About
Those who breathe together
Humnava — from Urdu and Persian — means those who share the same breath, the same song.
The Collective
Humnava Collective was born in Dubai from a shared restlessness — a group of musicians, poets, and producers who found themselves between worlds, between languages, between the classical and the contemporary.
We draw from Hindustani classical, Arabic maqam, Sufi poetry, Punjabi folk, and ambient electronic music. Not to blend them into something smooth, but to let them speak to each other honestly — with all the friction and beauty that entails.
Our music is for the diaspora and for anyone who has ever felt the pull of two homes at once. It is for the late-night listener and the concert hall. It is, above all, a conversation.
Roots & Influences
"A collective that refuses to be categorised — and is all the more powerful for it."
— Time Out Dubai
The Artists
Aryan Kapoor
Vocals & Composition
Trained in Hindustani classical vocal under Pandit Rajan Mishra. Aryan brings a decade of concert performance across India, the UAE, and the UK.
Layla Al-Rashid
Oud & Arrangement
A classically trained oud player from Baghdad, Layla studied at the Higher Institute of Music before relocating to Dubai. Her arrangements bridge Arabic maqam and contemporary harmony.
Kabir Mehta
Tabla & Percussion
Kabir's tabla work is rooted in the Lucknow gharana tradition. He also plays darbuka and frame drums, giving the collective its rhythmic range.
Sara Nouri
Poetry & Spoken Word
Sara writes in Urdu, Farsi, and English. Her poetry forms the lyrical core of the collective's original compositions and live performances.