Zain Ali is a Pakistani tabla player and singer, who made highlights after coming to a Pakistani live music television series Coke Studio in 2022.
Table of Contents
Wiki/Biography
Zain Ali is from Lahore, Pakistan. He is the grandson of Late Ustad Haji Rehmat who performed for 40 years with the legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Family
Parents & Siblings
Zail belongs to a qawwal family. His family was in qawali for the last hundred years. Zain Ali’s grandfather, Ustad Haji Rehmat Ali, was a violinist who performed with the legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Zain Ali with his younger brother and grandfather
Zain Ali’s late father was a government employee and was also into music for spiritual reasons. His father became a Zakir and wrote poems, composed music for religious purposes. Zain’s younger brother, Zohaib Ali, is also a singer. Zain and Zohaib are doing qawali for the last many years. They have a Qawali group with ten Qawali band members.
Zain Ali with his brother Zohaib Ali
Career
Zain started playing music on utensils from the age of four. At the age of nine, Zain got a tabla and when he turned twelve he joined tabla classes. Zain got his first break in music with his maternal uncle, who is also a singer, composer, and music director.
Zain Ali playing a tabla
In 2016, Zain Ali performed with Zaryab Sultan in the song, Gorakh Dhanda, in Nescafe Basement season 4. He dedicated the song, Gorakh Dhanda, to his late grandfather. Later in 2019, Zain and his brother, Zohaib Ali, performed in Nescafe basement season 5 with their own composed song, Haiderium- a qawali for the ages. Zain and Zohaib Ali are well known for their qawali songs.
Zain Ali performing with his group in Nescafe Basement season 5
Later in 2022. Zain Ali along with his younger brother Zohaib Ali came to Coke studio in season 14 as Zain Zohaib Qawwals.
Zain Ali performing with his brother in Coke studio
Zain performed in Dubai in 2016, South Africa, Gujrat on 17 September 2021, and in Moga, Punjab.
Zain Ali with brother Zohaib Ali for Gujrat performance
Facts/ Trivia
- Zain Ali on talking about his childhood said that he is listening to qawali songs from the age of two. Zain and his brother, Zohaib, would go with their grandfather to attend the qawali shows.
- In an interview, Zain Ali said that once he played the tabla at his younger brother, Zohaib Ali’s birthday party in front of several respected musicians of his grandfather’s time.
- According to Zain, after his father’s demise, he kept himself away from music as he was in abrupt shock however after his mother’s motivation he took interest in music again.
- In an interview, Zain revealed that one of his classmates who was the vocalist of the song, Gorakh Dhanda, helped him to get in Nescafe basement season 5.
- Zain Ali on talking about his career success said that the platforms like Nescafe basement and coke studio gave him and his group more identification.
- Zain Ali’s father wanted Zain not to pursue a career in music however once Zain’s father attended Zain’s show and after watching his performance he allowed him to continue his career in music.
- Zain Ali considers his grandfather as his mentor.
- Zain Ali in an interview said that he usually practices four to five hours every day.
- In an interview, Zain Ali expressed his desire to perform in India and also to learn from the Indian artists.
- Zain Ali and his brother, Zohaib Ali, also got an opportunity to perform and mesmerize the International audience with their soulful voice in an event named, RamKatha, which was held in Gujrat in 2021.
- In an interview with Coke Studio, when Zain Ali was asked about his real magic; he replied “Qawali”.
- According to Zain, he and his brother, Zohaib Ali, grew up watching musicians like Ustad Dildar Hussain and Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, who gave them the strength of music at a very early age.
Zain Ali with his brother and grandfather watching Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan performing