Khurram Waqar

Khurram Waqar
خرّم وقار
Born (1975-07-23) 23 July 1975
GenresRock
OccupationMusician/IT Professional
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1992–present
Member ofBrothers in Arms, kW and The FaceDown Movement, Dawn in the Dark
Formerly ofQayaas, kNuMb
AwardsVIMA Awards: Rock song of the year, 2019

Khurram Waqar (Urdu: خرّم وقار; born 23 July 1975) is a Pakistani guitarist and content creator.[1] He is best known for his involvement with the band Brothers in Arms.[2][3] Waqar is also a member of other bands such as KW and the Facedown Movement,[4][5] which have collaborated with the "Guitar Collective" initiative.[6] In 2019, KW and The Facedown Movement won Rock Song of the Year for "Todi the Smoker"[7] at the Virtuoso International Music Awards (VIMA).[8]

In 2010, Waqar's band Qayaas won Best Rock Band (Pakistan) at the Rolling Stones-Jack Daniel's Annual Music Awards.[9]

Personal life

Waqar was born on July 23, 1975, into a Punjabi Muslim Jat family and was raised in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad. His father is a retired bureaucrat[10] and his mother is a homemaker.

Current ventures

Dawn in the Dark (2022–present)

Waqar is a member of Dawn in the Dark, a San Francisco-based musical project formed with his wife, Heather.[11] They released their debut album, Can't Count Me Out, on September 19, 2025, coinciding with their wedding anniversary.

Brothers in Arms (2021–present)

Brothers in Arms is an Indian-Pakistani-American rock band,[2] consisting of three artists:

  • Khurram Waqar (KW) (Pakistan) – guitars, production
  • Prateek Bhaduri (India) – vocals
  • Greg Ellis (USA) – drums and percussion

The band collaborated remotely from their respective countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing the belief that music transcends national boundaries.[2] Their first single, "Khuda Kay Bandey", was released on July 14, 2022. The themes of the single addressed the human impact of war and the importance of global unity.[12]

Guitar Collective (2021–present)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Waqar launched Guitar Collective, an initiative intended to connect guitar players from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Dubai on a single platform for live online discussions on guitars, technique, and theory. According to the project's stated objectives, it aims to establish an online collaborative environment to engage and support independent musicians and promote awareness of musical diversity. The COVID-19 pandemic was cited as one of the factors behind the initiative.[6][13][14]

KW (2018–present)

In addition to his work in bands, Waqar has released solo instrumental guitar recordings under the moniker KW. Although he has been a member of several rock ensembles since 1992, his instrumental compositions have been released on an irregular basis, with a portion of his work remaining in an unfinished state. In 2018, Waqar revisited this material and compiled it into an instrumental album, released in 2019.[15]

The first instrumental from the project, "I'll Be with You", was released in December 2018. The recording was independently produced by Waqar, who oversaw songwriting, performance, and video production.[16]

KW and The Facedown Movement (2014–present)

KW and the Facedown Movement is a rock band founded in 2014, with Waqar serving as guitarist, songwriter, and producer, accompanied by Solomon and Kami on the vocals and drums, respectively.[17] Their song "Todi, the Smoker" won Rock Song of the Year at the 2019 Virtuoso International Music Awards, competing against bands from multiple Asian countries.[4]

In June 2019, the band released its debut EP, Facedown. It features the following original tracks:

  • "Facedown"
  • "Painted Grey"
  • "Into The Light"
  • "Bend It"
  • "Time"
  • "Todi, the Smoker"

Music videos were released for the singles "Bend It," "Time," and "Todi the Smoker."

