Written by: Kulsoom Malik
Posted on: May 21, 2021 | 
Sain Zahoor Performing at the Asian Arts Agency in England in 2015
Anyone who has had the pleasure of watching Sain Zahoor perform becomes instantly enraptured by his iconic silhouette. With his black garb adorned in color, ornaments and jewelry, Sain (a Sindhi honorific title) dances on stage as he bellows the deep mystical verses of Sufi saints. Those who witness it say that listening to his renditions of Bulleh Shah or Heer Waris Shah is as powerful as hearing the poetry from a saint of yore.
Sain Zahoor was born to a rural peasant family in Sulaimanki, a village in the Okara district of Punjab. During a rare interview, he explained that he started singing at the young age of five, when he saw a hand calling him to the shrine of Sufi Saint Bulleh Shah. As he left home at the age of ten, Sain traveled across shrines for a little less than a decade before he found that very hand leading him into the Sufi shrine at Uch Sharif. It was the invitation of Raunaka Ali of the famed Patiala Gharana, as well as the other local singers, which introduced Sain to the world of folk music.
Sain Zahoor in Motion on Stage
For most of his early years, Sain Zahoor performed at festivals (melas) and gatherings (dargahs) in Punjab. While he did have some classical training, Sain’s music largely belongs to the folk tradition of street singing.
As opposed to singing qawalis in groups, folk singers perform solo in public spaces, more out of individual interest or religious devotion than any organized activity. Like Sain Zahoor, they are largely self-taught, self-trained and rely on the community of the shrine for food and shelter. His signature instrument is the ‘Ektara’ or ‘Tumbi’, a one-stringed instrument that has frequently been used for devotional music in the Indian Subcontinent. It’s a lute which produces a drone, and is attached to a drum-like wooden resonator covered with skin.
Sain Zahoor Showing his Ektara
With his official debut at the All Pakistan Music Conference in 1989, he entered mainstream Pakistani music circles. Word of his talent and spell-binding performances led him to receive considerable attention and acclaim, such as being recognized as the BBC’s ‘Best Voice of the Year in 2006’. It was during the early 2000s that Sain’s international profile increased considerably, as he performed in places like Norway, Belgium, China and India for music festivals and featured in soundtracks for films like Shoaib Mansoor’s ‘Khuda Ke Liye’ (In the Name of God).
Sain Zahoor performs at Sufi Music Festival organized by the Rafi Peer Theatre
Sain’s rise on the mainstream international music scene came at a particular time when local Pakistani folk and spiritual music attempted to fight extremist ideas of Islam through celebration and multiculturalism. Attempts by extremist groups like the Taliban to eradicate social and cultural traditions in Pakistan were met by resistance through music and festivals, which showcased the diverse and tolerant aspects of the religion.
Presently, Sain Zahoor continues to perform and collaborate with Pakistani institutions like Rafi Peer Theatre and Coke Studio. During his performances, he often sings the verses of Bulleh Shah as well as other Sufi poets like Mian Muhammad Baksh and Baba Ghulam Farid, and memorizes new pieces by making them into drawings, as he is not literate.
A Screencap from Sain Zahoor's Latest Coke Studio Single Rabba Ho
However, Sain’s experience in performing at shrines and meeting people from all walks of life have allowed him to understand and incorporate the poetry, imagery and language of ordinary people. And he has been very open to collaborations with both international and local performers.
Sain Zahoor Practicing With his Band
Sain Zahoor has been one of the most influential and talented folk musicians to emerge from Pakistan, with an electric presence on stage. Watching his movements, with his heavy ornaments and his mystifying Ektara intensifies the meaning and mysticism of the Sufi poetry. His understanding of Sufi texts and his natural charisma on stage has allowed him to transcend barriers of language and time, and he remains fresh and relevant for all audiences.
You may also like:
