Humnava unveiled Isekta, the eighth song from its first season, at a cultural launch co-hosted with the British Council at the British Council Library in Lahore on 4 June 2026. The evening gathered musicians, cultural practitioners and audiences for an intimate listening session and a conversation on music as a bridge between communities.
The track Isekta is an Arabic composition written and composed by Bakrin Timlfati with a meditative, emotive sound built around guitars, traditional percussion and haunting vocals. Curated by Xulfi and Sherry Khattak, the recording features vocal contributions from Bakrin Timlfati, Eliza Khan and Shahid Hussain, with arrangement and production led by Xulfi, Sherry Khattak and Bakrin Timlfati. Musicians on the track include Amine Laroug on acoustic guitars and backing vocals, Muhammad Hunaid on rubab, Melvin Arthur and Dorian Jonas Goetsch on synth bass, Xulfi on percussion and Adnan Karim on djembe.
The music video for Isekta was filmed at Passu Ground in Hunza, adding a striking visual backdrop to the song’s themes of longing and memory. Xulfi described Isekta as a keepsake of a fleeting moment, saying, “Isekta means souvenir — something you carry with you long after a moment has passed.” He highlighted how the recording captured real emotions, noting that the session coincided with Bakrin and Amin’s last day in Pakistan.
The launch included selected Humnava screenings and a panel discussion exploring inclusion, language, cultural exchange and how platforms like Humnava take local sounds to global audiences. The event also marked a continuation of the British Council Pakistan’s long-standing support for arts and creative exchange and coincided with the 10 year anniversary of the reopening of British Council libraries in Karachi and Lahore.
Humnava Season 1 has brought together more than 30 musicians and collaborators from Pakistan and abroad, positioning Pakistan as a meeting place for cross-cultural musical projects. Isekta is now available to watch on YouTube, stream on Spotify and is being shared across broadcast platforms. Partners on Humnava include Spotify, IG Square, the European Union Delegation to Pakistan, UNESCO, Ambiance, Active Media, Sahar Advertising Services, Brand Active and Lotus.
For ongoing updates and releases from Humnava follow @humnavaworld on Instagram and look out for the Isekta video and streams on major platforms.
