Saieen Zahoor khan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1936 (age 88–89) |
| Occupation(s) | Folk Musician, Folk Singer |
| Known for | His unique style withEktara,Tumbi |
| Awards | Pride of Performance Award by thePresident of Pakistan in 2020 "Best Voice of the Year" Award in 2006 by BBC Music |
Saieen Zahoor Ahmed orAli Saain Shafiu (Punjabi:سائیں ظہور, born 1936)[1] is a PunjabiSufi musician fromPakistan. He has spent most of his life singing in Sufi shrines, and didn't produce a record until 2006, when he was nominated for theBBC World Music awards based on word of mouth.[2][3]
He emerged as the "best BBC voice of the year 2006",[4] Saieen is not his first name but a Punjabi andSindhihonorific title and is also spelled asSain, In the muslim society of Punjab it is often associated with people who have given up the worldly pleasures for a more spiritual lifestyle.
Born inSulaimanki, a village nearHaveli Lakha ofOkara district in the province ofPunjab, Zahoor Ahmad was the youngest child in a rural peasant family.[4][3] He is said to have started singing at the age of five,[4] and from that early age, he had dreamt of a hand beckoning him towards a shrine. He started roaming the Sufi shrines ofSindh, Punjab, making a living through singing. Zahoor claims that as he was walking past a small shrine in south Punjab town ofUch Sharif (known for its Sufi traditions), when "someone waved at me with his hand, inviting me in, and I suddenly realized that it was this hand which I saw in my dream.[4]
For some time, he studied music underRaunka Ali ofPatiala Gharana, whom he met atBulleh Shah'sdargah (shrine), and who became his first teacher for Sufi verses. He also studied music with other Uch Sharif-based musicians.[4]
Although not literate, Zahoor is known for his memory of song lyrics; mostly he sings compositions of the major Sufi poets,Bulleh Shah,Shah Badakhshi,Muhammad Qadiri,Sultan Bahu and others.[5]
Sain is famous for his performances atCoke Studio (Pakistan).[3] He had also performed inAustralia andNew Zealand in October and November 2014. In 2009, he performed at the folk music festival arranged by theRafi Peer Theatre Workshop inLahore and was reportedly a crowd puller.[6]
For most of his life Zahoor performed mainly indargahs (Sufi tombs/shrines) and festivals, and in the streets. He adopted the folk instrumentEktara (ek= one,tar = string), in its three-stringed version calledTumbi, as his main instrument. Like some traditions of Sufi music, he has a passionate, high-energy style of singing, often dancing in a frenzied style with the tassels on his instrument whirling around him. His typical outfit includes embroidered (kurta), beads, tightly bound turban, as well asghungroos (anklet-bells worn by dancers). His voice has an earthy tone, almost cracking at the edges, but capable of a wide vocal and emotional range. "His piercing chiseled features are a regular sight on Pakistani TV and he has been the subject of at least one documentary."[4][5]
In 1989, he performed on a concert stage for the first time at theAll Pakistan Music Conference,[4] which brought him into musical prominence. Subsequently he has emerged as a leading performer in Pakistan, frequently appearing on TV and in concerts. Zahoor has also given concerts inUK,Japan,[5]Ireland,[1]Canada andNorway.
Sufi singing is focused on poetry with themes of devotional love, which shares much withPersian mystic poets likeRumi and with other South Asian traditions such as theBhakti cult. Some argue that Sufi traditions highlight a softer, multi-cultural aspect of Islam, which counters "the extremism of the mullahs who use the mosques to spread ill-will" against other cultural groups, according to some organizers of Saieen Zahoor's concerts.[2]
In 2006, Zahoor released an album titledAwazay ("Sounds") through Matteela Records. In 2007, he helped produce the soundtrack to the Pakistani filmKhuda Ke Liye (2007).
He sang anOST in 2011 forWest Is West aBritishcomedy-drama film, which is a sequel to the 1999 comedyEast Is East. Saieen Zahoor has performed inNorway,Belgium,Dubai,Malaysia,China andIndia.[5]
His music has been used in the following films