The EP marked the first instance of a Pakistani band having its music mastered by Ryan Smith[18] and Ted Jensen[19] of Sterling Studio, New York City.[20]

Collaborative ventures (2018–present)

Bazm-e-Rang (2019)

Bazm-e-Rang is a musical project curated by Sarang Latif and Abida Parveen, focusing on contemporary interpretations of Sufi poetry.[21][22][23]

KW & Nikhil (2018–present)

In 2018, Waqar collaborated with Dubai-based musician Nikhil Raj Uzgare, vocalist of the rock band Point of View. The collaboration resulted in the single "Baatein".[24]

With Taimur Khan and Sarfaraz Khan (2019)

Waqar collaborated with Sarangi player Taimur Khan and tabla player Sarfaraz Khan on interpretations of classical Raags, presented through live online performances.[25]

Past ventures

Fantazia the Band (1992–1996)

The first band Khurram was in was "Fantazia" with schoolmates and close friends Suhaib Kiani, Taimur Khan and Sabih Zaman. The band performed both covers and original music at several gigs held in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.[25]

Lahore (1996–2001)

In Lahore, Khurram was part of various rock bands. Initially, he played a few gigs with Coven, the band, when their guitarist Hamza Jafri[26] left for London. During this time, he befriended Ali Noor, Ali Jafri, and Abid Khan. He briefly played with "Entity" (later Entity Paradigm), featuring Ahmad Ali Butt, Qasim Khan, and Salman Albert, before branching off with Qasim to form kNuMb.

kNuMb played a mix of guitar instrumentals and original songs in gigs around the country. In 2001, Khurram left for the US to pursue his graduate studies.[27]

Pittsburgh (2000–2002)

While in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States to pursue his master's degree in Information Systems Management,[28] Khurram formed an instrumental band, "Cocytus," with a group of fellow CMU students. The band was multicultural and multi-ethnic, with Rodrigo Escobar,[29] the bassist, hailing from Chile; Frank Boucamp,[30] the rhythm guitarist, from Germany; and Ammar, the drummer, an American of Indian origin.

kNuMb (2003–2008)

Upon his return from the U.S., kNuMb reunited with Khurram on the lead guitars, Qasim on vocals, Faraz on bass, Abdul Ahad on rhythms, and Sharjeel on drums, to be later replaced by Kami. kNuMb performed concerts in Islamabad and Lahore. kNuMb's hallmark became their mixed set of instrumentals as well as originals like Anjaani Rahain, Lamhe, and Majhi, while their covers of Audioslave were particularly well-liked. Around this time, a couple of Steve Vai-Joe Satriani-inspired G3 concerts were arranged by fans, in which Khurram performed alongside eminent guitarists like Faraz Anwar, Sarmad Ghafoor, and Zeejah Fazli.[27][31]

Qayaas (2008–2014)

In 2008, Khurram formed the rock band Qayaas with Umair Jaswal on vocals. The band received Best Rock Band (Pakistan) award at the 2010 Rolling Stone-Jack Daniels annual rock awards. In 2012, their song "Charkha Naulakha" featured in Coke Studio Pakistan. The song also featured in a special limited-edition CD of "Coke Studio's Greatest Hits."[32]

Their debut album, Uss Paar, featuring 13 original songs, was released in 2011 to critical acclaim.[33][34][9][35] In 2013 the band also contributed three songs to the soundtrack of Waar,[36][37] the highest-grossing Pakistani film at the time.[38] Qayaas also composed the single "Vadero Pajero" for the animated show Burka Avengers.[39][40]

In 2014, the band parted ways.

Awards and recognition

  • 2010: "Mera wana" was selected as part of the Metal Asia Compilation of work by rock and metal bands from Lebanon to Singapore.[35]
  • 2010: Qayaas won the Best Rock Band (Pakistan) award by Rolling Stone magazine India in collaboration with Jack Daniels. The band was chosen among more than 25 other nominees from Pakistan.[34][9]
  • 2011: Qayaas won in the following categories at INDIEGO awards[41]
    • Best Rock Song[42]
    • Best Rock Video[43]
    • Best Rock Vocalist
  • 2019: "Todi the Smoker" won Rock Song of the Year 2019 at the VIMA Music Awards with kW & The Facedown Movement.[4]

