Attaullah Khan Essa Khailwi
Encyclopedia
Attaullah Khan Niazi Esakhelvi (surname also transliterated as Essa Khailwi) is a Pakistani Pride of Performance
award-winning musician from Isakhel
, Mianwali
, Punjab. He is traditionally considered a Seraiki
artist, but most of his music albums are in either Punjabi
or Urdu
. By 2006, Attaullah had released 403 music albums.
Attaullah's hits include Qameez Teri Kaali, Ither Zindagi ka Janaza,Raatan, We Bol Sanwal, Ishq Main Hum Tumain Kya Batayain, Theva Mundri tha Theva, Woh Bahar Ka Zamana and Mahi Wasey Mera.
The Government of Pakistan
awarded him the Pride of Performance Award
in 1991.
in the Punjabi district of Mianwali
. He was named Attaullah Khan Niazi, since he was a member of the Niazi
tribe.
Attaullah developed an interest in music as a child, but music was strictly forbidden in his home. Despite the restriction on music in his home, Attaullah secretly sought to learn more about music. His school teacher taught him Mohammed Rafi
and Mukesh
songs and told him never to stop singing. Attaullah tried to explain his passion for music to his parents and tried to convince them to let him sing, but they forbade him to continue singing. Disillusioned, Attaullah left home when he was eighteen years old. He traveled extensively within Pakistan and supported himself by working odd jobs.
In 1972, Attaullah was invited to perform on Radio Pakistan, Bahawalpur
. That same year, he performed in a concert in Mianwali. In 1973, he performed on Neelam Ghar
.
Attaullah was invited by a company in Faisalabad
to record folk songs in their studio, and he recorded four albums at one time. The albums were released at the end of 1977 and became national bestsellers.
In 1980, Attaullah performed in the United Kingdom
for the first time. This was also his first concert abroad. Attaullah's albums were eventually released in the United Kingdom under various labels, including Hi-tech, OSA and Moviebox.
Attaullah Khan is a Muslim
and has performed Naat
and Kalaam of famous Sufi
poets, such as Mian Muhammad Bakhsh
's Saiful Maluk and Bulleh Shah
's Keey Bay Dardan Sang Yaree.
He has recorded more than 40,000 songs in seven languages.
) became famous in India after his lyrics were used in the Bollywood
movie Bewafa Sanam. Sonu Nigam
, Anuradha Paudwal
and Udit Narayan
sang his songs.
after becoming a professional musician. He has been married four times and has three children. He is currently married to Bazigha, who is the mother of his children Sanwal Atta (son), Laraib Atta (daughter), and Mohammed Atta (youngest son).
After spending many years in Lahore, Attaullah moved back to Isakhel. He built a mosque, Laraib Masjid, near Government Degree College, Isakhel.
Attaullah Khan is also a Sufi Murid
and regularly visits his Murshid
in Taunsa Sharif
.
, Geo TV
, ARY
, Aaj TV
, and DM Digital
.
Ataullah Khan performed Ni Oothan Waale and Pyar Naal Na Sahi on Coke Studio
's fourth season. Esakhelvi's Pyaar Nal Na Sahi was previously covered by Noor Jehan
for a Punjabi film starring Sultan Rahi
.
Ataullah Khan has also starred in Punjabi movies. His most famous one is Dil Lagi, where he played the role of Sultan Rahi's younger brother. The movie's soundtrack also included Esakhelvi's song Dil Lagaya tha Dil Lagi Ke Liyay.
The musicians in Attaullah's band have performed with him since the 1970s. Ataullah and his band have performed together in Pakistan
, United States of America, Japan
, Canada
, United Kingdom
, France
, Spain
, Germany
, India
, Italy
, Australia
, and New Zealand
.
Attaullah and his band have often performed from Isha' until dawn.
Pride of Performance
Pride of Performance , is one of the highest civil award given and conferred by the Pakistan Government to Pakistan's citizens in recognition of distinguished merit in the fields of Literature, Arts, Sports, Medicines, and Science for civilians in most particular cases.The announcement of civil...
award-winning musician from Isakhel
Isakhel
Isakhel is a town of Mianwali District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The town is the headquarters of Isakhel Tehsil, an administrative subdivision of the district and is located at 32°40'29N 71°16'52E....
, Mianwali
Mianwali
Mianwali is the capital city of Mianwali District and situated in the north-west of Punjab province, Pakistan. The city is located on the eastern bank of the Indus River...
, Punjab. He is traditionally considered a Seraiki
Saraiki people
The Saraiki people or Multani people are an ethnic group from the central and south-eastern areas of Pakistan, especially the former princely state of Bahawalpur and the districts of Multan, Lodhran, Vehari, Khanewal, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh,...
artist, but most of his music albums are in either Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
or Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
. By 2006, Attaullah had released 403 music albums.
