Zain Zohaib

Zain Zohaib is a pakistani Qawwali group formed in Lahore, Pakistan by brothers Zain Ali (born May 27, 1992) and Zohaib Ali (born August 18, 1995).

The lineup of the group varies, but generally consists of Zohaib Ali (lead vocals), Zain Ali and Ehsan Ali (secondary vocals), Sameer Ali (lead harmonium), Ruzam Ali (harmonium, vocals) and Abdul Waheed Ali (tabla), with accompaniment by Balaj Hussain (Guitar, Electric guitar) and Zameer Hussain (Keyboard). In many performances Muhabbat Ali, Mudassar Ali, Arslan Ali, Sharafat Ali, Kaleem Ahkter and Raheel Abbas Anwar, among others, provide supporting vocals (Humnawa). Some songs feature Zohaib on harmonium and Zain on tabla, however in the larger group the brothers only perform vocals.

Their musical style is that of traditional Qawwali, with some new elements such as featuring electric guitar, bass, and drums on many tracks. Violin and melodica have also been used. In 2025, the band collaborated with The Sufi Records to create a Qawwali with orchestral accompaniment. Zain Zohaib often performs covers of Qawwalis originally by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, as well as original music written and composed by the brothers.

The brothers grew up learning Qawwali from their grandfather Ustad Haji Rehmat Ali Khan, a harmonium player for Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on the second harmonium, and their uncle Ustad Faiz Ali Faiz. Zain began playing tabla in 2004 at age 12. They have been performing Qawwali since at least 2009. The third of the band's main vocalists, Ehsan Ali, is their younger cousin.

Zain Zohaib garnered attention in 2019 after being featured in the fith season of Nescafe Basement with their song Haiderium. In 2022 they were part of the 14th season of Coke Studio Pakistan, performing the song Thagyan featuring singer Quratulain Balouch.

Zain and Zohaib have known members of Fanna-Fi-Allah since their youth. In 2018, they performed a jam session with Tahir Qawwal, who named them as his "favourite next generation qawwali ensemble" . In 2020 they were featured in Fanna-Fi-Allah's documentary Music of the Mystics as examples of modern performers of the Qawwali tradition.

History

Zain and Zohaib Ali grew up playing Qawwali from a young age. They learnt from their grandfather Haji Rehmat Ali Khan, who had been the second harmonium player for Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, as well as from their uncle Faiz Ali Faiz. They have been performing since at least 2009 along with their cousins, among which was Ehsan Ali.

From 2018-2020 they released the singles Haiderium, Noor-e-Khuda, Ishq Hularay, Mere Dil Mein (featuring Tehzeeb Haafi), Laal Qalandar, Khair and Sara Jahan Hussain Ka, and the most popular Ranjheya Ve with label Rolla Rappa Records.

In 2016, Zain Ali was featured on the fourth season of Nescafe Basement, performing vocals in a rendition of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's Tum Eik Gorahk Dhanda by Asfar Hussain and Zaryab Sultan. This led to the group auditioning for the fifth season, in which their performance of Haiderium garnered international attention.

Zain Zohaib performed on the soundtrack for Mrs. & Mr. Shameem, as well as being featured in episode 6 as Qawwals. They also composed and performed multiple tracks for the soundtrack of the 2024 series Abdullahpur ka Devdas, these being praised for enriching the narrative. The Netflix series Super Rich in Korea features Zain Zohaib performing as an example of Pakistani culture.

In 2025 they released their first Album Back to Live, which consists of Qawwali tracks recorded in one take with all members together in one room.

Members

Zohaib Ali - Lead Vocals

Zain Ali - Secondary Vocals

Ehsan Ali - Secondary Vocals

Sameer Ali - Pump Vocal & Lead Harmonium

Ruzam Ali - Harmonium & Vocals

Abdul Waheed Ali - Tabla

References

This article "Zain Zohaib" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Zain Zohaib. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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