How a Saudi-born singer found her voice and her Freedom In Pakistan

0 KIKI GIST Sunday, October 30, 2016

Singer-songwriter Rutaba Yaqub is from Saudi Arabia, but she lives in Pakistan where she can pursue her music career.
It’s not a country known for gender equality, but for Yaqub, it’s where she’s been able to pursue her dream to be a recording artist.

She moved from her home in Saudi Arabia to Pakistan six years ago to study computer engineering. For Yaqub, it meant freedom from Saudi Arabia’s stricter Islamic laws.

And it’s in Lahore where she started singing — in public — at her university.

At just age 19, Yaqub was discovered by music producer and mentor Xulfi — imagine Simon Cowell, except nicer. She started as a backing vocalist for Xulfi’s television music series, “Nescafé Basement .”

Then she started recording her own music.

“I knew that I could sing, but I never thought I’d be taking it forward as a career because I’ve come from a very conservative place. It’s been frowned upon, being in showbiz,” Yaqub explains.

Working on one of the country’s most popular TV shows got her exposure.

And doing a cover from her favorite band helped her move from backup singer to headliner.

Her stunning version of Coldplay’s hit, “The Scientist,” has been streamed tens of thousands of times.