Mekaal Hasan is a well-known music producer, recording artist, singer, and composer from Pakistan who has been active in the country’s music scene for a number of years. After receiving his degree from Government College Lahore, he enrolled at the Berklee College of Music to get his master’s in jazz composition.

He started the Mekaal Hasan Band (MHB) in 2000 to showcase traditional music in a rock-classical style. Since 2004, the live shows and recordings of this band have been well received both at home and internationally. These impressive performances helped the band win numerous awards and established them as the leading exponents of South Asian music’s traditional yet modern style.

According to a vote conducted by Dawn News, MHB’s first music video for the song ‘Chal Bulleya’ was deemed the best and most fantastic music video of 2010.

Meekal Hasan also established a recording studio called Digital Fidelity Studios in addition to the Band. Mekaal claims that “the primary aim was to create records which reflected the artist’s musical personality and goals”.

The standard set by those records led to the emergence of a new kind of sound, one which was contemporary but also kept the musical identity of our artists distinct from others around them.

Some of Pakistan’s top artists including Junoon, Atif Aslam, Jal, Noorie, E.P, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Sanam Marvi, and many more have recorded at Digital Fidelity Studios.

However, on Tuesday evening, a fire at the Lahore-based studio resulted in the destruction of the premises. A fire started by an electronic fault quickly burned the Waris Road recording facility to the ground. Although the fire department arrived at the scene in less than ten minutes, no fire extinguishers were functional, and team members, including Mekaal, fled for their lives, it was already too late to save anything.

“Everything, including the equipment and the infrastructure, has been burned down,” Hasan told The Express Tribune in a telephonic conversation. “The damages would roughly cost between 100-200 million rupees.”

The state-of-the-art space doubled as a recording studio outfitted with the newest technology and infrastructure, as well as a sort of ashram for musicians. Everything was completely destroyed by the fire.

“It’s a tragedy but we can’t do anything about it apart from looking ahead with a new resolve,” said Hasan.

The producer has called out to all of the big personalities in music who have been affiliated with the studio to assist him in rebuilding the facility.

“All the artists that I have recorded, I have reached out to help rebuild the studio. Ranging from Atif Aslam to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Noori to Jal, Xulfi to Fawad Khan, I have requested them all to send in donations,” Hasan said.

“You know this wasn’t just a studio; it was a happy place for musicians. It’s a space that has launched the biggest singers, instrumentalists, and maestros in the country. I am sure all of them will warm up to this task.”

An official campaign that specifically targets Pakistanis and ex-pats will be used to rebuild Mekaal Hasan’s studio space. Mekaal will set up a GoFundMe account for anyone wishing to donate from outside Pakistan and something that is easily accessible for those eager to give from Pakistan.

Hasan explained that the goal is to reach out to the Pakistani public and the artistic community. “Every artist has a following and their own set of well-wishers. This space is responsible for some of the most incredible music that has come of our region and now, it needs your support.”

A lot of celebrities took to their Instagram stories and shared the link to the GoFundMe page. These artists include, Natasha Noorani, Dino Ali, Bilal Maqsood, Ali Azmat, Natasha Baig, Meesha Shafi and Ahmed Ali Butt.

Following this tragedy, Mekaal and the other members of the Mekaal Hasan Band performed a live concert at Ali Auditorium. “We had to look forward. It was our own show that we were doing for our own fans so we couldn’t cancel it and I am glad we didn’t,” shared Hasan.