Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi

Attaullah Khan Niazi SI PP, known professionally as Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi, is a Pakistani musician, singer, poet, and occasional actor. He is primarily associated with the folk music of Punjab and has written various songs and poems in the Saraiki language.

Early life and education

Esakhelvi was born on 19 August 1951 in Isakhel, which is located in the Mianwali District of West Punjab. He belongs to a Saraiki-speaking Niazi Pashtun family that speaks the Thali dialect. Although he developed an interest in music as a child, his parents strictly forbade him from pursuing it. His school teacher encouraged his talent by making him practice songs by Mohammed Rafi and Mukesh. Because his passion remained unsupported at home, he left his family when he was 18 years old.

He traveled extensively throughout Pakistan to support himself while working from Mianwali. He received his early education in Esakhel before eventually relocating to Lahore to pursue a professional music career.

Career

After leaving home, Esakhelvi continued his musical training and recorded himself on cassette tapes for distribution. In 1972, he was invited to perform on Radio Pakistan, Bahawalpur, and performed in a concert in Mianwali that same year. He appeared on the Pakistan Television show Neelam Ghar in 1973. A recording session in Faisalabad allowed him to record four albums at once. These albums were released at the end of 1977 and became national bestsellers.

His international presence grew when he performed his first concert abroad in the United Kingdom in 1980. Various labels including Hi-Tech, OSA, and Moviebox eventually released his albums in the UK. He has performed Na`at and Kalaam by famous Sufi poets like Bulleh Shah and Mian Muhammad Bakhsh. In 2014, he visited India to perform a Sufi concert titled Ibaadat at Purana Quila in Delhi. The Times of India reported that he sang "Achha Sila Diya Tune Mere Pyaar Ka" during this event.

Esakhelvi also ventured into acting during the early 1990s. He made his debut in the Punjabi-language movie Dil Lagi in 1992, where he co-starred with Sultan Rahi and Jawed Sheikh. That same year, he starred in the bilingual film Zindagi alongside Arif Lohar. In this production, Abida Parveen made her debut as a playback singer.

His musical output is vast, as he has recorded more than 50,000 songs across seven different languages. He appeared on Coke Studio season 4 in 2011 to sing "Ni Oothaan Waale" and "Pyaar Naal." In September 2017, he returned for season 10 to perform "Sab Maya Hai" with his traditional band. His band members include Salamat Ali Khan on tabla, Javed Ali on dholak, Babar on flute, and Sabir Ali on harmonium.

Personal life

The singer has been married five times, and his fourth wife, Bazgha, was a former actress. He has four children from his fourth and fifth wives. His daughter, Laraib Atta, works as a professional VFX artist for several Hollywood films. His son, Sanwal Esakhelvi, is currently pursuing a career in music.

Awards and recognition

Esakhelvi is considered a folk icon and remains one of the most popular singers in Pakistan. He had his name entered into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1994 for releasing the highest number of audio albums. He also received a lifetime achievement award from Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

The Government of Pakistan awarded him the Pride of Performance in 1991. On March 23, 2019, the President of Pakistan honored him with the Sitara e Imtiaz (Star of Excellence).