Attaullah's hits include Qameez Teri Kaali, Ither Zindagi ka Janaza,Raatan, We Bol Sanwal, Ishq Main Hum Tumain Kya Batayain, Theva Mundri tha Theva, Woh Bahar Ka Zamana and Mahi Wasey Mera.
The Government of Pakistan
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
awarded him the Pride of Performance Award
Pride of Performance Awards (1990–1999)
Pride of Performance is a civil award given by the Government of Pakistan to Pakistani citizens in recognition of distinguished merit in the fields of literature, arts, sports, medicine, or science for civilians-1990:-1991:-1992:...
in 1991.
Early life
Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi was born on August 19, 1951 in IsakhelIsakhel
Isakhel is a town of Mianwali District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The town is the headquarters of Isakhel Tehsil, an administrative subdivision of the district and is located at 32°40'29N 71°16'52E....
in the Punjabi district of Mianwali
Mianwali
Mianwali is the capital city of Mianwali District and situated in the north-west of Punjab province, Pakistan. The city is located on the eastern bank of the Indus River...
. He was named Attaullah Khan Niazi, since he was a member of the Niazi
Niazi
The Niazi are a tribe of Ghilzai Pashtun people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkey. The name Niazi is derived from Niazai, like the other forms of Pashtun tribes, such as Yusufzai and Orakzai...
tribe.
Attaullah developed an interest in music as a child, but music was strictly forbidden in his home. Despite the restriction on music in his home, Attaullah secretly sought to learn more about music. His school teacher taught him Mohammed Rafi
Mohammed Rafi
Mohammad Rafi , was an Indian playback singer whose career spanned four decades. He was awarded National Award and 6 Filmfare Awards. In 1967, he was honoured with the Padma Shri awarded by the Government of India....
and Mukesh
Mukesh
Mukesh Chand Mathur was an Indian playback singer of Bollywood. He, alongside Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar, left such an impact on the Hindi film industry that they are still remembered to date....
songs and told him never to stop singing. Attaullah tried to explain his passion for music to his parents and tried to convince them to let him sing, but they forbade him to continue singing. Disillusioned, Attaullah left home when he was eighteen years old. He traveled extensively within Pakistan and supported himself by working odd jobs.
Musical career
Attaullah continued his musical training after leaving his parents' home, and often recorded himself on cassette tapes that he later distributed.In 1972, Attaullah was invited to perform on Radio Pakistan, Bahawalpur
Bahawalpur
Bahawalpur , located in the province of Punjab, is the twelfth largest city in Pakistan. The city was once the capital of the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The city was home to various Nawabs and counted as part of the Rajputana states...
. That same year, he performed in a concert in Mianwali. In 1973, he performed on Neelam Ghar
Neelam Ghar
Neelam Ghar was a talk show and a general-knowledge quiz show hosted by Tariq Aziz on Pakistan Television from the 1970's to the 1990's. It was renamed the Tariq Aziz Show in 1997. It is currently called Bazm e Tariq Aziz. The name literally means "the Auction House" in Urdu. The show celebrated...
.
Attaullah was invited by a company in Faisalabad
Faisalabad
Faisalabad , formerly known as Lyallpur, is the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, the second largest in the province of Punjab after Lahore, and a major industrial center in the heart of Pakistan. Before the foundation of the city in 1880, the area was very thinly populated. The population has...
to record folk songs in their studio, and he recorded four albums at one time. The albums were released at the end of 1977 and became national bestsellers.
In 1980, Attaullah performed in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for the first time. This was also his first concert abroad. Attaullah's albums were eventually released in the United Kingdom under various labels, including Hi-tech, OSA and Moviebox.
Attaullah Khan is a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and has performed Naat
Naat
A Na`at is a poetry that specifically praises the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Many of the famous scholars in the earlier days of Islam wrote Naat. People who recite Naat are known as Naat-Khua'an or Sana'a-Khua'an.-History:...
and Kalaam of famous Sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
poets, such as Mian Muhammad Bakhsh
Mian Muhammad Bakhsh
Mīān Muhammad Bakhsh was a Sufi saint and a Punjabi/Pahari poet; he belonged to the Qadiri tariqah. He is especially renowned as the author of a book of poetry called Saiful Malūk. He was born in a village called Khari Sharif, situated near Mirpur, Azad Kashmir.-Lineage:He belonged to the Gujjar...
's Saiful Maluk and Bulleh Shah
Bulleh Shah
Bulleh Shah was a Punjabi Sufi poet, a humanist and philosopher.-Early life:Bulleh Shah is believed to have been born in 1680, in the small village of Uch, Bahawalpur, Punjab, in present day Pakistan. His father, Shah Muhammad Darwaish, was a teacher and preacher in a village mosque...
's Keey Bay Dardan Sang Yaree.
He has recorded more than 40,000 songs in seven languages.
Popularity in India
Attaullah Khan (as he is commonly known in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
) became famous in India after his lyrics were used in the Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
movie Bewafa Sanam. Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam is an Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi movies, as well as films in Assamese, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada language. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films...
, Anuradha Paudwal
Anuradha Paudwal
Anuradha Paudwal is a popular playback singer in Bollywood in India.She has sung songs in Hindi, Marathi and Nepali.- Biography :She studied at Xavier's College in Mumbai. She was married to the late Arun Paudwal, who worked with music director S. D. Burman as his assistant...
and Udit Narayan
Udit Narayan
-Career:King of melody, Udit Narayan Jha was born on 1 December, 1955 in a village called Bhardaha in the Saptari district , Nepal. His father was Hare Krishna Jha and his mother was Bhuwaneshwari Devi.Narayan studied at P.B...
sang his songs.
Personal life
Attaullah relocated to LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
after becoming a professional musician. He has been married four times and has three children. He is currently married to Bazigha, who is the mother of his children Sanwal Atta (son), Laraib Atta (daughter), and Mohammed Atta (youngest son).
After spending many years in Lahore, Attaullah moved back to Isakhel. He built a mosque, Laraib Masjid, near Government Degree College, Isakhel.
Attaullah Khan is also a Sufi Murid
Murid
Murid is a Sufi term meaning 'committed one' from the root meaning "willpower" or "self-esteem". It refers to a person who is committed to a Murshid in a Tariqa of Sufism. Also known as a Salik , a murid is an initiate into the mystic philosophy of Sufism. When the Talib makes a pledge to a...
and regularly visits his Murshid
Murshid
Murshid is Arabic for "guide" or "teacher". Particularly in Sufism it refers to a Sufi teacher. The term is used by other branches of Islam as well, e.g. by the Nizaris, the main school of Ismā‘īlī Shiites....
in Taunsa Sharif
Taunsa Sharif
Taunsa Sharif تونسه شريف , or Taunsa, is a Tehsil of Dera Ghazi Khan District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The town of Taunsa Sharif is the headquarters of the tehsil...
.
Television & Films
Attaullah Khan has performed on PTVPakistan Television Corporation
The Pakistan Television Corporation is Pakistan's national television broadcaster. The first live transmission of PTV began on November 26, 1964, in Lahore...
, Geo TV
Geo TV
Geo TV or Geo Television is a Pakistani television network, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002...
, ARY
ARY Digital
ARY Digital, a subsidiary of the ARY Group, is a popular Pakistani television network available in Pakistan, the Middle East, North America and Europe. The ARY Group of companies is a Dubai-based holding company founded by a Pakistani businessman, Abdul Razzak Yaqoob . The network caters to the...
, Aaj TV
AAJ TV
AAJ TV is a 24 hour Pakistani news television channel. Aaj in English means "Today".-Channel and its Programmes:AAJ News was initially started on March 23, 2005 by the Business Recorder Group...
, and DM Digital
DM Digital
DM Digital is a British Pakistani television network that is available in United Kingdom, Europe, Pakistan and the Middle East. Most programmes cater to the needs of South Asians, especially the Pakistani Punjabi, but also Mirpuri and Kashmiri phone in programmes, Lollywood, bollywood movies and...
.
Ataullah Khan performed Ni Oothan Waale and Pyar Naal Na Sahi on Coke Studio
Coke Studio
Coke Studio is a Pakistani television series featuring live music performances. Although it is adapted from the original Brazilian show named Estúdio Coca-Cola, it is fundamentally different from the original version where the show was a concert style show whereas the Pakistani version records its...
's fourth season. Esakhelvi's Pyaar Nal Na Sahi was previously covered by Noor Jehan
Noor Jehan
Noorjehan or Noorjehan was the adopted stage name for Allah Wasai who was a legendary singer and actress in British India and Pakistan. Her career spanned seven decades...
for a Punjabi film starring Sultan Rahi
Sultan Rahi
Sultan Muhammad , popularly known as Sultan Rahi, in a Muslim family of Saharanpur, was a notable Pakistani film actor who was prominent in Pakistan in Punjabi films during the 1970s and 1980s. He was mostly popular among people in Punjab, Pakistan and among Sikh and Punjabi community of India...
.
Ataullah Khan has also starred in Punjabi movies. His most famous one is Dil Lagi, where he played the role of Sultan Rahi's younger brother. The movie's soundtrack also included Esakhelvi's song Dil Lagaya tha Dil Lagi Ke Liyay.
Musicians
Attaullah has his own band which travels with him. Members of the band include:-- Salamat Ali Khan - TablaTablaThe tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
- Javed Ali - DholakDholakThe Dholak is a North Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese double-headed hand-drum Madal. The name dholki may also refer to a slightly different instrument that uses high-pitch tabla style syahi masala on its treble skin. This instrument is also known as Naal or Dholki....
- Babar - FluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
- Sabir Ali - HarmoniumHarmoniumA harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
The musicians in Attaullah's band have performed with him since the 1970s. Ataullah and his band have performed together in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, United States of America, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Attaullah and his band have often performed from Isha' until dawn.