Murtaza Qizilbash on heritage, Lahore and the haveli that shaped his sound

Murtaza Qizilbash premiered on Spotify RADAR, reflecting on his ancestral home, cultural heritage, and the traditions that inspired his love for music as well as the story behind many of his hit songs, including Hum. “We’re sitting in Mubarak Haveli. This is my ancestral home. I am a Lahori through and through,” said Qizilbash.

“After the British era, Mubarak Haveli and Nisar Haveli, were given to the Qizilbash family. Everything that you see inside my music today stems from what I’ve seen visually and heard sonically over here,” he added, emphasising how the textures of the haveli, its sounds, sights, and stories have become inseparable from his music.

Qizilbash also spoke about the ancestral elements and heirlooms woven into his artistic expression, particularly his clothing, which carries generational significance. “The shawl that I wore on ‘Boomerang Shaam-e-Sad’ belonged to my great-grandfather Nawab Fateh Ali Khan Qizilbash,” he said. “It’s almost 200 years old. It highlights my roots and where I’m from.”

The singer reflected at length on his love for the Urdu language and literary tradition, underscoring the profound influence of classical poetry and traditional instrumentation on his work. “I have a deep affinity for the Urdu language. I grew up reading the worlds of ‘Two Mirzas’ and the ‘Two Meers’ and I’ve seen people put that poetry into the most beautiful melodies,” he shared.

He added, “Even today, if you go to Taxali Gate, you will find shops for harmoniums and tablas. Everyone is a maestro over there. This had such a huge impact on me that I decided to take the plunge and pursue this as a career and add my own flavor to it.”

“Kohraam started as an indie duo with my friend. Back then, we didn’t even know how to produce or anything. One project that I was particularly proud of was a Sufi Kalam that I wrote and sang right here in Mubarak Haveli. It’s called ‘La Fatah’. Now, my music has taken a very different direction, but you can still see the traces of what I did back then in today’s music,” he stated.

He also opened up about the making of Hum, a fan-favorite track that captures his deep connection to Lahore’s history and landscape. “The biggest inspiration for ‘Hum’ is the Walled city itself. I felt as if the Ravi river was flowing right in front of the Badshahi Mosque,” he said.

As a proud Punjabi, Qizilbash highlighted his bond with the Punjabi language, describing it as an essential part of Lahore’s soul and his own expression.

“Punjabi is the language of Lahore and I needed to have an ode to it in this song. One line became very famous: ‘My home has burned down, where shall I go? How do I explain to my heart, my friend? The paths are very difficult, I have to turn back’." He explained, 'I keep telling my restless heart that the paths ahead are difficult and arduous and I don’t even know if there is a destination or not.”

The singer concluded with a poignant reflection on Lahore, a city that remains at the centre of his identity and artistry. “There was a time when our river used to flow right across the city but now there’s so much distance. Maybe I’ve written their love story into this. This city is everything to me. This city has made me who I am”, he said.

Qizilbish has become one of the most popular young arists in Pakistan, with hits like Hum, Tum, Maya, Saya Figan, Bhool, and many more.