Shaukat Ali, also known as Shaukat Ali Khan, (3 May 1944 – 2 April 2021) was a

Pakistani Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...

folk singer Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

Early life and career

Born on 3 May 1944, into a family of artists in Malakwal, a town in District Gujrat (now falls in new District Mandi Bahauddin

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

, Pakistan), Shaukat Ali began singing, while at college in the 1960s, receiving help from his elder brother Inayat Ali Khan. He was introduced into the Pakistani film world as a playback singer by the renowned film music director M Ashraf in the Punjabi film '' Tees Maar Khan'' (1963). From the late 1960s, he performed

ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...

s and Punjabi folk songs. As a folk singer, he was popular not only in Pakistani

but also in the Indian part of the

region. Shaukat Ali also toured and performed overseas wherever there were significant population centers of Punjabi immigrants, such as the UK,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and the US. Shaukat Ali was known for singing

Sufi poetry Sufi literature consists of works in various languages that express and advocate the ideas of Sufism. Sufism had an important influence on medieval literature, especially poetry, that was written in Arabic, New Persian, Persian, Punjabi language ...

with great vigor and a wide vocal range, for example Heer Waris Shah and Saif ul Maluk. Shaukat Ali received the 'Voice of Punjab' award in 1976. In July 2013, he was honored with the 'Pride of Punjab' award by the Pakistan Institute of Language, Art and Culture (PILAC). He gave a live performance at the

1982 Asian Games The 9th Asian Games (), also known as Delhi 1982 (), were held from 19 November to 4 December 1982, in Delhi, India. 74 Asian and Asian Games records were broken at the event. This was also the first Asiad to be held under the aegis of the Olymp ...

in New Delhi, and was awarded the highest Pakistani civilian Presidential award

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

in 1990. His song "Kadi Te Hass Bol Vey" was used in the 2009 Indian movie '' Love Aaj Kal''. He also released a track titled "Jagga". Shaukat Ali has also given performances at the All Pakistan Music Conference events and also appeared frequently on Pakistani television shows. He is the father of

singers Imran Shaukat Ali, Ameer Shaukat Ali and Mohsin Shaukat Ali.

Documentary on his life

In 2017, a Canadian company with the help of his son Mohsin Shaukat Ali, produced a one-hour-long documentary to commemorate his contributions to the Pakistani music industry. This documentary shows the struggles Shaukat Ali faced throughout his career and also includes some of his past performances as well as interviews with many contemporary singers, including

Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar (; born Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. He ...

. It documents his journey from a young aspiring singer who later becomes a popular folk singer of Pakistan.

Songs

*"Saif-ul-Malook--Awwal Hamd Sana-e-Elahi", sung by Shaukat Ali, lyrics by

Sufi poet Sufi literature consists of works in various languages that express and advocate the ideas of Sufism. Sufism had an important influence on medieval literature, especially poetry, that was written in Arabic, Persian, Punjabi, Turkic, Sindhi a ...

Mian Muhammad Bakhsh Mīān Muhammad Bakhsh (, ; – 22 January 1907) was a Punjabi Muslim poet from Khari Sharif, in present-day Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He wrote 18 books during his lifetime of 77 years, especially remembered for his romantic epic poem, "'' S ...

, music by

Wajahat Attre Wajahat Attre (1945 – 26 May 2017) was a Pakistani music director who composed around 3000 songs for over 200 films. Early life Wajahat Attre was born in Puna, Gujarat, British India in 1945. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, h ...

, film ''

Chan Varyam ''Chan Varyam'' (Shahmukhi, Punjabi: چن ور یأم) is a 1981 Punjabi-language Pakistani action film. Directed by Jahangir Qaisar and produced by Mohammad Sarwar Bhatti, the film stars Sultan Rahi, Anjuman (actress), Anjuman, Iqbal Hassan, M ...

'' (1981) *"Sathio Mujahido, Jaag Uthha Hai Sara Watan", a 'Qaumi Naghma' song, sung by Shaukat Ali, Masood Rana, lyrics by Himayat Ali Shair, music by Khalil Ahmed, film ''Mujahid'' (1965) *"Mein Puttar Pakistan Da", sung by Shaukat Ali, Inayat Hussain Bhatti, Naheed Akhtar, lyrics by Hazeen Qadri and music by Wajahat Attre, film '' Athra Puttar'' (1981) *"Nabi Dey Ghulam Asseen", sung by Shaukat Ali, lyrics by Sahil Siddiqi, music by Salim Iqbal, film '' Behram Daku'' (1980) *"Ae Tay Wailea Aap Dessay Ga, Kaun Maarda Ae Maidan Pei Nay Hullay", sung by

Alam Lohar Alam Lohar () was a Pakistani Punjabi folk music singer. He is widely regarded as the greatest singer of Punjabi folk music. He is credited with creating and popularising the musical term Jugni. Early life Alam Lohar was born in 1928 in Ac ...

