Touching base with Haniya Aslam

The last time Haniya Aslam, the magician on any string instrument, audio engineer and sound designer (among other skills) - who first came to attention as one half of music duo, Zeb and Haniya, more than a decade ago – spoke in person, we were discussing, among other things, her return to Pakistan from Canada and her involvement with Coke Studio 11.

Since settling back in Pakistan, Haniya has accomplished a number of things. She produced the feminist punk-laden anthem, ‘Maa Behn Ka Danda’ for the music group Garam Anday featuring Anam Abbas and Areeb Kishwar Usmani. She was also on the post-audio team of Coke Studio 11 and featured on the series, in certain tracks, playing various string instruments.

As Haniya recalls, “I met Anam (Abbas) through some common friends. I used to follow her web-series, Ladies Only, and she told me she had a band and was looking for producers. They played their demo for ‘MBKD’ and I really liked it. It reminded me of Bumbu Sauce. I was happy to work on the song. We recorded the song before Coke Studio 11 and finished the mixing and the rest of the elements after Coke Studio 11. When I saw the video and read the subtitles, it took it to another level.”

Haniya Aslam explains how she ended up doing two feminist songs since her return from Canada – be it ‘Main Irada’ on Coke Studio 11 last year or Garam Anday’s ‘MBKD’.

When asked if it was by design or coincidental, Haniya tells Instep: “A bit of both, I think. Being a woman in this country, you are aware that there are issues. Since I left for Canada, all these movements started. The ‘Girls at Dhabas’ thing, reclaiming space for women, I did come back thinking my generation wasn’t brave enough to do what these girls are doing but I really want to help them in any way I can and I want to be a part of this movement because it’s exciting and I hope a change comes. The Coke Studio song, they [the producers] asked me to do but it is coincidental considering global trends including more women in filmmaking, in technical posts, #MeToo movement, etc. So, there is awareness and there is a demand and a need so I suppose it’s the timing and I guess I came back at a time when it was needed and my skill-set allowed me to do it.”

Haniya Aslam is also back, collaborating with Mehreen Jabbar for the fourth time. “The first time Zeb and I did a song for Daam,” recalls Haniya. “I’ve already done two feature-length films with her (Lala Begum – sound design and mix, Dobara Phir Se – background score, title song and music supervisor) and this is my first drama serial.”

But Haniya is clear that she is not producing the music but the sound design and the mix. “All the audio other than music,” she explains before expanding on the statement further: “That’s exciting because it is not being made for a Pakistani TV channel but an international streaming site and they have audio specifications that need to be followed so they have to get a proper sound person and I guess I’m that.”

She also has a show coming up next month, with Salt Arts, whose theme this year is #FutureisFemale. “I’m super excited. Coming back, touring is not my priority. I do want to work more on technical audio stuff, audio-post. I met Raania A.K. Durrani (co-founder Salt Arts) in Karachi and I went to a couple of the Salt Arts shows and I really liked the venue. And this is something I’ve wanted to do for a while. I had this idea for a while. I have a guitar looper; it’s a pedal which allows you to layer over yourself. So you basically play one loop of guitar or percussion or vocal and you can put layer of your own sound on top. You can create a really rich soundscape with just yourself onstage. Salt Arts suggested they’d like to do a show with me. Later, they told me their programming this year is more women-based and they want to collaborate with more women in general. Like I said, it’s finally happening, the year of the woman, one hopes sooner than later. Let’s see.”