Up Close with Asfar Hussain - Lead Vocalist Bayaan

We are delighted to welcome Asfar Hussain, lead vocalist, lyricist and composer of the Pakistani alternative rock band Bayaan, for an evening of conversation and live acoustic music.

Born in Chitral in northern Pakistan, Asfar is one of the few contemporary musicians in the country to have studied music formally, graduating with distinction in Musicology from the National College of Arts. He appeared on Nescafé Basement in 2012 and that experience eventually led him to form the band.

As the writing voice behind Bayaan, Asfar has built a body of work known for its poetic restraint and emotional honesty. The band rose to national attention after winning Pepsi Battle of the Bands in 2018. Asfar later returned to the spotlight featuring on Coke Studio's fourteenth season for the widely praised track Mehram with Grammy-nominated artist Arooj Aftab.

Bayaan's discography now spans an EP, 4 Saal, and two full-length albums, Suno and Safar, with a growing catalogue of singles in between. Songs like Nahin Milta, Maand and Safar have become anthems for their listeners, songs that people return to and carry with them. Bayaan's magic has travelled well past Pakistan's borders, taking the band on international stages and earning them a devoted following that marks their evolution into a genuinely global act.