Gulzar Alam

Gulzar Alam (born 14 October 1959, in Peshawar) is a Pashto singer from Pakistan. Gulzar Alam, completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Fine-Arts from the University of Peshawar. He started learning music from renowned and leading musicians of the time and 1980 and professionally started his singing career in 1982 by making a debut in Pakistan Television Centre Peshawar.

Gulzar Alam
Gulzar Alam with Kabir Stori
Background information
Birth nameGulzar Alam
Born (1959-10-14) October 14, 1959
Peshawar, Pakistan
Occupation(s)Singer& Artist

Gulzar Alam is the first Pashto singer who used his music and singing to challenge the status quo. Gulzar Alam is a pioneer of Pashtu revolutionary music. He released around eleven hundred music albums in his professional career as a singer.

Life and career

In January 2003, Gulzar was arrested while performing at a private wedding, but was later released, Gulzar said he was "humiliated" by this,[1] however a more serious event took place in April of that year when 27 police officers forced entry to his home and arrested this three sons and a brother.[2] He stopped singing after receiving anonymous letters warning of the consequences of singing in public and started selling property instead, however he eventually fled to Karachi.[3]

However following the elections of February 2008 the nationalist Awami National Party replaced the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal and they not only opened Nashtar Hall for cultural activities but invited Gulzar Alam back to singing. Gulzar Alam accepted the invitation wholeheartedly and started his singing career again. In April 2008, Peshawar's Nishtar Hall was the city’s only auditorium for promoting cultural activities,[4] had reopened after five years of closure due to the policies of the previous government - Gulzar was one the artists who performed at the reopening.[5]

Gulzar Alam was awarded “Baacha Khan Peace Award” twice in recognition of his services for Pashto music and peace. He won the first prize in “All Pakistan Music Festival” in 1994. Apart from receiving many regional, national and international awards and titles, in 2011 the Govt. of Pakistan in order to recognized his services in the field of music and peace, awarded him one of the highest prestigious award of the country “Presidential Pride of Performance Award”

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References
  1. Musicians claim police harassment - BBC News
  2. Vocalist accuses police of harassment - Dawn Pakistan
  3. "With a new government in power in the NWFP, cultural performers are enjoying some old freedoms". Archived from the original on 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
  4. PESHAWAR: Nishtar Hall ready for Cultural activities - Dawn Pakistan
  5. Nishtar Hall to host musical concert today after five years - Daily Times
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