Haider Rahman
| حیدر رحمان Haider Rahman | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Genres | Sufi rock, pop, classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Bansuri |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Fire Records |
| Associated acts | Laal |
| Website |
Official Website Official Laal Band Website |
| Notable instruments | |
| Bansuri (Flute) | |
Haider Rahman is a Pakistani musician and current band member of the band Laal. He plays the bansuri (flute) for the band.[1] He also sometimes lends his voice for backup vocals. He is recognized all over Pakistan because of his being a shagird of the legendary Pakistani flute player Akmal Qadri and the famous north Indian classical musician Hariprasad Chaurasia. He also spent some time training with Mohammad Ahsan (aka Pappu).
Early life
Haider started playing the flute at a very young age. His main inspiration was Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia with whom he spent nearly 4 months in training as a Shagird (student). He has dedicated his life to training for and playing the bansuri because of the Pandit's influence.
Haider is also credited for taking the North Indian flute playing genre to a new level because of his work and performances with jazz, Cuban, Bulgarian, Hungarian and western classical folk musician's while he was studying for a master's in economics from London.[2]
Laal
Haider is a founding member of the band Laal. His main performance comes when he is given a "space" for a Flute solo, in which he plays the flute for 5 to 6 minutes. He has quoted in several interviews that he is not told what to play. He improvises according to his mood and also says that he plays the sound that he hears inside him, and does not play anything that he has played before. He also claims that he does not rehearse before going out on stage.[3] Haider is considered to be a great asset not only to the band but also to the Pakistani music industry.[4]
Discography
Haider has performed as a bansuri (flute) player in the band's debut album Umeed e Sahar.
Awards and honours
| Year | Award/Title | Work | Organization/Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Best Amateur Flute Player of the Year | N/A | All Pakistan Music Conference |
| 1998 | Honorary Member of the Literacy Brigade | Lok Raj | The Literacy Brigade |
| 1995, 1996, 1997 | Meraj Medal, Mazari Medal, Ghazanfar Medal | Live Performances | All Pakistan Music Conference |
| 2000 | Assistant general secretary | N/A | Millennium Festival 2000 |