, Shaukat Ali, lyrics by Nasim Fazal and music by Master Inayat Hussain, film '' Maula Jat'' (1979) *"Mein Walait Kahnu Aa Gaya", sung by Shaukat Ali, lyrics by Taslim Fazli, music by M Ashraf, film ''Playboy'' (1978) *"Lal Meri Patt Rakhio Bala, Jhoolay Lalan Dey", a traditional folk song, sung by

Noor Jehan Noor Jehan (21 September 192623 December 2000) was a Pakistani playback singer and actress who worked in both British India and later in Pakistan's cinema of Pakistan, cinema. Her career lasted over six decades, during which she recorded 10,00 ...

, Shaukat Ali, Masood Rana,

Ahmed Rushdi Ahmed Rushdi (; 24 April 1934 – 11 April 1983) was a versatile Pakistani playback singer and was "an important contributor to the Cinema of Pakistan#The Golden Era (1959–1977), golden age of Pakistani film music". Regarded as one of the gr ...

, Ghulam Ali, Pervez Mehdi, music by

Nashad Nashad (; 11July 192314January 1981) was a film composer and music director of Indian and Pakistani film industry. He composed music for Hindi films in the 1940s and 1950s, credited on-screen under the names Nashad and then later migrated to P ...

, film ''Parchhaen'' (1974) *"Har Dam Yahi Mere Lab Pe Sada Hai, Murshid Mera

Nadir Ali Shah Syed Nadir Ali Shah, (1897 – 8 October 1974) (; ) popularly known as Murshid Nadir Ali Shah, was a Sufi saint of the Qalandariyya Sufi order of Islam, a Muslim preacher, ascetic, mystic, philanthropist and humanitarian. Born in Gandaf in t ...

Hai", a devotional Sufi song or

Qawwali Qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in the Indian subcontinent. Originally performed at Sufi shrines throughout the Indian subcontinent, it is famous throughout Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and has ...

sung by Shaukat Ali (1975) *"Tu Wi Haq Da Wali", a devotional Sufi song or

sung by Shaukat Ali (1975) *"Saaday Yaar Nay Banh Laiy Sehray", sung by Shaukat Ali, Inayat Hussain Bhatti, lyrics by

Khawaja Pervez Khawaja Pervez (; 28 December 1930 – 20 June 2011) was a prominent Pakistani film composer- lyricist and film songwriter for both Urdu and Punjabi language, Punjabi language films. His birth name was Khawaja Ghulam Mohiuddin. His professional ...

, music by Ustad Tafu, film ''Charhda Suraj'' (1982) *"Teri Meri Aey Azlaan Di Yaari", a bhangra song sung by Shaukat Ali and Mehnaz Begum, lyrics by Saeed Gillani, music by Kamal Ahmad, film ''

Angara The Angara (; ) or Angar ( мүрэн) is a major river in Siberia, which traces a course through Russia's Irkutsk Oblast and Krasnoyarsk Krai. It drains out of Lake Baikal and is the headwater tributary of the Yenisey. It is long, and has ...

'' (1985) Shaukat Ali's folk song hits include "Kyun Door Door Reindey Au", "Kaddi Te Hass Bol Vey", "Jab Bahaar Aaii Tau Sehra Ki Taraf Chal Para", and many Punjabi folk songs including "Chhalla", "Jagga", "Kanwan, Maan Jannat Da Parchaavan".

Awards and recognition

Award in 1990 by the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

* ''Pride of Punjab'' Award by the Pakistan Institute of Language, Art and Culture (PILAC).

Death

Shaukat Ali died on 2 April 2021 at CMH Lahore where he was getting treatment for liver failure. His funeral prayers were offered (2 April 2021) between Maghrib and Isha at Samsani Johar Town in

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

References

External links

Shaukat Ali performing 'Challa' song on YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ali, Shaukat 1944 births 2021 deaths Pakistani folk singers People from Mandi Bahauddin District Recipients of the Pride of Performance Punjabi-language singers Pakistani playback singers 20th-century Pakistani male singers 20th-century Pakistani singers 21st-century Pakistani male singers 21st-century Pakistani singers