Name: Hadiqa Kiani
Nationality: Pakistani
Occupation: Singer, songwriter, actress
Current release: Hadiqa Kiani 's video for her single "Paisa Bolta Hay," taken off her new Qawwali project Hayat, is out via Sufiscore.

If you enjoyed this Hadiqa Kiani interview and would like to find out more about her music and her work, visit her on Instagram, and Facebook. 



When did you first consciously start getting interested in singing? What was your first performance as a singer on stage or in the studio and what was the experience like?

It's cliché but music was always in me.

I grew up singing in the Pakistan National Council of the Arts, touring the world singing in children’s festivals and so on. I knew this was what I wanted to do since day one.   

If you're also playing other instruments, how does the expressive potential of these compare to your own voice?

I love learning new instruments to honor tradition, but my focus has always been learning new singing techniques.

Singing is an integral part of all cultures, and traditions. Which of these do you draw from – and why?

It's storytelling, it's connecting with people and expressing ourselves. It's part of the human experience.

What were some of the main challenges in your development as a singer/vocalist? Which practices, exercises, or teachers were most helpful in reaching your goals – were there also “harmful” ones?

The challenge is always to move forward, learn more and continue to challenge yourself as an artist.

Monotony isn’t for me.

What are the things you hear in a voice when listening to a vocalist? What moves you in the voices of other singers?

It’s the soul, the energy that a vocalist brings that is deeply personal to me.

How would you describe the physical sensation of singing? [Where do you feel the voice, do you have a visual sensation/representation, is there a sense of release or tension etc …]

Divine.

We have a speaking voice and a singing voice. Do these feel like they are natural extensions of each other, ends on a spectrum or different in kind?

Of course, they are natural extensions of each other, natural extensions of who we are.

How do you see the relationship between harmony, rhythm and melody? Do you feel that honing your sense of rhythm and groove has an effect on your singing skills?  

Everything has to work in unison, everything has to be balanced to make an impact.

What are the potentials and limIts of your voice? How much of your vocal performance can and do you want to control?

We all have a range but my focus is less on vocal capabilities and more about the emotion that I want to convey.

As a singer, it is possible to whisper at the audience, scream at the audience, reveal deep secrets or confront them with uncomfortable truths. Tell me about the sense of freedom that singing allows you to express yourself and how you perceive and build the relation with the audience.

Connecting with the audience is important, I have been very blessed with audiences that allow me to be me.

I'd love to know more about the vocal performances for your latest release, please, and the qualities of your voice that you wanted to bring to the fore.  

It was truly a privilege to work on Hayat. My goal was to honor the rich tradition of Qawwali and pay tribute to the legendary masters who shaped this genre.

I wanted every note to feel pure, unfiltered, and deeply authentic—a reflection of the soul and spirit of Qawwali.

When you're writing song lyrics, do you sense or see a connection between your voice and the text? Does it need to feel and sound “good” or “right” to sing certain words? What's your perspective in this regard of singing someone else's songs versus your own?

When writing I often feel no control or limitations at all, words and compositions flow naturally and I think that’s how music should be. It’s an art for me, not an equation.

I think paying tribute, when does with respect, is a beautiful thing.

Strain is a particularly serious issue for many vocalists. How do you take care of your voice? Are the recipes or techniques to get a damaged voice back in shape?

As a vocalist, my voice is my instrument, and caring for it is essential.

I prioritize vocal health and focus on proper warm-ups.

How has technology, such as autotune or effect processing, impacted singing? Has it been a concrete influence on your own approach?

I am not against technology for many genres but the genres closest to me do not allow such effects.

My focus is live singing and authentic human connection.

For recording engineers, the human voice remains a tricky element to capture. What are some of the favourite recordings of your own voice so far and what makes voices sound great on record and in a live setting?

Wajd was our first turn to true organic music and since then my collaborations with maestro Irfan Kiani have been all incredibly important to me.

Motherese may have been the origin of music, and singing is possibly the earliest form of musical expression, and culture in general. How connected is the human voice to your own sense of wellbeing, your creativity, and society as a whole?

It's very important to me. I can’t speak for society but it grounds me.