Atif Aslam

Atif Aslam
Aslam at success bash of Badlapur, 2015
Background information
Native name	محمد عاطف اسلم
Birth name	Muhammad Atif Aslam
Born	(1983-03-12) 12 March 1983 (age 33) Wazirabad, Punjab, Pakistan
Genres	Filmi, Rock, Pop, Sufi
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, actor, guitarist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	2004–present
Associated acts	Jal, Coke Studio
Website	Aadeez.com

Muhammad Atif Aslam is a Pakistani singer and film actor. His movie debut was the 2011 social drama Bol. He has recorded numerous chart-topping songs, and is known for his vocal belting technique. Aslam is the youngest recipient of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, a Pakistani civilian decoration.

Aslam was born into a Punjabi Muslim family in Wazirabad, Punjab, Pakistan. He began his education in kindergarten at Kimberley Hall School, Lahore. In 1991, he moved to Rawalpindi where he continued his studies in St. Paul's Cambridge School, Satellite Town, Rawalpindi. In 1995, Aslam returned to Lahore where he continued his studies in Divisional Public School. He attended Punjab Institute of Computer Science (PICS) to do his Bachelor's degree in Computer Science (BCs).

Aslam played cricket and got interested in music. Even though Aslam always admired Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parveen, his first love was for cricket and he dreamed of representing his nation as a cricketer. He was a fast bowler and his passion for the sport saw him being selected for the national Under 19 cricket team trials. At one stage Aslam was training to represent his country in the U-19 World Cup.

Spurred on by his friends, he began to sing in public during his days at PICS, where he met guitarist and talented young composer, Goher Mumtaz. After performing at their college and at various restaurants, they eventually formed a band named 'Jal' – an Urdu/Hindi word which means 'water'. Working together, the pair recorded the song "Aadat" with the help of Salman Albert, amongst other established and accomplished Pakistani musicians, and the music video for "Aadat" was shot in a warehouse in Karachi. Within a matter of weeks, "Aadat" became popular on a host of promotional Pakistani music websites and went viral online, making Aslam a household name. On the basis of the popularity of this song, Jal began their tour of Pakistan. However, while on tour, personal problems between Aslam and Mumtaz led to an unannounced and indefinite break, during which Aslam launched his solo career, while Mumtaz continued using the band name 'Jal'.