Tariq

Tariq Hussain (born 1968), usually credited as Tariq in his musical career, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and radio personality. Currently a host for CBC Radio 3, he has also released four albums. Tariq was born in Cowansville, Quebec. His father, a Pakistani immigrant, was a Muslim who asked that pop music be banned from the household. It was only after his father's death that Tariq began playing guitar, at age 14. At Bishop's University, he studied theatre arts. He started devoting most of his time to a music career upon moving to Calgary, Alberta in 1995. In 1997, he was signed to EMI Music Canada. His album The Basement Songs won critical acclaim, with music writers citing the maturity of the folk-rock songwriting, as the songs addressed issues of racism and religion. His best-known song, "Chevrolet Way", was a Canadian radio hit in 1997 and garnered him a Juno Award nomination for Best New Artist. His album, however, had sold only 10,000 copies, and he was released from his record contract. His subsequent independent release, While You're Down There included collaborations with Jules Shear and with Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go's. For most of his musical career, Tariq was based in Calgary, but moved to Vancouver when he joined CBC Radio 3.