Some music doesn’t announce itself — it arrives quietly, settles in, and stays. On December 26, that familiar hush-before-the-feel will take over Asembli, Nanakramguda, as ‘The Hesham Abdul Wahab Experience’ comes alive. Organised by Asembli x Scene Setters, the concert marks a defining moment for the composer-singer: his first-ever exclusive show in the city, and the first time an entire evening will be devoted solely to songs he has composed — melodies that have healed, lingered, and slowly found their way into people’s lives.
“I have been doing concerts since the last like 10 to 15 years. But the difference is whenever I used to perform, I used to sing songs that were not composed by me,” he begins in an exclusive chat with CE, reflecting on a career that has taken him across the Gulf, Singapore and various parts of India.
This concert changes that narrative entirely. Songs from Kushi, Hi Nanna, Manamey, Hridayam and The Girlfriend — tracks that found their way into people’s everyday lives — will finally come together on one stage. “This is the first exclusive concert where I’m performing only my songs. To have people come just to hear them — it feels like you are already on a pathway to a successful journey,” he says.
The concert happening in Hyderabad makes the moment even more meaningful. A non-Telugu speaker from Kerala, Hesham speaks of the city with deep gratitude: “It’s a real honour for me to have a sold-out show here in Hyderabad for the first time. I can’t be more grateful.”
He believes the Telugu audience’s relationship with music is unlike any other. He enthuses, “The Telugu audience celebrate music and have utmost respect for everyone involved. The love they shower upon us here in Telugu, you’ll only get that here.” That warmth, he feels, reassures him as an artist.
Often described as soothing and emotionally comforting, his music rarely overwhelms. Instead, it quietly unfolds, allowing listeners to arrive at their own feelings. That power, Hesham says, is rooted in honesty. For him, composing is not separate from life — it is deeply personal, often therapeutic. “When I composed Nadhive, Em Jaruguthondhi and Needhe Katha, I was actually going through a healing process myself. If people feel healed when they hear these songs, then my job is done — because I was doing the same,” he shares.
His relationship with Telugu cinema is built on the industry’s unwavering belief in music as storytelling. “In Telugu cinema, songs are very important. You already know there will be six or seven songs. You know there will be a song that brings people to the theatre,” he shares citing Kushi as a defining example, adding, “The title song topped the charts and brought audiences to the theatre. That belief never changes here.”
When it comes to knowing where music should speak and where it should remain silent, Hesham turns to faith. That belief extends to singing — something he considers inseparable from composing. “I can’t segregate the two. I can’t stay without singing, just like how I can’t stay without composing,” he notes.
Despite the organic virality of his music, Hesham is clear about his current phase as an artist. “I don’t want to be a deliberate musician anymore. I’m thirsty for good work, not desperate for numbers. If work takes away peace, it becomes a chore,” he shares.
He continues to work across languages, with upcoming Telugu projects including Epic, directed by Aditya Hassan, starring Anand Deverakonda and Vaishnavi Chaitanya and the next film by director Shaurya, alongside a Malayalam film titled Madhuvidhu, debut in Kannada, starring Golden star Ganesh and directed by Srinivas Raju, Tamil film Superhero starring Arjun Das and an upcoming Hindi project he is excited for. For now, all eyes and ears are on this Friday, when his music steps out of playlists and onto Asembli’s stage that embraced it first.