Ustad Khyal Muhammad (, born 1946) is a

Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically r ...

singer from

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the northwestern region of the country, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

. He has appeared regularly on television, usually singing

ghazals The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a p ...

and in movies.

Career

Khyal Mohammad belongs to the Afridi tribe of Pushtuns. He is originally from Tirah in Khyber Tribal District. He was born in

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

on 5 January 1946 to a musical family. His brother Saif Ul-Maluk was a popular singer in the 1960s, who often performed on Radio Peshawar. Saif introduced him to the radio station, where he first performed in 1958 at age of thirteen. However, for the next ten years he mainly restricted himself to playing instruments such as the

tabla A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల� ...

and harmonium. In the late 1960s he began singing and recording

, traditional Pashto poems, a daring gamble since the music scene at that time was dominated by folk music. His style soon became popular in Peshawar and the NWFP. After establishing his name on the local radio, in 1973–74 Khyal Mohammad appeared in his first movie, ''Dara-i-Khyber'', one of the first " Pollywood" Pashto movies. This gave his career a kick-start, and since then he has appeared in many other movies. As his popularity continued to grow, he often toured in Afghanistan, Europe, the UAR and the USA. Over the years he has recorded a volume of music, and has also appeared as a playback singer in many movies, winning many awards. He has been called the

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

of Pashto music.

Musical style

Khyal Muhammad renders ghazal songs in a traditional manner, choosing pieces that combine mysticism, romance and philosophy, usually with an undertone of melancholy. His voice has impressive range, but is always fully under control. Radio, television and movie producers have paid tribute to his professionalism and ability to produce flawless performances with minimal rehearsal. Zahoor Khan Zaiby, a Pakhtoon composer of Balochi and Sindhi tunes, says "Lala is an expert at harnessing the mood of the moment and the poetry through his voice. The songs from his films are considered Pashto anthems." One Of his Album is Named as "Sawee Daghuna"

Awards

In 1991, Khyal was given the ''National Film Award'' for playback singer. Khyal Muhammad has received a

Pride of Performance The Pride of Performance ( ur, ), officially known as Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sports, an ...

presidential award, two National Awards and a gold medal from

Pakistan Television Corporation Pakistan Television Corporation ( ur, ; reporting name: PTV) is the Pakistani state-owned broadcaster. Pakistan entered the television broadcasting age in 1964, with a pilot television station established at Lahore. Background Historical c ...

presented by Madame

Noor Jehan Noor Jehan (Punjabi: ) (born () Allah Rakhi Wasai ; 23 September 1926 – 23 December 2000; sometimes spelled Noorjehan),Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, ''Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema,'' British Film Institute, Oxford University Press ...

. In April 2009, Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti presented a cheque for Rs one million to Khyal Muhammad on behalf of the provincial government for his services to Pushto music and ghazals. on 1 Nov 2016 Awarded with Mir Bcha Khan medal by Afghan government; in a gathering at Nishtar Hall Peshawar

References

External links

Sample videos on YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muhammad, Khyal 1946 births Living people Pakistani playback singers Pakistani male singers Pashto-language singers Pashtun people People from Peshawar Pakistani ghazal singers Musicians from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Recipients of the Pride of Performance