Amidst anticipation and nostalgia, the music and film world is excited about the impending comeback of Pakistani singer-songwriter Atif Aslam, who once dominated the Bollywood scene until India banned Pakistani artists seven years ago. As his cross-border fans prepare for his icon’s comeback with a romantic song for Love Story of 90s, Atif sat down for a candid chat about his relationship with music and audience.
“For me, my life, my breath, it’s all music,” Atif offered in an interview with RJ Sayema Rahman on Sufiscore. “It may sound orthodox, but it’s true. If I don’t listen to good music, my day is not going well. If I don’t sing for a few days, I start to choke. When I have to contact my loved ones, I have to sing something to them. When I have to talk to Allah, I recite certain words.”
He continued, “I consider music as a gift that is given to someone… It’s all a gift, if it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t know the little I know about music.” The musician, known for his early hits like Pehli Dafa and Aadat, until after his recent releases like Zindagi and Jee Ve Sohneya Jee, he revealed that he didn’t always have a passion or feel for music.
Discovering music
Atif said, “I was just going through some things in my life when I was listening to the album in the car. I must have been 12 or 13, before that I didn’t know that singing was even a thing. I used to think that actors sing alone on screen.” The Jal Pari singer revealed that the first album he listened to was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan featuring Michael Brooks.
“I listened to it and started thinking about what it was, why and how. No one knew and I got into this circle, I found a direction where I could find an opportunity to meet myself, to experience silence and solitude,” he expressed how his early musical journey consisted only of him and his faith in God , without knowing it. family.
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Delving into anecdotes from his pre-career life, Atif shared his gradual entry into music, starting with the occasional contribution at a family function. “Then I went to a pilgrimage with my friends, and they made a teasing bet that whoever would go on stage and sing, the others would give them a treat. I knew none of them sang or could go on stage so I went and sang a bit with the band playing.
Cricket and parental consent
The singer claimed that it was a positive reception that encouraged him to sing properly. Expressing his appreciation for his long journey back and the success he was able to cultivate, Atif expressed his gratitude to his parents whose prayers made his life what it is today. “You know that feeling that you can’t survive this situation, but some power would intervene and it was my parents’ prayers.
Despite being a bit apprehensive about his inclination towards music, Atif revealed that his parents were comforted when they realized that his interests were not only about music but also about praying and practicing his faith. He further recounted how his parents never directly stopped him or discouraged him from his passion.
However, music was not Atif’s first love. “I have already given up one passion. I always wanted to be a fast bowler,” he explained. “I was very good at cricket. So I gave it up because my parents insisted that education is more important, [cricket] doesn’t have much scope and they were right when they said that. Cricket didn’t have a lot of space back then, the case may be different today.”
The artist described how coming to terms with the loss of that dream led him to music. New to music, Atif found himself spending his days with his brother’s three-string guitar trying to create melodies, not knowing that most guitars usually had six strings. He said, “After a year I learned that guitars have 6 strings and a standard tuning to follow.”
‘Tajdar-e-Haram’ and fame
Discussing the special experience that fueled his more religiously oriented works like his rendition of Tajdar-e-Haram, Atif said, “In a live performance, I sing for my audience for the first two hours and a few minutes. When I play Tajdar-e-Haram, it is only for me. Then it doesn’t even occur to me that people are watching me… At that moment I experience the memory of all the sins I have committed, but despite them I was given the honor of reciting this.”
Atif further championed the importance of personal integrity and authenticity in an age of virality, the internet and gadgets like car tuners. “It’s not like there weren’t any car tuners in my day, but today it’s an addiction to overnight success. Now people want to be famous, they don’t want to work hard. Now people don’t stay on that pedestal for long, even if they want to, but they don’t realize , that without hard work it’s all very short-term,” he commented.
Ode to Mehdi Hassan
The conversation turned to Atif’s 2023 song Zindagi, released in December in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist duo Leo Twins. Noting his own personalized take on Mehdi Hassan’s classic Zindagi Mein Tau Sabhi Pyar, the Doorie singer talked about tackling one of the ghazal maestro’s finest works. “Leo Twins arranged the song beautifully, especially the string section is very suitable for the ghazal.”
He added, “Sinding Mehdi Hassan’s ghazal is not an easy task. They are great people and our training is no match for their training. You can only show a gesture of respect and that was my intention.” Atif emphasized the effort it takes to make his voice match the beauty of a ghazal. “For any project I do, I never think about what people will think about it think, especially when I’m doing a cover. The only feeling I have then is to honor the craft out of love. Not everyone can or will love everything, so the debate is futile,” the singer reflected.
