In this episode of the Aleph Podcast we had the honour of inviting guitar player, ace studio musician, sideman, composer & producer Shallum Asher Xavier of 'Fuzon' fame, we talk about his musical inspirations, projects, and achievements.
Born in '78, Shallum grew up around lots of music and began experimenting on the piano from a very young age, mainly inspired by the local gospel scene in Karachi. In the early 2000’s, him and Imran Momina (Emu) formed the band ‘Fuzon’ with Shafqat Amanat Ali. Their first record 'Saagar' was released by Virgin Records in the sub-continent that sold over a million copies worldwide. Those iconic songs put Shallum on the map of the music scene and led him to win several awards that included: Best Guitarist in Pakistan (The Musik Awards '07 and '08), Best Band in Asia for Fuzon (Asian Bollywood Music '05 and again in '11), also got various awards for his compositions 'Khamaj' & 'Payam'. His career as a recording artist included some of the biggest names and critically acclaimed records in the Pakistani music industry that includes Strings 'Duur' & 'Dhaani', Zeb and Haniya's 'Chup' to name a few also played on countless other singles & albums for Najam Sheraz, Hadiqa Kiyani & Ali Haider.
Shallum is now focusing on his solo career, his new project RAAVI and as a music educator.
Chapters:
0:00 - Glimpse Into The Past
2:08 - Inclination Towards Music
7:47 - The Songwriting Process
13:03 - Fuzön And The First Band
18:47 - Factors Holding The Industry Hostage
27:15 - Era Of Expression
33:11 - The Current Band (RAVI)
43:17 - Money And Music
49:57 - Questions For The Artist
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Shot & Edited by Aly Muhammad
Assisted by Zahra Hassan Shah