalist is unsurprisingly, a classically trained 19-year-old boy who has filled in the shoes of Javed Bashir, Humaira Channa, and Sharmista Chatterjee.
The video showed a re-recording of the band's 2009 song, Chal Bulleya, based on the poetry of Baba Bulleh Shah. It was earlier released in the voice of Javed Bashir.
In conversation with The Express Tribune, Rassab revealed how he ended up performing with the 18-year-old band at such a young age.
"I was performing with Mughal e Funk in Karachi, it was a Salt Arts show and luckily Mekaal Hasan was present at the event. So he really liked my singing and asked Kami Paul, the drummer, to get connect the both of us."
He then added how he was made to go through a test and it was not just on the basis of a one-time performance that he landed the role. "When Mekaal sir met me he said 'here is a little content', and it was a lot of content. 'Practice and show me what you've got,' he added. So I took my time to memorise the songs and made him listen, following which he approved of me."
Rassab then revealed how he has been receiving classical training since childhood by Ustad Suraj Khan, the son of Ustad Hussain Bakhsh Gullu Khan. "I learned a lot from him and it is because of his belief and hard work that I've made it here so early in time."
The video takes off with Mekaal introducing his latest discovery himself, calling Rassab a 'promising and supremely talented vocalist'. This is followed by Rassab arguing how he's almost 19, as he appeared to be too shy to admit that he was 18 when the video was recorded. It then progresses to the re-recording of the track, showing Mekaal on the guitar, Mohammad Ahsan Pappu on the flute and Rassab on the mic.
The video was clearly an official introduction of the young talent, as MHB continues their tour with Battle of the Bands after performing in Karachi, to their next performance in Lahore on November 22, 2019.
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