Tariq Hussain (musician)

Tariq Hussain, frequently billed as Tariq, is a Canadian singer-songwriter based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

He was born in Cowansville, Quebec. His father, a Pakistani immigrant,[1] was very concerned with his children getting a good education and it was only in his mid-teens, after his father had died, that Hussain began playing guitar.[2] At Bishop's University, he studied theatre arts.[3] He started devoting most of his time to a music career upon moving to Calgary, Alberta in 1995,[3] releasing his first album Splat independently that year.[4]

In 1997, he was signed to EMI Music Canada.[5] His album The Basement Songs was produced by Steven Drake of Odds and won critical acclaim, with music writers citing the maturity of the folk-rock songwriting, as the songs addressed issues of racism and religion.[2] His best-known song, "Chevrolet Way", was a Canadian radio hit in 1997[4] and garnered him a Juno Award nomination for Best New Solo Artist at the Juno Awards of 1998.[6] His subsequent independent release, While You're Down There included collaborations with Jules Shear and with Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go's.[2]

In addition to his solo recordings, he has been a collaborating member of Brasstronaut,[7] and a host on CBC Music and CBC Radio 3.[8]

In 2011, Hussain won the Maxine Sevack Award for Creative Nonfiction from the University of British Columbia, as well as receiving his master's degree in creative writing from the institution. He currently teaches courses in the Faculty of Arts, mainly focusing on creative and lyric writing.[9]

Discography

  • Graffiti Artist (1993)
  • Splat (1995)[4]
  • The Basement Songs (1997)[2]
  • While You're Down There (2001)[3]
  • Goodbye Lonely (2005)[5]
  • Moonwalker EP (2013)[7]
  • Telegrams (2019)

References

  1. ^ "Strict Muslim upbringing fuelled folk singer's fire". Halifax Daily News, July 27, 1997.
  2. ^ a b c d McCoy, Heath (October 30, 2001). "Tariq faces tough comeback trail". Calgary Herald. p. B10.
  3. ^ a b c Sperounes, Sandra (December 3, 2001). "Tariq a happy-go-lucky Liberal Guy despite losing his EMI record deal: Calgary performer's indie success puts lie to label's earlier verdict". Edmonton Journal. p. B6.
  4. ^ a b c "Cowtown inspired Tariq to plug in: Former folkie finds success with rock". Montreal Gazette, July 19, 1997.
  5. ^ a b "Tariq opts for pop-roots sound: New disc 'feels much more like me,' Calgary artist says". Edmonton Journal, July 1, 2005.
  6. ^ "Juno list a tribute to flourishing Calgary artists". Calgary Herald, February 12, 1998.
  7. ^ a b "Brasstronaut's Tariq Announces 'Moonwalker' Solo EP". Exclaim!, April 11, 2013.
  8. ^ "Tariq". Beatroute, June 17, 2013.
  9. ^ "Tariq Hussain". creativewriting.ubc.ca. UBC Creative Writing. Retrieved November 2, 2017.