Khumariyaan recently took to Instagram to announce that they have added a new Pakhtun vocalist, Obaid Khan, to their music band. The news was met with support by many fans.
In the same Instagram post, the band shared that they aim to include “languages of our land”, i.e. languages of Pakistan, in their music.
Khumariyaan, known for being an instrumental band, was founded by rubab player Farhan ‘Bogey’ Bogra in 2005 and officially became a band in 2009. Bogra has always emphasised that the band belongs equally to all its members, each playing a vital role.
The group includes Bogra on the rubab, Shiraz Khan on the zerbaghali, Sparlay Rawail on lead guitar, and Aamer Shafiq on rhythm guitar.
Over the years, Khumariyaan has represented Pakistan at international platforms, including the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Texas.
After over a decade of promoting music from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bogra believes the band is ready to focus on promoting different languages.
Obaid Khan, a 28-year-old artist and anthropologist, is the perfect fit because of his multi-lingual abilities.
“Obaid has done his master’s in anthropology and has been singing and playing in KP for years. With him, we plan to promote Pashto, Kohistani, Hindko, and eventually even languages from Sindh and Punjab,” said Bogra.
