Faisal Kapadia of Strings fame on how Dubai helped him heal after break-up, 'I cried for days'

Dubai: “Every Monday morning, I’d be on a 7am flight to Karachi. By Friday night, I was back in Dubai—because I didn’t want to miss a single weekend at home.”

That’s Faisal Kapadia in a nutshell: the man who could pack out stadiums but still lived by a family commute schedule. For four years straight, he lived on planes, producing Coke Studio in Pakistan while building a life in Dubai with his wife, Seema, and their two sons.

“We thought we’d try Dubai for a year,” he says. “Thirteen years later, it still feels right.”

Dubai, he discovered, was both convenient and indulgent. “It’s accessible—India to perform, Pakistan to produce, anywhere really—and a great place to live,” he explains. And then he adds, with that knowing grin: “Valet in his building? Only in Dubai.”

Still, beneath the spoils is simplicity.

“I love going on my Marina walk every evening. We don’t socialise much—it’s just me and Seema. Sometimes cricket.”

It’s this grounded Dubai chapter that made the next one possible: knowing when to end Strings, and daring to start again from scratch.

There are rock-band breakups, and then there’s Strings. No drama, no meltdowns—just a graceful exit after three decades of defining Pakistani pop.

“We never had clashes,” Kapadia says of his partnership with Bilal Maqsood.

“We had similar tastes. We had great 30–35 years of a musical journey.”

The decision to end wasn’t about fights—it was about philosophy.

“We didn’t want to be in a fool’s paradise. Everything has a life. Ending at the right time is wisdom.”

That philosophy also guided their stint at Coke Studio Pakistan, which they helmed for Seasons 7 through 10.

“It’s good to leave at the right time before your creative juices run dry,” he says.

But wisdom doesn’t erase emotion. “When we posted the announcement at 7pm on March 25, 2021, it blew up. Suddenly, I felt there was no roof over my head. For 30 years, Strings was there. No strings attached—literally. I cried for days.”

Kapadia thought he was done. “I had no desire to go back to music. Thirty-plus years—I was fine. I wanted to travel, spend time with family.”

Then Coke Studio’s Zulfi called. He refused. His kids intervened. “‘Dad, you should.’ I listened.”

Back in the studio, something shifted. “I felt a completely different excitement, a different purpose. I didn’t want to become ‘where Strings was.’ Strings should stay iconic, bigger than me. I wanted to start again from scratch and learn.”

That meant shedding baggage and ego. “I didn’t want to be where Strings was. I wanted to start from zero, work with producers, learn new styles.”

Today, he’s got a full solo album in the pipeline and, as of our chat, a fresh single called Sadiya.

“‘Sadiya’ is about relationships—how fragile they are. You invest for years and one mistake can break everything. Like music or sport, relationships need practice. You can’t take them for granted.”

Music isn’t his only mission. Kapadia has teamed up with The Citizens Foundation’s for his upcoming UMEED 2025 concert to raise funds and awareness for education.

“Where there is no education—or less education—evil minds and corruption grow. Education is the key for a brighter future for every nation.” Umeed 2025 will be held on November 2nd at The Agenda, Dubai Media City.

After decades in music, this feels like the right next chapter. “After 30–35 years with Strings, it’s time to give back—whatever we can. Lack of education is also a disease. Kids who can’t afford good schools deserve it.”

The transition feels natural: from anthems that lit up stadiums to classrooms that could shape futures.

For someone who’s spent his life on stage, Kapadia has surprisingly nerdy credentials. “I was a very ‘ladla’ child—spoiled with love. And I was good with accounts—100 in the board in Pakistan, 100 in my first two semesters in the US. I even got an internship offer at GE.”

So why not a safe life of balance sheets? He chuckles. “Seema. I was madly in love.”

Their story began in August 1989—the same month Strings released its first song. She’s been his anchor ever since. “She inspires my life. Music I do every day—it just comes.”

Even away from music, Kapadia is thoughtful about culture and perception.

On how Pakistan is perceived abroad, he recalls the early 2000s. “People would ask if we had colour TV. Pakistani films didn’t travel, so there was ignorance.”

He sees the shorthand in global media as dangerous. “Like we struggle to picture Baghdad or Kabul beyond headlines, that’s how people see us.”

And that famous ‘adab’ stereotype? He clears it up with ease. “We say ‘Salaam’ to anyone we meet. ‘Adab’ is about context and respect—like saying ‘hello’ versus ‘hey.’ At Bilal’s mother’s place, I’d say ‘adab.’ Meeting my father’s friend, it’s ‘Assalamualaikum, Uncle.’ It depends.”

Kapadia isn’t stuck in the past. He’s as fascinated by technology as he is by tradition.

“Consumption patterns changed. Production changed. Earlier we released one album in three or four years; now people expect a song every two or three weeks.”

He uses AI as a tool, not a crutch. “I record a melody on my phone, feed it into AI, get two or three arrangement directions instantly. Then I sit with my producer and musicians to develop the song. It saves time.”

But the fundamentals remain unchanged. “Tools or not, practice, taste, and intent matter the most.”

At 54, Kapadia is disarmingly content. “I’m in a very happy phase. I can’t thank God enough for 54 years—making new music, performing, and now, with TCF Umeed 2025, giving back and creating awareness.”

And yes, trying harder. That’s the thesis of Sadiya—but also of his life.

“Trying harder is important,” he nods.

Whether it’s commuting across continents for family, ending a band at the right time, starting solo from scratch, or turning his energy to education, Kapadia is proof that reinvention is possible when you know what you stand for.

“Strings should remain iconic—bigger than me,” he says. “I’m just here to learn again.”

When: November 2

Where: The Agenda, Dubai Media City

Time: 7pm

Tickets: Available on www.platinumlist.net