Akhtar Chanal Zahri is a famous Pakistani Balochi folk singer. He is famous for his singing in Coke Studio (Pakistan).

Career

Akhtar Chanal Zahri was born at Khuzdar, Balochistan, Pakistan in 1954. In 1964, Akhtar Chanal started taking formal singing lessons from a music Ustad. In 1973, he brought regional folk to national attention after he was discovered by the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC)'s Balochi Radio Station, and in 1974 Chanal's music became popular nationwide when his song Deer Deer was first aired live on national TV. Since then, Akhtar Chanal has traveled all over the world, including the United States, the Netherlands and Europe for tours. He has performed in a concert arranged at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation for the political leaders meeting at the summit. Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto took him on a tour to England. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Islamabad, Pakistan, he performed then at an event in 2004.

Akhtar Chanal Zahri

Akhtar Chanal Zahri reportedly has said in an interview, "The songs I hummed as a youngster watching my sheep, are embedded in my memory. Where I come from, when a child is born, the only two things he knows how to do are sing and cry – music is part of us from the very beginning".

Akhtar Chanal Zahri

Songs

Some of his famous songs are: Daanah Pah Daanah Da sande Zehri Baloch Nar Bait Afghan Jalebi (Doumbek Version) from Phantom (2015 film) Shonk O Bijili Je aoo patari

Akhtar Chanal Zahri

Filmography

Mirzya (film) - a 2016 Bollywood film

Awards and recognition

Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1998.

References

External links

Coke Studio: Season 7 artists

Pakistani folk singers

Living people

People from Balochistan, Pakistan

Brahui people

Baloch male singers

1954 births

Coke Studio (Pakistani TV program) Recipients of the Pride of Performance