Farhad Humayun was the face of the Overload Band who passed away this Tuesday while leaving everyone shocked. The news of his death has shaken many in the music industry and the ones who loved him for his work. Here we have got everything you need to know about Farhad!
Farhad Humayun – Biography, Age, Career, and Much More!
Although we know Farhad as the best drummer from the band Overload and the one who has always worked differently in music, there is still a lot we need to know about him. Catch out some of the interesting information about demised music artist Farhad Humayun!
Who Is Farhad Humayun?
Farhad Humayun was an English-born Pakistani singer, drummer, record producer, and video artist. He was popularly associated with the Pakistani drum jam band Overload which he founded in 2003. Farhad started his career as an underground musician and formed two bands Co-Ven and Mindriot in which he played drums. He has identified, produced, and launched some of South Asia’s top acts such as Atif Aslam, Symt, Meesha Shafi. Humayun has won numerous awards and accolades for both his audio & video work and owned Riot Studios, the famous recording studio and gig venue in Lahore.
Early Life
Humayun was born in the English Channel Island of Jersey at the Jersey International Hospital to parents Navid Shahzad (mother) and Shahzad Humayun (father). His mother is a legendary TV, theatre, and film actress and the foremost Pakistani scholar and academic who has won the Pride of Performance Award (the highest civil award) from the Government of Pakistan. His father was an automobile businessman and Pakistan’s award-winning English Cricket commentator throughout the 1970s till the early 2000s. Farhad’s maternal grandfather S.A Rahman was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the 1970s while his paternal side traces back to the Qazi (Royal) family of Jalandhar (now Indian Punjab).
Education
Farhad grew up in the Gulberg area of Lahore and studied at Aitchison College till secondary school. He went to the National College of Arts in Lahore where he did his Bachelors in Fine Arts in Painting from 1997 – 2000.
He also studied audio engineering in London at the Recording Workshop in Ladbroke Grove, London.
Career
Farhad started playing drums at age 14 and quickly built a name for himself in the underground movement in Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad in the early 1990s. He recalled his influences at the time were mostly metal bands like Judas Priest, Dio, Black Sabbath, AC/DC.
Overload’s musician was the drummer in the alternative rock band Co-Ven playing some originals. However, he mostly covered Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana as was the norm at the time when satellite TV was catching on in Pakistan.
Humayun formed his own metal band in 1994 called Mindriot inspired by the song from Soundgarden. Both bands attained success by organizing their own shows and collecting sponsorship from local and multi-national brands.
Farhad has recorded drums and toured with major Pakistani rock acts such as Noori and Fuzön. He has served as the house band drummer for Coke Studio (Pakistani season 5) in 2012. Moreover, Humayun has written with and recorded Atif Aslam on his first three albums as well as on Coke Studio. The musician also produced Meri Kahani by Atif Aslam in 2006.
While studying at the National College of Arts, Farhad started casually jamming with friends at the college Western Music Society events, which he was president of. That laid the foundation of one of Pakistan’s most iconic and original acts Overload which came about in 2003.
Awards and Honors
Overload gave music to the celebrations such as cricket matches opening and closing ceremonies, fundraisers, and many other occasions. The band is known as ‘The Loudest Band’ in Pakistan and has won numerous awards. These awards include the Lux Style Award for Best Live Act in 2006.
Farhad remains the artist with the most number of nominations for a musician at the Lux Style Awards with 13 nominations and two wins. He was also a successful businessman and owned the entertainment & art company Riot Productions.
Humayun was also termed as the Pride of Pakistan by a popular newspaper Daily Times (Pakistan). One of his landmark achievements is his song Jeet that was played at PM Imran Khan’s rally in Washington D.C. Farhad has also performed at the launching ceremony of Pakistan Super League team Lahore Qalandars.
Endorsements
Farhad subsequently became a regular face for big brands like Porsche, Dell, Samsung, Chester Bernard clothing, telecom companies like Mobilink, Warid, and PTCL all of which he has been a brand ambassador for. He featured in the TVC for Samsung Galaxy A.
As of 2019, Farhad was the producer for Levi’s Live, a project of the Levi Strauss company which is working on the revival of live music in Pakistan. He also produced Pepsi Smash for Pepsi Pakistan.
Farhad Humayun Personal Life
Humayun was married to Asmaa Mumtaz. They were divorced at the time of his death.
Cause of Death
In October 2018, Farhad was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The singer announced a full recovery the next month after the tumor was removed successfully. However, Humayun died on June 8, 2021, while leaving everyone grief-stricken.
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