Muslim Shaggan Trio

Muslim Shaggan is the latest addition to Honiunhoni’s ever-emerging roster of fantastic traditional and classical artists from Pakistan - brought to you by the same folks who brought us the treasure that is the 80-year-old legend and world music's probably most unusual star, Ustad Noor Bakhsh. 

The recent, first UK appearances of the mesmerizing singer, who accompanies himself on the harmonium, were hits, and we can't wait to finally present this outstanding performer, who can trace his musical legacy back to the 1500s, all across Europe this summer.

His album "Asar" was digitally released at the beginning of 2025; a vinyl version is set to come out in 2026. 


Artist Bio

Muslim Shaggan is a vocalist from Lahore, Pakistan. His vocal delivery is technically sophisticated, yet tender. Muslim’s versatile musicality is rooted in a convergence of histories. He descends from Bhai Mardana (1459-1534), the muslim musician companion of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. This lineage of Rababi musicians eventually adopted the Gwalior style of Hindustani vocal music. Muslim was trained by one of its finest exponents, his grandfather, Ustad Ghulam Hassan Shaggan, who carefully prepared him to carry on this centuries-old legacy from the young age of 7. 

Today, Muslim is one of the most accomplished classical vocalists of his generation in Pakistan. He regularly performs at all major classical music festivals and venues in the country, as well as on radio and television. Beyond Muslim's prowess in the Khayal genre, he is equally adept at a variety of other South Asian musical forms, including contemporary and folk styles. His musical experiments are rooted in traditional knowledge, yet unconstrained by its rigorous methodologies.

Album Info:

Asar is a collection of raw recordings made in three different acoustic environments: a room, a courtyard, and a park. Muslim sings solely to the accompaniment of his harmonium and tanpura, and the sound of Karachi’s evening breeze and birds. Muslim’s debut album explores the intricacies that a thoroughly trained classical singer brings to other forms. The seven songs on this release span a variety of South Asian musical genres: geet, ghazal, thumri, and kafi. Asar intends to take you to the moment it was recorded—as if you were sitting across from him, and Muslim was singing only for you. 

Asar streaming link: https://honiunhoni.bandcamp.com/album/asar

Videos: 

Trio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTpYw6ISNu8

Solo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sreCojALTs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mzpAMPU7gE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiCf9Ke2U_0