Irfan Ali Taj

Irfan Ali Taj is a Singer, Songwriter and a multi-instrumentalist from Chitral, a culturally rich and diverse district of KPK in Hindukush in the North of Pakistan. He plays the Rebab or Rubab,this instrument independently spread via the Islamic trading routes over much of North Africa, Middle-east and Europe. Irfan’s music derives from rich cultural sounds of Chitral and modern sounds of the city. His work is mostly written in Khowar (کهووار), also known as Chitrali, an Indo-Aryan language of the Dardic group spoken in northern Pakistan. ‘Kho’ means the people of Chitral, “War” means language. The core of his artistic experiments lies in the fusion of these two styles of music, bringing the peaceful music of the north to the world.

Taj’s music has gained a lot of recognition from fans all over the world admiring his music. His song “Ashiqi Angar” features Urdu lyrics sung by Zoe Viccaji. Irfan’s work has been featured on TV channels such as BBC, Dawn and The News.

Taj’s new album “MAHAL” is due release this year along with his experimental singles (Ibn e Adam, Talib-e-wahdat and Ta Khayala) featuring seasoned session musicians. He has also been actively involved as a producer, musician, composer and lyricist for other bands and artists.

With his music Irfan hopes to bring the message of love, peace and harmony to the listener and in doing so capture the purity and warmth that defines the spirit of Chitrali people.