References

  1. ^ Tagat, Anurag (31 July 2022). "Watch Indo-Pak-U.S. Trio Brothers In Arms Deliver Molten Rock with 'Khuda Ke Bandey'". Rolling Stone India. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Home - Brothers in Arms". brothers--in--arms.com. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  3. ^ "BrothersinArmsOfficial - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "KW & the Facedown Movement win rock song of the year at VIMA Awards". The News International.
  5. ^ "Khurram Waqar". Khurram-waqar.com. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Home - Guitar Collective". guitar-collective.com. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
  7. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: kW and The Facedown Movement - Todi, The Smoker. YouTube.
  8. ^ "VIMA – VIMA". virtuosoawards.org.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  9. ^ a b c "Hard Rock Cafe India Blog: JD Awards - Qayaas, Half Step Down & EKA live at Hard Rock Cafe New Delhi on Thursday, 16th December!". Archived from the original on 26 October 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  10. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ^ "Dawn in the Dark". dawninthedark.bandzoogle.com. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  12. ^ Khuda Kay Bande - Brothers In Arms (The World's First India -Pakistan -USA Rock Band), 13 July 2022, retrieved 15 July 2022
  13. ^ "Home - Guitar Collective". guitar-collective.com. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  14. ^ Azuma, Yoshiki; Miyao, Hidetoshi; Maruyama, Minoru (2022), "A Guitar Training System for Beginners Using a Mixed Reality Device and a MIDI Guitar", Communications in Computer and Information Science, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 19–26, ISBN 978-3-031-06390-9, retrieved 2 February 2026{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
  15. ^ "kW Projects". Khurram-waqar.com. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  16. ^ Sabeeh, Maheen. "Khurram Waqar unveils new solo single". The News International.
  17. ^ "kW and The Facedown Movement". Facedownmovement.com. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  18. ^ "Ryan Smith". Sterling-sound.com.
  19. ^ "Ted Jensen". Sterling-sound.com.
  20. ^ "STERLING SOUND | STEREO • SURROUND • VINYL MASTERING | Edgewater / Nashville". Sterling-sound.com. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  21. ^ "Bazm e Rang". Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  22. ^ Bazm e Rang | Abida Parveen | Official Promo. YouTube. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021.
  23. ^ Masood, Afrah (11 May 2019). "Witness Colours of SUFISM with Sarang Latif's Bazm-e-Rang". Pakmediarevolution.pk.
  24. ^ "Vadero Pajero (Burka Avenger OST)". Patari.pk.
  25. ^ a b "Taimur Khan". Sarangi.info.
  26. ^ "Hamza Jafri - Artists - Season 7 - Coke Studio Pakistan". Cokestudio.com.pk. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  27. ^ a b "kNuMB". Knumb.com. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  28. ^ "Master of Information Systems Management | 16-Month Pathway". Heinz.cmu.edu. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  29. ^ "Centro de Estudios Internacionales UC". Ceiuc.cl. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  30. ^ "Dr. Frank Boukamp". Frank.boukamp.net. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  31. ^ "Zeejah Fazli, Sarmad Ghafoor n Khurram Waqar Live in Islamabad". Pakstop.com. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  32. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Charkha Nolakha | Atif Aslam and Qayaas | Season 5 | Coke Studio Pakistan. YouTube.
  33. ^ "Qayaas to launch next album in English". Tribune.com.pk. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  34. ^ a b "'Our titans of rock music'". The Express Tribune. 23 December 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  35. ^ a b "Islamabad's bohemian revolution:Underground music in the Capital is flourishing... so where's the spotlight?". Daily Jang. Archived from the original on 26 January 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  36. ^ Halaak | Qayaas Band | Waar. YouTube. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021.
  37. ^ "To Strike (2013) - IMDb". IMDb.
  38. ^ "It's official, Waar is the highest grossing Pakistani film of all time". Tribune.com.pk. 23 November 2013.
  39. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 December 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  40. ^ "Vadero Pajero (Burka Avenger OST)". Patari.pk.
  41. ^ Shahid, Ayesha (21 January 2012). "Rock band rocks South Asian music". Dawn.
  42. ^ "Shehrezade~Awarded Best Rock Song at IndieGo | Qayaas featuring Umair Jaswal". ReverbNation.com.
  43. ^ "Pukaar~Awarded Silver Best Video at IndieGo | Qayaas featuring Umair Jaswal". ReverbNation.com. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.