Abida Parveen
- Living legend of Pakistan
- Queen of Sufi music[1]
- Singer
- musician
- entrepreneur
- composer
- Sufi
- kafi
- ghazal
- qawwali
- Vocals
- harmonium
- percussions
Abida Parveen (Sindhi: عابده پروين; Urdu: عابدہ پروین; born 20 February 1954)[2][3] is a Pakistani singer, composer, and musician of Sufi music. She is also a painter and an entrepreneur. Parveen is one of the highest- paid singers in Pakistan.[4] Her singing and music have earned her many accolades, and she has been dubbed the 'Queen of Sufi music'.
Born and raised in Larkana into a Sindhi Sufi family, she was trained by her father, Ustad Ghulam Haider, who was a famous singer and music teacher. She plays the Pump organ, Keyboard, and Sitar. Parveen started performing in the early 1970s and came into global prominence in the 1990s. Since 1993, Parveen has toured globally, performing her first international concert at Buena Park, California.[5] She has also performed in Churches, several times. Parveen features in Pakistan's popular musical show Coke Studio and was a judge on the pan-South Asia contest show Sur Kshetra[6] alongside Runa Laila and Asha Bhosle, hosted by Ayesha Takia. She had appeared in various Indian and Pakistani music reality shows, including Pakistan Idol, Chhote Ustaad, and STAR Voice of India. Parveen is among The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the world and has the power to induce hysteria in her audience. She is a "Global Mystic Sufi Ambassador". In the last few years, she has sung in a Pepsi commercial, collaborating with Atif Aslam for this.
Parveen is regularly referred to as one of the world's greatest mystic singers.[7] She sings mainly ghazals, thumri, khyal, qawwali, raga (raag), Sufi rock, classical and semi-classical music, and her speciality, kafi, a solo genre accompanied by percussion and harmonium, using a repertoire of songs by Sufi poets.[8] Parveen sings in Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Arabic, and Persian.[9][10][11] Parveen notably sang a famous song in Nepali language called "Ukali Orali Haruma", originally by Nepali singer Tara Devi, in a concert in Kathmandu, Nepal, and in 2017, she was designated a 'Peace Ambassador' by SAARC.
Parveen is best known for singing in an impassioned, loud voice, especially on the songs Yaar ko Humne from the album Raqs-e-Bismil and Tere Ishq Nachaya, which is a rendition of Bulleh Shah's poetry.[12] She was bestowed Pakistan's second highest civilian award, Hilal-e-Imtiaz, in 2012[13] and the highest civilian award, Nishan-e-Imtiaz, in March 2021, by the President of Pakistan.[14]
Early life
Parveen was born in Ali Goharabad, Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan. She received her musical training initially from her father, Ustad Ghulam Haider, whom she refers to as Baba Sain and Gawwaya. He had his own musical school, where Parveen got her devotional inspiration . She and her father would often perform at shrines of Sufi saints. Parveen's talent compelled her father to choose her as his musical heir over his two sons. Growing up, she attended her father's music school, where her foundation in music was laid.[15][16] Later, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan of the Sham Chaurasia gharana also taught and nurtured her. Parveen always remembers that she was never forced into this occupation, and she sang her first complete kalam when she was only 3 years old.
Career
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Abida_Parveen_concert_1.jpg/220px-Abida_Parveen_concert_1.jpg)
Parveen had already begun performing at Dargahs and Urs in the early 1970s, but it was in 1973, on Radio Pakistan, that she achieved her first real breakthrough with the Sindhi song Tuhinje zulfan jay band kamand widha. In 1977, she was introduced as an official singer on Radio Pakistan. Since then, Parveen has risen to prominence and is now considered one of the finest vocal artists in Pakistan. She has imbued Sufi music with a new identity, marking the beginning of this journey at Sultana Siddiqui's Awaz-o-Andaz in 1980.
Parveen travels internationally, often performing at sold-out venues.[17][18] Her 1988 performance in Chicago was recorded by the Hazrat Amir Khusrau Society of Art and Culture, which issued an LP of her songs. Her 1989 performance in London's Wembley Conference Centre was broadcast on the BBC. Parveen cites her motivation for international travel as being to spread Sufism, peace, and the divine message. In doing so, she also promotes Pakistani culture.
In the 1990s, Parveen licensed her spiritual ghazals to Bollywood, since her "spiritual brother", Khan, recorded songs for Bollywood. Recently, Abida also performed at the grand finale of the Sindh Festival, arranged by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Thatta.[19]
- Abida made a special appearance in the super hit Lollywood movie Zindagi, starring Sultan Rahi, Arif Lohar and Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi in the lead cast, for which she performed her famous rendition of Sufi Sachal Sarmast's "Mahi Yar Di Gharoli Bhar Di".
- In 2007, Parveen collaborated with Shehzad Roy on a song entitled Zindagi, dedicated to children's social problems.[20]
- In the same year, she performed at the annual Oslo Mela in Norway.
- In 2010, Parveen performed at London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall, along with Bollywood playback singer Sonu Nigam.[21]
- In 2010, Parveen performed at the Asia Society's Sufi Music Festival in New York City.[22][23]
- In 2010, she performed in Union Square, Manhattan, at the first Sufi Music Festival in New York City.
- Parveen performs annually at the Indian filmmaker Muzaffar Ali's Jahan-e-Khusrau event, where she is reputed to be the top performer.[24]
- In 2010, she judged the Indo-Pak venture Sur Kshetra TV Show.
- She performed at the 2013 Manchester International Festival in Bridgewater Hall.
- Abida also collaborated in Manchester in 2013 with composer John Tavener on the remarkable composition 'Mahamatar' for a Werner Herzog film about pilgrimage.
- She had performed at the Holland Festival 2014 in Stopera, Amsterdam.
- Praveen was the grand performer of the Dhaka International Folk Fest, 2015 in Bangladesh, where she also received an award.
- In the Sindh Literature Festival, 2016, she performed the grand show and cut the ribbon on its inauguration alongside SLF chairperson.
- In the same year, she performed at the 2nd International Sufi Festival at Karachi.
- In 2016, she collaborated with Indian music director duo Salim–Sulaiman and an orchestra in Toronto (Canada) for a special song called "Noor e Illahi", released on Eid.
- In 2017, on New Year's Eve Abida released 'Mulk e Khuda, a patriotic song featuring the natural sites and landscapes of Pakistan.
- She performed in the finale of the Alchemy Festival 2017 at the Southbank Centre in London.
- In the same year, a music video of the romantic gazal "Ahat Si" was released by Abida feat. Saima Ajram.
- Her performance includes the annual Faiz International Festival on the death anniversary of Faiz Ahmad Faiz.
Coke Studio appearances
Parveen began performing on the internationally acclaimed Pakistani show Coke Studio in 2010. She sang three songs: "Ramooz-e-Ishq", "Nigah-e-Darwaishaan", and "Soz-e-Ishq" in episodes 1 (reason), 3 (conception), and 5 (realisation), respectively of season 3. Parveen said she admired the programme because it offered a Dargahi environment. She commented:[25]
"This project, which Rohail Hyatt has started, is indeed great, and I would like to be a part of it for a long time. The music that comes out of this project reaches both the heart and the soul, and it always complements the lyrics without overriding the true message of the kalams. This platform builds on those messages of our Sufi elders."
She was invited back to season 7 in 2014. She sang "Mein Sufi Hoon" with Rais Khan and performed "dost" as a solo. She also performed "Chaap Tilak" (a popular Sufi poem by Sufi poet Amir Khusro) in a duet with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
Abida was also part of season 9. Her first song, along with other artists in the season, "Ae Rah Haq K Shaheedo", was dedicated to the war martyrs.[6] After that, she sang a duet with Ali Sethi titled "Aaqa", then sang a solo titled "Maula-i-Kull".
She also performed in season 14, singing "Tu Jhoom" with Naseebo Lal.
Quotes
- "Pakistan seems disconnected from the outside. But it is built and runs on the prayers of our Sufi kings, our pirs. Poor people, rich people—we are all God's servants … I'm lucky. My audience is my God."[26]
- "The songs purify the soul of a human being; the human is so involved that he has left God. The songs bring us near to God, near the Almighty, so that the human soul should be purified and satisfied."[5]
Personal life
Education
Abida got her master's degree from Sindh and also learned Urdu, Sindhi, and Persian specifically.
Marriage and family
In 1975, Abida married Ghulam Hussain Sheikh, senior producer at Radio Pakistan, who had retired from his job in the 1980s to manage and mentor Parveen's career. After he died of a heart attack on an international flight in the early 2000s, their daughter Maryam took up that role. There is a sense that Parveen's career has taken a more commercial route as a result of it.[18] The couple has two daughters, Pereha Ikram and Maryam Hussain, and a son, Sarang Latif, who is a music director. All three children act as her advisors.[17] Her family understands her need for riyaz (daily vocal music practice) and the required space to do that practice.[27]
Abida Parveen Gallery
Parveen is also interested in the arts. She owns the Abida Parveen Gallery, which features jewellery, paintings, her music CDs, an awards section, and garments and accessories. It is run by her daughters.[28] She also has her own music recording studio there.
Clothing style
Parveen has a distinctive clothing style that she has created herself for ease and comfort. She wears long, simple frocks buttoned up to the top with loose arms with or without cuffs and covered with a coat. She is always accompanied by an Ajrak, a Sindhi shawl, which she claims comes from the dargah (mausoleum) of Sufi saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, and her wardrobe is full of it.
Other
Parveen has taken Bayyat and became a disciple of Najeeb Sultan, her spiritual master. Parveen suffered a heart attack during a performance in Lahore on 28 November 2010.[29] Angiography and angioplasty were performed on her. She regained her health soon after.
Awards and recognitions
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Fazal_Malik_Akif_%26_Abida_Parveen_in_Manchester_on_04.12.1994.jpg/220px-Fazal_Malik_Akif_%26_Abida_Parveen_in_Manchester_on_04.12.1994.jpg)
- Pride of Performance Award (1984) by the President of Pakistan[30]
- Latif Award (twice)
- Sindh Graduate Association Award
- Pakistan Television Award
- Sachal Sarmast Honor
- 9th PTV Awards for Best Singer in 1998[31]
- Sitara-e-Imtiaz Award (2005) by President Pervez Musharaff[32]
- Hilal-e-Imtiaz Award (2012) by President Asif Ali Zardari[13]
- Lifetime Achievement Award at the Kaladharmi Begum Akhtar Academy of Ghazal in India (2012).[32]
- Honored at the 16th Pakistan Television Awards Ceremony-PTV Award. (2011)
- Nominated for Best Original Sound Track (OST) for Yaar Ko Hamne Jabaja Dekha at 12th Lux Style Awards. (2013)
- Wonder Woman of the Year (2013)[33]
- 1st ARY Film Awards for Best Playback Singer for the film Ishq Khuda (2014).
- Gold Crown on glorious 40 years in the Music Industry by the Sindhi Singers Association in Larkana. (2014)
- Pakistani Diplomat Javed Malik presented an Ambassador's Recognition Award in Dubai (2015).
- Tributed at the 17th PTV Awards in the category of 'Legends'. (2012)
- 3rd Hum Awards for excellence in Music . (2015)
- She had been awarded in Dhaka International Folk Fest 2015.
- She had been awarded in 2nd International Sufi Conference, 2016 in Karachi by famous politician Sharmila Farooqi.
- 15th Lux Style Awards for best female singer(film)in 2016.
- Saima Ajram, a presenter at BBC Asian Network, presented a lifetime achievement award to her at her home in 2016.
- PISA Lifetime Achievement Award - 2020.
- Nishan-e-Imtiaz by President Arif Alvi - 23 March 2021.
Filmography
Despite Parveen's renown, she has never sung for the cinema industry; her existing work has been repurposed and used in films, however, at the insistence of proponents such as Farooq Mengal. Parveen revealed in interviews that she has received offers from Bollywood filmmakers such as Subhash Ghai and Yash Chopra. Shah Rukh Khan requested that she sing in Ra.One, as did music director A.R.Rehman.[34] Parveen declines these offers on account of her Sufi faith and the commitments that it requires.[35]
Television
Year | Show | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1980 | Awaz-o-Andaz | Performer | aired on PTV |
2009 | Nara-e-Mastana | Performer | Concert sponsored and aired by Hum |
2010 | Chotte Ustad | Guest Judge with Ghulam Ali | Eid Celebration |
2012 | Sur Kshetra TV Show | Judge | Representing Pakistan in India |
2012 | Shehr-e-Zaat | OST Singer for Yaar ko Humne | Pre-recorded from album Raqs-e-Bismil |
2012 | Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa | Special appearance with Runa Laila | To promote Sur Kshetra TV Show |
2012 | 1st Hum Awards | Performer | Sang Naraye Mastana |
2014 | Pakistan Idol TV Show | Guest Judge | Grand Finale |
2014 | Zee Channel | TV Singer | New Channel |
2014 | Sama-e-Ishq | Performer | Concert aired on Hum TV |
Films
Year | Film | Song | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2005 | Viruddh | Mann Lago Yaar Bhala Hua Meri Saahib Mera Ek | From her album "Kabir by Abida" |
2008 | Zill-e-Shah | Sajjan de Haath | Pre-recorded |
2013 | Ishq Khuda | Title Track | Pre-recorded Winner-1st ARY Film Awards for Best Female Playback Singer |
2015 | Jaanisaar | Sufiye Ba Safa Manam (female) | Indian film by Muzaffar Ali |
2015 | Bin Roye | Maula Maula | with Zeb Bangash Winner-15th Lux Style Awards for Best Female Playback Singer |
2017 | Rangreza | Phool Khil Jayein | with Asrar (musician) |
Discography
References
- ^ "Abida Parveen, the Queen of Sufi music talks to Saima Ajram about her career, her childhood and her thoughts on the month of Ramadhan". BBC RADIO ASIAN NETWORK. 14 July 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ "Abida Parveen: The Soul of Sufi Music". Global Village Space. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
- ^ Iqbal, Nosheen (8 July 2013). "Abida Parveen: 'I'm not a man or a woman, I'm a vehicle for passion'". The Guardian (newspaper). Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ "You can't listen to them if you can't afford them…". The Express Tribune. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ a b EPSTEIN, BENJAMIN (18 September 1993). "Cleansing Soul Singer Has Purification Motives : Music: Abida Parveen of Pakistan tries to spread a message of love and induce a state of spiritual ecstasy with her Sufi mystic songs". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ a b Images Staff (8 August 2016). "Amjad Sabri, Rahat Fateh, Abida Parveen kick-start Coke Studio 9 with an emotional tribute". Pakistan: Dawn. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ Madhumita Dutta (2008). Let's Know Music and Musical Instruments of India. Star Publications. p. 56. ISBN 9781905863297.
- ^ Culshaw, Peter (14 September 2001). "Singer with the knock-out effect". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ Neil Strauss (15 October 1996). "Ecstasy In Songs Of the Sufi". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ Mary Talbot (11 October 1996). "MYSTICAL SINGER'S MUSIC IS THE MESSAGE". Daily News. Archived from the original on 5 April 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ Abida Parveen World music: the basics, by Richard Nidel. Routledge, 2005. ISBN 0-415-96800-3. p.247.
- ^ Anna S. King, J. L. Brockington (2005). The Intimate Other: Love Divine in Indic Religions. Orient Blackswan. p. 358. ISBN 9788125028017.
- ^ a b "Abida Parveen's Hilal-i-Imtiaz Award (2012)". The Express Tribune (newspaper). Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ "Abida Parveen, Faisal Edhi among 88 conferred civil awards by President Alvi". Dawn. 23 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ Begum Abida Parveen sings dil se TNN, The Times of India, 17 June 2003.
- ^ Mughal (31 August 2007). "SINDHI MUSIC". sindhiaudio.blogspot.com. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Abida Parveen". travel-culture.com. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ a b Nosheen Iqbal (8 July 2013). "Abida Parveen: 'I'm not a man or a woman, I'm a vehicle for passion'". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ Mansoor, Hasan (5 November 2016). "Sindh Literature Festival opens with Abida Parveen's performance". Dawn. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ "Shehzad Roy and Abida Parveen Collaborate for a Cause". Sonya Rehman's Archive. 19 July 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ "Sonu Nigam impresses Abida Parveen". Oneindia.com. 8 July 2006. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (21 July 2010). "Songs of the Saints, With Love, From Pakistan". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ "First Sufi festival in New York from July 20". Dawn. 9 July 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
- ^ "Abida Parveen: Sufi soul". The Express Tribune (newspaper). Indo-Asian News Service. 29 February 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ "Abida Parveen – profile, interview & pictures". forumpakistan.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ Iqbal, Nosheen (8 July 2013). "Abida Parveen: 'I'm not a man or a woman, I'm a vehicle for passion'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ^ "An Exclusive Interview with Abida Parveen- The Reigning Queen of Sufi Music". Fuchsia. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ Vaqas Asghar (21 July 2012). "A store that's jewellery will 'set it apart'". The Express Tribune (newspaper). Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ "Abida Parveen suffers heart attack during performance". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 28 November 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ "Abida Parveen profile". Archived from the original on 1 January 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
- ^ "PTV Awards 1998", PTV (News), archived from the original on 21 December 2021, retrieved 29 June 2021
- ^ a b Com, Dawn (9 October 2012). "India honours Abida Parveen with lifetime achievement award". Dawn. Pakistan. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
- ^ Wonder Women of Pakistan Award (winners) Archived 31 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 9 November 2018
- ^ Bharti Dubey (31 August 2012). "Abida Parveen and Runa Laila to spread love in India". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
- ^ "Bollywood can wait: Abida Parveen". Deccan Herald. 8 November 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Abida Parveen at IMDb
- v
- t
- e
- Abdur Rehman Chughtai (1958)
- Zainul Abedin (1958)
- Hafeez Jalandhari (1958)
- Professor Abdus Salam (1958)
- Roshan Ara Begum (1960)
- Fateh Ali Khan (Qawwali singer) (1960)
- Tassaduq Hussain (1960)
- Sadequain (1962)
- Mehdi Ali Mirza (1962)
- Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum (1962)
- Ahmed Mohiuddin (1962)
- Allah Bakhsh (1963)
- Shahid Ahmad Dehlvi (1963)
- Noor Jehan (1965)
- A.S.M. Qamarul Hasan (1965)
- Zubaida Agha (1965)
- Ferdausi Begum (1965)
- Sharif Khan Poonchwaley (1965)
- Imtiaz Ali Taj (1965)
- Salimuzzaman Siddiqui (1966)
- Shakir Ali (1966)
- Khwaja Moinuddin (1966)
- Ayat Ali Khan (1966)
- Ustad Haji Mohammad Sharif (1967)
- Munshi Raziuddin (1967)
- Rafi Peer (1967)
- Ali Imam (1968)
- Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi (1968)
- Amanat Ali Khan (1969)
- Bade Fateh Ali Khan (1969)
- Leila Arjumand Banu (1969)
- Umeed Ali Khan (1969)
- Mohammad Kibria (1969)
- Anna Molka Ahmed (1969)
- Ismail Gulgee (1970)
- Farida Khanum (1970)
- Naheed Niazi (1970)
- Muslehuddin (1970)
- Ustad Gul Mohammad Khan (1971)
- S. M. Ikram (1971)
- Iqbal Bano (1974)
- Salamat Ali Khan (1977)
- Munir Sarhadi (1978)
- Ahmed Parvez (1978)
- Ustad Manzoor Ali Khan (1978)
- Sabri Brothers (1978)
- Ibn-e-Insha (1978)
- Faiz Mohammad Baloch (1979)
- Khamiso Khan (1979)
- Kishwar Sultan (1979)
- Ustad Fateh Ali Khan (Sitar Nawaz) (1979)
- Ghulam Ali (1979)
- Alam Lohar (1979)
- Mureed Buledi (1979)
- Misri Khan Jamali (1979)
- Pathanay Khan (1979)
- Mohammad Azam Chishti (1979)
- Ashfaq Ahmed (1979)
- Nabi Bakhsh Baloch (1979)
- Mohammad Qavi Khan (1980)
- Ustad Khyal Muhammad (1980)
- Allan Fakir (1980)
- Sohail Rana (1980)
- Khalid Iqbal (1980)
- Aazar Zubi (1980)
- Malika Pukhraj (1980)
- Muhammad Juman (1980)
- Qari Shakir Qasmi (1981)
- Nasir Jahan (1981)
- Mansoor Tabish (1981)
- Qari Syed Ali Sharfuddin Yemni (1981)
- Nanhe Ali Khan (music performer))(1981)
- Roohi Bano (1981)
- Alexander Robert (1981)
- Mai Bhagi (1981)
- Mirza Adeeb (1981)
- Uzma Gillani (1982)
- Qari Ubaidur Rehman (1982)
- Talat Hussain (1982)
- Tufail Niazi (1982)
- Reshma (1982)
- Arsh Muneer (1983)
- Ustad Nazar Hussain (1983)
- Atta Shad (1983)
- Qari Waheed Zafar Qasmi (1984)
- Begum Khurshid Mirza (1984)
- Abida Parveen (1984)
- Muhammad Ali (1984)
- Sayed Nafees al-Hussaini, Nafees Raqam (1985)
- Ustad Chhote Ghulam Ali Khan (1985)
- Bundu Khan (1985)
- Mehdi Hasan (1985)
- Shaukat Hussain (1985)
- Qari Ghulam Rasool (1985)
- Siddiq Ismail (1985)
- Abid Ali (1985)
- Syed Mehmood Ali (1985)
- Sabiha Khanum (1986)
- Shahzad Khalil (1986)
- Suraiya Multanikar (1986)
- Firdous Jamal (1986)
- Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan(1986)
- Azhar Lodhi (1986)
- Riaz Batalvi (1986)
- Intizar Hussain (1986)
- Amjad Islam Amjad (1987)
- Ustad Abdul Majeed Dehlvi (1987)
- Haseena Moin (1987)
- Aadil Salahuddin (1987)
- Sain Akhtar Hussain (1987)
- Qari Izhar Ahmed Thanvi (1987)
- Shaista Zaid (1988)
- Ghulam Hassan Shaggan (1988)
- Mustafa Qureshi (1988)
- Muzaffar Warsi (1988)
- Qazi Wajid (1988)
- Ustad Kabir Khan (1989)
- Ghulam Ahmed Chishti (1989)
- Musarrat Nazir (1989)
- Shafi Mohammad Shah (1989)
- Kamal Ahmed Rizvi (1989)
- Jameel Bismil (1989)
- Bushra Ansari (1989)
- Ameer Khan (1989)
- Amjad Hussain (1989)
- Ustad Salamat Ali Khan (1989)
- Aziz Mian (1989)
- Talish (1989)
- Maharaj Ghulam Hussain Kathak (1989)
- Jamil Naqsh (1989)
- Enver Sajjad (1989)
- Salim Nasir (1990)
- Daud Kamal (1990)
- Khalid Hameed Baig (1990)
- Shaukat Ali (1990)
- Ustad Sadiq Ali Khan Mando (1990)
- Ustad Hamid Ali Khan (1990)
- Ustad Fateh Ali Khan (Gwalior gharana) (1990)
- Ahmed Saeed Nagi (1990)
- Qari Mohammad Fida (1990)
- Parveen Shakir (1990)
- Iftikhar Arif (1990)
- Ibrahim Jalees (1990)
- Jamiluddin Aali (1991)
- Khursheed Alam known as Gohar Qalam (1991)
- Khayyam Sarhadi (1991)
- Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi (1991)
- Ata ul Haq Qasmi (1991)
- Nayyar Ali Dada (1992)
- Shakeel (Yousuf Kamal) (1992)
- Noor Mohammad Lashari (1992)
- Tariq Aziz (1992)
- Mustansar Hussain Tarar (1992)
- Pervez Malik (1992)
- Jawed Iqbal (1992)
- Mian Ijazul Hasan (1992)
- Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman (1992)
- Munir Niazi (1992)
- Naseem Hijazi (1992)
- Mian Sheheryar (1992)
- Mushtaq Gazdar (1992)
- Waheed Qureshi (1993)
- Ismail Shahid (1993)
- Saeed Akhtar (1993)
- Ali Ejaz (1993)
- S.H. Hashmi (1993)
- Syed Manzoorul Kaunain (1993)
- Qari Syed Buzurg Shah Al-Azhari (1993)
- Agha Nasir (1993)
- Farooq Qaiser (1993)
- Bashir Mirza (1994)
- Ahmad Bashir (1994)
- Shahid Jalal (1994)
- Qari Mohammad Younus (1994)
- Qari Syed Ali Abid Naqvi (1994)
- Mehr Abdul Haq (1994)
- Nisar Bazmi (1994)
- Hamid Ali Bela (1994)
- Zareena Baloch (1994)
- Anwar Maqsood (1994)
- Shujaat Hashmi (1994)
- Qateel Shifai (1994)
- Zamir Niazi (1994))
- Tufail Hoshiarpuri (1994)
- Nahid Siddiqui (1994))
- Laeeq Ahmed (1994)
- Abdus Salam (newscaster) (1994)
- Allah Rakha (sarangi) (1995)
- Ustad Talib Hussain Khan (1995)
- Colin David (1995)
- Shoaib Hashmi (1995)
- Rauf Khalid (1995)
- Laila Shahzada (1995)
- Hajra Masroor (1995)
- Khursheed Ahmad (1996)
- Mashooq Sultan (1996)
- Safeerullah Lehri (1996)
- Afzal Ahsan Randhawa (1996)
- Qari Noor Mohammad (1996)
- Rubina Khalid (1996)
- Fatima Surayya Bajia (1996)
- Sehba Akhtar (1996)
- Mohammad Ali Shah (surgeon) (1996)
- Ahmad Rahi (1997)
- Ahmed Ghulam Ali Chagla (1997)
- Nadeem Baig (1997)
- Abdul Hameed (1997)
- Masroor Anwar (1997)
- Ahmad Ali Khan (1997)
- Akhtar Chanal Zahri (1998)
- Mumtaz Mirza (1998)
- Suhrab Faqir (1999)
- Dilawar Figar (1999)
- Salima Hashmi (1999)
- Anwar Masood (1999)
- Anita Ghulam Ali (1999)
- Zafar Iqbal (poet) (1999)
- Khalid Abbas Dar (1999)
- Khatir Ghaznavi (1999)
- Mujahid Kamran (1999)
- Raza Mir (1999)
- Amjad Parvez (2000)
- Sharif Kunjahi (2000)
- Kamaluddin Ahmed (2001)
- Athar Shah Khan Jaidi (2001)
- Jameel Fakhri (2002)
- Nazia Hassan (2002)
- Deena M. Mistri (2002)
- Askari Mian Irani (2002)
- Himayat Ali Shair (2002)
- Shoaib Mansoor (2002)
- Jilani Kamran (2002)
- Iftikhar Ahmad (2003)
- Ada Jafri (2003)
- Syed Afzal Hussain (2003)
- Syed Munawwar Saeed (2003)
- Abdul Aziz Baloch (2003)
- Ghulam Mustafa (2003)
- Majeed Khan (sarangi player) (2003)
- Muneeza Hashmi (2003)
- Muhammad Ali Siddiqui (2003)
- Imdad Hussaini (2003)
- Muhammad Usman Diplai (2004)
- Yousuf Khan (actor) (2004)
- Mahtab Akbar Rashdi (2004)
- Chishty Bin Subh-o-Mujahid (2004)
- Navid Shahzad (2004)
- Salahuddin Toofani (2004)
- S. M. Naqi (2004)
- Haji Atta Muhammad (2004)
- Moin Niazi (2004)
- Shahida Parveen (2004)
- Tina Sani (2004)
- Niaz Ahmed (2004)
- Samiur Rahman (2004)
- Tariq Rahman (2004)
- Rais Khan (2005)
- Arif Lohar (2005)
- Rangeela (2005)
- Muhammad Mansha Yaad (2005)
- Shabnam Shakeel (2005)
- Abdul Rauf Rufi (2005)
- Khawaja Najmul Hassan (2005)
- Amir Adnan (2006)
- Asghar Nadeem Syed (2006)
- Arshad Mehmood (2006)
- Arfa Karim (2006)
- Fareed Ayaz (2006)
- Nayyar Kamal (2006)
- Tassawar Khanum (2006)
- Ustad Badar uz Zaman (2006)
- Ustad Qamar uz Zaman (2006)
- Shafqat Tanvir Mirza (2006)
- Zehra Nigah (2006)
- Khalida Hussain (2006)
- Ghazi Sial (2006)
- Nayyara Noor (2006)
- Masood Akhtar (2006)
- Aftab Iqbal Shamim (2006)
- Naheed Akhtar (2007)
- Shaan (2007)
- Asad Amanat Ali Khan (2007)
- Hamid Ali Khan (2007)
- Faakhir Mehmood (2007)
- Munnu Bhai (2007)
- Munni Begum (2008)
- Akhtar Munir (2008)
- Gopal Das (2008)
- Haji Mehr Ali (2008)
- Haji Sher Ali (2008)
- Nahid Raza (2008)
- Gul Bahar Bano (2008)
- Mujahid Hussain (2008)
- Rasheed Malik (2008)
- Sultana Siddiqui (2008)
- Abdul Karim Balouch (2008)
- Abdul Qadir Junejo (2008)
- M. Hanif Raza (2008)
- Nasreen Askari (2008)
- Shafqat Amanat Ali (2008)
- Mansoor Rahi (2008)
- Tari Khan (2008)
- Noorul Huda Shah (2008)
- Rasheed Naz (2009)
- Ustad Shafqat Ali Khan (2009)
- Muhammad Younus Khan (2009)
- Emanuel Philip (2009)
- Rehana Siddiqui (2009)
- Shabbir Hussain (2009)
- Manzoor Hussain (2009)
- Parveen Nazzar (2009)
- Javaid Tufail Niazi (2009)
- Babar Ali Niazi (2009)
- Hajra Mansoor (2009)
- Behroze Sabzwari (2009)
- Obaidullah Baig (2009)
- Khalifa Muhammad Irshad Beg (2009)
- Naseem Sultan (2009)
- Ghous Bux Brohi (2009)
- Sahib Dino Mallah (2009)
- Satish Chandra Anand (2009)
- Rubeena Malik (2009)
- Badar Munir (2009)
- Muhammad Gul (2009)
- Mehnaz Hyat (2009)
- Abdul Qadir (2009)
- Ghayyur Akhtar (2009)
- Aslam Farrukhi (2009)
- Ali Moeen Nawazish (2009)
- Afzal Tauseef (2010)
- Musarrat Misbah (2010)
- Rabia Zuberi (2010)
- Zulfiqar Ali (2010)
- Mahmood Shaam (2010)
- Hameed Akhtar (2010)
- Fahmida Riaz (2010)
- Shahid Nadeem (2010)
- Muhammad Ibrahim Joyo (2010)
- Masood Mufti (2010)
- Masood Ashar (2010)
- Habib-ur-Rehman (2011)
- Khalida Inayat Noor (2011)
- Khan Tehsil (2011)
- Abdul Rahim Nagori (2011)
- S. Amjad Bukhari (2011)
- S. B. John (2011)
- S.H. Qasim Jalali (2011)
- Samina Ahmad (2011)
- Sohail Ahmed (2011)
- Ustad Hussain Bukhsh Gullu (2011)
- Khalid Ahmad (2011)
- Ustad Muhammad Alam (2011)
- Ustad Sharafat Ali Khan (2011)
- Wazir Afzal (2011)
- Zafar Kazmi (2011)
- Moin Akhter (2011)
- Sahira Kazmi (2012)
- Mohsin Gillani (2012)
- Nauman Ijaz (2012)
- Saba Hameed (2012)
- Jawed Sheikh (2012)
- Meera (2012)
- Rahat Naveed Masud (2012)
- Lutfullah Khan (2012)
- Kazim Pasha (2012)
- Tahira Syed (2013)
- Muhammad Ajmal Khan (2013)
- Alamgir (2013)
- Shahida Mini (2013)
- Naghma (2013)
- Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema (2013)
- Cecil Chaudhry (2013)
- Shahid Abdullah (2014)
- Ustad Shafiquz Zaman Khan (2014)
- Aurangzeb Leghari (2014)
- Nazir Leghari (2014)
- Ayub Khawar (2014)
- Mir Mohammad Ali (TV comedian) (2015)
- Ayesha Haroon (2015)
- Saleem Kausar (2015)
- Saba Qamar (2016)
- Waseem Abbas (2016)
- Wajahat Masood (journalist) (2016)
- Gulab Chandio (2016)
- Nathoo Khan (2016)
- Khalid Butt (2016)
- Sarmad Khoosat (2017)
- Humaira Channa (2017)
- Ghazi Salahuddin (2017)
- Rashid Mehmood (2017)
- Shakir Shuja Abadi (2017)
- Zulfiqar Bhutta (2017)
- Aslam Pervaiz (2018)
- Ghulam Haider (musician) (2018)
- Amin Hafeez (2018)
- A. Nayyar (singer) (2018)
- Bilqees Khanum (2018)
- Rauf Parekh (journalist) (2018)
- Amanullah (comedian) (2018)
- Nighat Chaudhry (classical dancer) (2018)
- Nighat Butt (2018)
- Zareen Panna (2018)
- Ishrat Fatima (newsreader) (2019)
- Reema Khan (2019)
- Arshad Sharif (journalist) (2019)
- Nasir Adeeb (2019)
- Shabbir Jan (2019)
- Iftikhar Thakur (2019)
- Deeba (2020)
- Ghulam Mohiuddin (2020)
- Sahir Ali Bagga (2020)
- Waris Baig (2020)
- Ghulam Abbas 2020
- Saieen Zahoor (2020)
- Fareed Ayaz (for qawwali group member Abu Muhammad) (2020)
- Sarmad Sehbai (2021)
- Resham (2021)
- Khalid Masud Gondal (2021)
- Hafeez Tahir (2023)
- Sangeeta (2023)
- Sher Miandad Khan (2023)
- Ustad Tafu (2023)
- Anjuman (2023)
- Naghma (2023)