Atif Aslam

Atif Aslam is a Pakistani singer and musician from Pakistan, born in 1983. He is associated with filmi and soft rock, and is also linked with Pakistani rock and Hindi-language music.

Early life and education

He is born in Wazirabad, Gujranwala, Pakistan and is educated in Lahore and Rawalpindi. He attends PAF College Lahore, where he plays cricket and develops an interest in music. He later studies at the Punjab Institute of Computer Science in Lahore, where he works towards a Bachelor of Computer Science degree.

Jal and breakthrough

At PICS Lahore, he meets guitarist and composer Gohar Mumtaz. The two begin playing together, perform at their college and at restaurants, and form the band Jal, a name that means water. The song Aadat, recorded with help from Salman Albert and other Pakistani musicians, becomes popular on promotional Pakistani music websites and is also played on FM100 and FM105. A music video for the song is filmed in a Karachi warehouse. The popularity of Aadat leads to a tour of Pakistan, but a dispute during the tour results in a hiatus, after which Atif starts a solo career.

Solo career

After leaving Jal, he releases the solo album Jal Pari, which includes songs such as Woh Lamhey, Dil Haarey and others that become hits on Pakistani radio and music channels. The album shares tracks with Jal material, including Aadat, Bheegi Yaadein/Wo Lamhey and Ankhon se, and this leads to a dispute over rights between the two sides.

Work in film music

Atif Aslam’s voice reaches Indian cinema when Mahesh Bhatt asks for permission to use Woh Lamhey in the soundtrack of Zeher. The song, especially its remix version, becomes widely played on Indian radio. He then records Juda Hokey Bhi for Kalyug, as well as songs for the Hollywood film Man Push Cart, for which he also appears in a cameo role. He later records Tere Bin for Bas Ek Pal. He also sings Tu Jaane Na and Tera Hone Laga Hoon for Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, both of which become major hits.

Later activity

He tours internationally across Pakistan, India, the UAE, the UK, Canada and the United States, and works on an album titled Hangami Halaat. He remains a singer in demand in Bollywood playback music.