Run your fingers through my soul. For once, feel what I feel; believe what I believe; perceive as I perceive. Look, experience, examine, and for once, understand.
- Unknown
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I like all kinds of music, but as far back as I can remember, I have always loved Punjabi folk songs. One of my favorite folk singers is Ustad AttaUllah Khan Essakhelvi - a brilliant man blessed with a deep voice that reaches inside of you and connects directly with your heart.
A little history about this phenomenal singer:
He was born August 19, 1951 in the town of Essakhel in Mianwali, Pakistan. His family hails from the famous Niazi tribe of the Pashtuns. From his childhood, he had a passion for music, and practiced singing stealthily behind his disapproving parents' back. Eventually they discovered his secret, and in anger and revulsion they expelled him from his home.
AttaUllah struggled to make his mark in life and realized that although he loved to sing, this could only be achieved with education. So he worked and continued his education until he graduated with his BA in Mianwali. He continued to nourish his talent simultaneously, and was eventually invited to perform on Radio Pakistan Bahawalpur and at a stage show in Mianwali 1972. These performances propelled him into the public eye and marked the beginning of his singing career.
In his early years while he was completing his education, he fell madly in love with a woman from his town. After a brief whirlwind courtship, he proposed. However, her family disapproved vehemently, and she left him for another man. Heartbroken, AttaUllah turned to alcohol to drown his woes.
Since then, he has changed his life around and stopped drinking, but much of the feeling and depth in his songs originate from his own personal experiences. He is now one of the best known Seraiki and Punjabi folk singers and poets in Pakistan and throughout the world, with the highest number of audio albums ever released by a Pakistani singer. One of the reasons behind his success is that he sings mostly for poor, desperate, and afflicted people. His voice has a healing effect that appeals to young and old alike. He has now dominated the folk music scene of Pakistan for over thirty years, and gathers thousands in audiences where ever he performs.
A few of my AttaUllah favorites:
