Being a desi kid and getting to follow your heart and pursue your passion isn’t a common combination. However, 27-year-old Zoha Zuberi, who is an architect and musician, is breaking social norms by pursuing her passion and listening to her heart.
Known for her songs such as Kuch Kehna Chahta Hun Me and ‘Take Your Turn’ with Umair Ali, Zoha Zuberi has established her name among the list of rising stars whom people adore.
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Coming from an environment that did not support her dreams in the beginning, Zoha Zuberi worked side gigs to pursue her hobbies and passions. Eventually, getting into NCA to pursue architecture led Zoha to the point in her life where she “crumbled under all the pressure” and reached a health crisis that closed her off from the world. This is when music became her only outlet, her escape from the ordeals of life.
When asked about her inspiration to pursue singing as a career, Zoha Zuberi told MangoBaaz how it was always a hobby and passion that slowly turned into a profession.
“Music got me out of a very bad time in life,” Zoha states, “and because it got me out of the bad time, I thought that I should give something back to music.” Thus, to give back wholeheartedly, Zoha began writing songs and producing videos which led to her first video release in 2016.
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When talking about her support system in the beginning, Zoha said that her “parents weren’t really supportive in the beginning.” It was her sister who pushed her to keep following her heart.
“Early on,” Zoha explains, “I never got a chance like a lot of kids to learn how to tune a guitar or how to sing. I used to do it when [my father] was not at home. My sister used to help me in the sense that she kind of pushed me and I would lie to my dad and she would be like nahi nahi wo apnay kamray me hai. These choti choti white lies helped me become the person I am today.”
Zoha ventures forth to discuss her struggles as a musician in a Pakistani society that “exploits you a lot in the industry”
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“Even the people who were listening to you – your audience,” Zoha shares, “they kind of wanted to attack you. To come on stage, and it’s kind of frightening.”
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Zoha Zuberi went on to discuss the sexist environment of the industry and the need for more “respectful opportunities”
“There was me and the band. Mein batanay ki koshish karti thi k mera gaana hai. I want it to be a certain kind of way and everyone used to ignore me.” This eventually led to Zoha closing herself off to her band and the parties where she would’ve gone otherwise for networking purposes.
However, Zoha considers her biggest struggle to be her family, which led to her abandoning music for some time to make her “home life more peaceful.” Luckily enough, Zoha’s family is quite supportive of her dreams now. Moreover, Zoha finally found a mentor in Ali Mustafa who recognized the talent in her, signed her on, and produced her videos.
We asked Zoha about the elements that inspire her to create music.
“Making a song for isn’t like ek haftay me ganaa ban gaya,” Zoha explains. “It takes at least six months because I sit on it always.”
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Lastly, Zoha advises her fellow artists to never make a piece of art to impress people. It must come from the heart, and be genuine and pure.
“Art is something that comes from the soul,” Zoha Zuberi explains, “and if you think about it in a way where you’re going to please someone else, it becomes corrupted.”
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“Give it your all,” Zoha concludes. “Do it from the soul and not because anyone else would like it. Do it because you like it.”
Cover image via @zuberizoha/Instagram