“I can’t believe the news today/Oh, I can’t close my eyes and make it go away/How long, how long must we sing this song?” – ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ by U2

Faisal Kapadia is wearing what has become his trademark bandana, reminding you that though some things do change, others remain the same. As we exchange pleasantries particularly since it has been a long time due to Covid-19, a bell rings. Faisal, who seems to be in good spirits quickly disappears before returning, almost apologetic for his minute disappearance. “Phone just rang, I don’t know why…” he says.

A child of an era that loved bands like U2, he is observant that the global music landscape has changed and acts like U2 are no longer as coveted in terms of popularity amongst evolving fans as they once were. The same applies to other acts like them. But these are just random notes we talk about (I’m a U2 fan). What hasn’t changed is that even post pleasantries I throw a volley of queries on a variety of subjects at him, both personal and professional. As usual Faisal is calm, composed, forthcoming in answering every question. He is also just as gracious as he was during the Strings and Coke Studio era.

“Ah, maybe the time is right/Oh, maybe tonight/I will be with you again.” - ‘New Year’s Day’ by U2

The singer, whose origin city, is Karachi, “Roshniyon Ka Sheher,” has been married since 1997 and is a father to two boys: Armaan, 21, and Jibran, 17. This year, Faisal will celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary and yet he doesn’t look like a man who fronted a music group for more than three decades and has decayed in the creative process.

Jumping quickly from home life to musical career, I remind Faisal that Velo Sound Station is when many saw Bilal Maqsood (executive producer of VSS) and Faisal Kapadia together. After the synth-pop friendly ‘Pyaar Ka Rog’ on VSS stage, the band Strings was officially over. But while Bilal Maqsood, the co-founder of Strings, continued his merry musical way, Faisal went into a period of musical hibernation. Now the biggest news trailing him is his Coke Studio debut sans Strings, a first for him and the platform which is in its 14^th year with a different team in place.

Faisal is collaborating with someone, a source close to the production told Instep. But the former is quiet about the artist. However, the bigger question remains what pulled him back to Coke Studio (or music for that matter)?

“Okay, first of all, Strings never broke up. We ended,” he clears the air. “Strings concluded in the right way. I’m a very positive person. I’m seriously amazed that we stayed together for 30 years. In the past or present, you don’t hear about bands staying together for so long. This feeling will always stay with me because as a band we accomplished great things.”

So, why then, did Bilal and Faisal go their separate ways? “As to why we went our separate ways, this would’ve happened eight years ago, I’d say in 2013. I clearly remember Bilal and I had a conversation about it.”

Faisal recalls that they had, by then, done everything. “Change comes in life. It’s evident. Strings kept us busy, and we were having a good time, but in 2013, nothing was happening. We had released studio albums and played shows. As individuals we couldn’t rest on our laurels; we needed to be challenged. Bilal got an offer to act, and I said go for it because we didn’t know where Strings would go from there given how much we had done.”

There was also an unwritten rule that as long as Strings existed (upon return with Duur), Faisal or Bilal would not do anything other than Strings. It was a kind of loyalty that was perhaps missing from other acts.

Reiterating a story from the past, Faisal noted how ‘Sar Kiye Yeh Pahar’ was on top of the charts in India and at home when it released in 1992 but even then they had walked away because of college, university and settling down first. It was a priority. Both always knew how to say no. The end never came because by 2014 the challenge of Coke Studio, the biggest music platform in the country, was knocking at their door. Strings took on the challenge and went on to produce four seasons over the course of four years and followed it up with a studio album called Thirty.

“Bilal and I always had the courage to say no or stop. When ‘Sar Kiye’ was the biggest hit in 1992, we said stop because we had to pursue school, degrees, settle down and thought maybe then we could come back. That was a difficult decision. Had we not ended Strings then, it would not have survived until now.”

A similar approach was taken for Coke Studio, where after four years, Strings amicably parted ways with the platform and went on to release their sixth album with each song backed by a music video. But after their sixth album, the glass was full and as Faisal recalls, there wasn’t much left to do. Within the band, there are certain parameters or a signature sound. “What we thought was to end it and cherish it for the rest of our lives.

“Personally, I feel Bilal (Maqsood) is a very talented musician and he always wanted to do more within music. During VSS, Strings was alive but after VSS, I told Bilal to go for it alone because [he wanted to] and [he] should because Strings is done. It’s great - you move on with your journey; and I think what we did was fill two empty glasses halfway, creating room to make something individually.”

“Living in the moment/Living our life/Easy and breezy/With peace in my mind” - Jason Mraz

In March 2021, Bilal and Faisal were scheduled to perform, and sitting in Islamabad, the conversation emerged again where they decided that they had done enough as an act and the time had come to end it. The idea was to do it amicably. “I knew Bilal would continue to do music and when Bilal asked me ‘what will you do’, I told him I have no idea. With 30 years of my life with Strings, I was not thinking beyond or thinking of a solo career.”

The idea, therefore, of pursuing any kind of solo musical career was not even at the back of Faisal’s mind. Instead, he had a bucket list he wanted to pursue like traveling the world, travel with his wife and other things on his list. The reason, of course, is that Faisal Kapadia, admits is that he isn’t the kind of man who thinks about tomorrow. He lives in the moment. “I don’t even plan a month.”

Even as he had nothing on his mind, a phone call from Xulfi (Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan) – the current executive producer of Coke Studio – convinced Faisal Kapadia to say yes to Coke Studio 14. He told Xulfi he hadn’t even thought about it. But as Faisal admits, he always knew Xulfi as a member of another band (Call). “This particular phone call, which lasted about 40 minutes, was so inspiring where Xulfi said, ‘you have to share what you have gained with the new generation’ that I was taken aback. Coke Studio has also been an integral part of my life. I discussed it with my family. I never thought of doing music after Strings but that conversation with Xulfi convinced me.”

The experience of doing the song as a featured artist and working with brilliant musicians was an enjoyable process. “My way of thinking changed, and I realized I need to give back as an artist to music and I need to work with younger people as much as possible and share my experience with them. Those few months made me think, okay I will do music because I’ve been doing it since the age of eight, so now, I just have to find myself again. I’m back again.”

For Faisal, giving back exists in any social capacity. “I was very happy Special Olympics nominated me as their ambassador. I want to give back to the community as much as I can. The other aspect is that with such popularity you have a kind of power and influence to convey good messages. It’s very important. I also want to collaborate with new musicians. They are the present generation and I want to learn from them and give back through my musical experience in whatever way I can.”

Hi new journey won’t exactly be fast-paced or meteorical. Faisal Kapadia will do things at his own pace and only what comes straight from the heart. Faisal Kapadia admits he has butterflies in his stomach and will follow his heart after the CS14 single is out. But the artist is no longer saying a permanent goodbye to music, and that is probably one of the strongest things Coke Studio 14 has accomplished – by changing his mind.

Faisal Kapadia (Main) image credit:
Photographer:
@abdullahharisfilms
Stylist: @maryamraja
Wardrobe: @mango
Hair & Makeup: @nabila_salon