Earlier this month, news surfaced that Overload front man and former Coke Studio drummer Farhad Humayun had been diagnosed with brain tumour. Despite his condition, the musician promised via an Instagram post that he would “be back with more music, videos and art” as soon as he recovered.
It was earlier this week that Farhad Humayun took to social media to announce that he was well after his life altering surgery. He made his first appearance among friends, fans and well wishers and thanked everyone for their support, love and prayers.
This was followed by more good news when Levi’s Live Round 2 recently held its debut live session in Lahore at Riot Studios. Since 2016, Levi’s Live has been reviving live music by promoting young musicians of the country and allowing them to perform alongwith veteran singers in front of a live audience. The show is a collaboration between the global denim brand and Riot Productions, which is spearheaded by Farhad Humayun.
The debut session was headlined by Abdullah Qureshi and featured Anna Salman with her All Girl Band. “I’ve played on a lot of different stages but Levi’s Live, particularly, is the one that gave me the space and permission to truly be myself and be vulnerable through my music. I want to thank Farhad and Uzma Rao of Native Rock for not only getting me on this session but for choosing to celebrate new talent and music every year,” said Anna Salman.
Islamabad-based musician Abdullah Qureshi’s latest music video ‘Gaai Aasmaan’ was also screened during the session which has been produced and directed by Farhad Humayun specifically for round 2.
“‘Gaai Aasmaan’ by Abdullah Qureshi is set inside a dream of a person lost in space and the video integrates reality with fantasy, the future with present,” says the press statement. “The direction of the song takes a very different path from the artist’s previous work in sound, imagery and lyrics. The video takes inspiration from the future taking the journey of our minds and translating them in a virtual state.”
Coming back to the show, after Abdullah Qureshi, other musicians also took to the stage and jammed - from Qawalis to Rock ballads, transitioning into pop - perfectly capturing the essence of Levi’s Live.
However, the highlight of the night was when Farhad Humayun took centre stage. The audience cheered on as Farhad not only showed his appreciation and love for music and to Levi’s for creating such a platform, but showed heartfelt gratitude for all the love and prayers he had gotten. He said that he was deeply touched and could not have done it without the support of his family, friends and fans all over.
