Atif Aslam, From Wazirabad to a Packed O2 Arena

Atif Aslam is a Pakistani singer whose songs became staples of Hindi film soundtracks. His career is also a record of cross-border stage firsts. This piece draws on his published biography, and stays with facts it can support.

A cricketer who became a singer

According to his Wikipedia biography, Aslam was born on 12 March 1983 in Wazirabad, Punjab, to a middle-class family. He has three brothers who have all worked with him, as photographer, designer and manager, and website coordinator. He studied in Lahore and Rawalpindi and later went to the University of Central Punjab.

He first competed on stage, and won, at 15. He also wanted to be a cricketer and, as a fast bowler, was selected for the Pakistan under-19 team, but did not go ahead because his parents wanted him to become an engineer.

From the band Jal to a solo debut

In 2002 he co-founded the band Jal with Goher Mumtaz. Their debut single "Aadat", released in late 2003 with Aslam as lead vocalist, became an instant viral success. He left the band over creative differences and released his debut solo album, Jal Pari, in 2004, which included his own solo version of "Aadat". His second album, Doorie, followed in 2006 and his third, Meri Kahani, in 2008 was nominated for Best Album at the 7th Lux Style Awards.

Into Hindi cinema

He made his Bollywood debut in 2005. According to the biography, "Woh Lamhe" from Zeher was his first Bollywood song, and "Aadat, Juda Hoke Bhi" appeared in Kalyug the same year. In 2008 he recorded "Pehli Nazar Mein" for Race, which won him an IIFA Award, and "Bakhuda Tumhi Ho" for Kismat Konnection. Later hits listed in the biography include "Tu Jaane Na" and "Tera Hone Laga Hoon" from Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009). He is known for his belting technique, and his style has been described as a mix of Pakistani pop and Sufi rock.

Coke Studio and the concert circuit

He became a prominent performer on Coke Studio Pakistan. In 2011 he made his acting debut in the Urdu film Bol, also singing duets with Hadiqa Kiani for it. In 2012 he recorded two songs for the Hollywood film The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

The concert record is striking. On 22 April 2012 he became the first Pakistani to perform at London's O2 Arena, in a four-hour show billed as promoting love, peace and unity between Pakistan and India, followed by shows in Manchester and Glasgow. In April 2013 he became the first artist from Asia to perform twice at the O2. The biography also says he is the first Asian artist, and the second after Bryan Adams, permitted to perform inside the Dashrath Rangasala National Football Stadium in Kathmandu. Other performances included Dubai, Bangkok and his first public concert in Malaysia in 2012.

Recognition

Aslam received the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz from the Government of Pakistan in 2008 and several Lux Style Awards. He received a star on The Dubai Stars in 2019 and was included in Forbes Asia's 100 Digital Stars list in 2020. He mainly performs in Urdu and Punjabi and has also recorded in Hindi, Bengali, Persian and Pashto.

The caveat

Most of the "first" claims in the biography concern venues and attendance, so they record milestones of reach rather than rankings of artistic merit. What they do show is how widely a voice that began in a Wazirabad talent contest travelled, through film soundtracks and live concerts, to audiences in several countries.

Sources

*Cover photo: Ayyazji, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).*