Rohail Hyatt

Rohail Hyatt is a Pakistani record producer, composer and keyboardist famous for his contributions to Pakistani pop rock music infusing it with Western rock and pop. He was born and brought up in Rawalpindi in Punjab which later became a province in Pakistan. He was born in the Khattar family with his great-grandfather being a prominent Punjabi leader during the British rule, Hayat Khan. He did his schooling at St. Mary’s Academy. Soon after, he joined the journey of music as his parents encouraged him to pursue Western music. His parents enjoyed western music and highly followed Nat King Cole and Engelbert Humperdinck, and he mentioned it as having grown up in “A serious Hippie Community.” But when he received his first keyboard, he was more drawn to traditional Sufi and Pakistani music. His mother had a significant influence on him growing up, she arranged keyboard lessons for him and used to keep him occupied by playing pop music on the radio. His interest shifted toward western music much later after his aunt bought Pink Floyd’s album ‘ The Wall Click to look into! >> Read More... ’ in 1980. He was initially very drawn to cricket and was a member of the under-19 cricket team of Pakistan.

His career interests changed when he met Rizwan-ul-Haq. The two became good friends and Rohail discovered that he is a guitarist after he played at a school. Then at Peshawar University, he met another guitarist Shahzad Hasan and decided to form a band with him. Two of them partnered and launched ‘Vital Signs’ a rock band as they were exploring the rock pop genre in 1986. By 1980s, he was the member of two underground bands which are Crude X and Progressions. He was greatly influenced by Nusrat Hussain who was a bassist in Progressions and he changed his outlook on the global music. He then left University and joined a desk job at the British Embassy but left his job soon after to pursue keyboard and guitar. In 1983 he met Junaid Jamshed Junaid Jamshed is a Pakistani TV character, period >> Read More... at the Islamabad Model College and wanted to work with him. He was impressed by his performance at the university and convinced him to join the band and become their lead singer. Hyatt remained the leader of Vital songs and they produced five albums from 1991-1997 under Pepsi Cola.

He was a producer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist at the band and their first hit was the third most popular song at that time according to BBC World, which is ‘Dil Dil Pakistan.’ Rohail launched ‘Coke Studio Pakistan in 2008 by the Coca-Cola Company with the vision of infusing Pakistani traditional music with electronic landscape. The show was a way to promote Pakistan’s classical, indigenous, and folk genres of music. He produced the first six seasons of the show along with the 13th and 14th season. He also contributed to Government of Pakistan by re-recording Pakistan’s national anthem as mandated in 2022 on the ceremony of 75th anniversary of Pakistan. He produced of Velo Sound Station in 2023 for season 2 after the demise of Bilal Maqsood Bilal Maqsood is a Pakistani Music Composer. Bilal >> Read More... . He has recieved the Lux Style Award in 2008 for the title of Best Original Sound Track Album ‘Khuda Kay Liye’ and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz Crescent of Excellence Award for Art in 2022 from the President of Pakistan.