Suraiya Multanikar

Suraiya Multanikar (born 1940) is a Pakistani singer mostly known for her folk songs especially kafis.^[3] Her repertoire includes classical, semi-classical, ghazal, folk songs, kafis and film songs.^[1]

Surayya Multanikar
ثُریّا مُلتانِیکر
Multanikar in Dhaka (1958)
Born	1940 (age 84–85)[1] Multan, Punjab, British India[1]
Nationality	Pakistani
Occupation(s)	Folk singer, playback singer, vocalist
Years active	1955–present
Children	7
Awards	Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan (1986)[1] Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) Award by the Government of Pakistan (2008)[2]

Early life and family

Multanikar was born in Multan, Punjab. Her earliest childhood memories are of wanting to excel as a singer.^[1] No one in her immediate family could either teach or advise her. So in her childhood, she taught herself by listening to film songs and copying their tunes and lyrics.^[4][1] Later, she became a formal disciple of Ghulam Nabi Khan of the Delhi gharana of classical music who was a sarangi player and a strict disciplinarian, popularly known as Fauji Khan.^[1][5]

Multanikar, at age 19, once performed at a gathering organized by former President of Pakistan Ayub Khan.^[5]

Multanikar has 7 children (from oldest to youngest): Muhammad Ali, a UK-based orthopaedic doctor; Ruqaiya Sajjad; Ramzan Ali, Shaista, Rabia, Aalia and Rahat Bano.^[6][7] Her youngest daughter, Rahat Multanikar is also a folk singer like her mother.^[8][6][9]

Career

Radio Pakistan

On the radio, at age 15, she sang compositions by veteran Pakistani composers, Niaz Hussain Shami and Abdul Haq Qureshi.^[9][6] In her career as a singer, she was inspired from the works of Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan of Sham Chaurasia gharana, Bade Fateh Ali Khan of Patiala gharana and Mehdi Hassan.^[9]

Film industry

Multanikar's career as a playback singer was short lived.^[5] She gained widespread recognition for her song,"Bare Be Murawwat Hain Yeh Husn Walay", "Kahin Dil Laganey Ki Koshish Na Karna" written by Masroor Anwar, music by Deebo Bhattacharya from the Pakistani film, Badnaam (1966).^[10][11][6]

Awards and recognition

• 1959: Golden Award
• 1960: Chatta Gaang Award
• 1975: Gulam Fareed Award
• 1980: Gulam Fareed Award
• 1982: Jashn-e-Fareed Award
• 1981: Shair-e-Mashriq Award
• 1982: Shair-e-Mashriq Award
• 1986: Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan^[1][10]
• 2000: Shahbaz Award
• 2002: Gulam Fareed Award
• 2008: Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award by the President of Pakistan^[2]