Saleem Raza (Pakistani singer)

Saleem Raza (Urdu: ﺳﻠﯿﻢ رضا‎)&ndsp (4 March 1932 – 25 November 1983) was a Pakistani playback singer. He started his singing career from Lahore film industry and quickly gained popularity. Saleem Raza was a classically trained singer and was more famous for singing sad songs. Saleem Raza's career suffered due to the rise of the singer Ahmed Rushdi in the late 1950s. He left playback singing in 1966 as he lost his popularity with the film composers and shifted to Canada where he died a few years later.

Career

Saleem Raza was born as Noel Dias in Amritsar, India in a Christian family which later converted to Islam. After independence, he migrated to Pakistan and settled in Lahore. He changed his name to Saleem Raza and started singing at Lahore Radio Station. Raza made friends with an artist of the time, Mohni Hameed. Saleem Raza and Mohni Hameed were often seen attending events together. Additionally, Saleem Raza learned music from music composers of those days including M. Sadiq Ali, and Ustaad Aashiq Husain. Saleem Raza’s break came in director Syed Ata Ullah Hashmi’s 1955 film Naukar (1955 film). Saleem Raza lent his voice to the tragic score, Taqdeer kay malik deikh zara kya zulm hai (Duet, Saleem Raza – Kausar Perveen). But his first film as a playback singer was Qatil in 1955. His breakthrough came with his song Yaaro mujhe muaaf rakho, main nashey mein hoon (Saat Laakh – 1957).^[1] He sang many other songs in films like Aas Paas (1957), Do Rastey, Haboo, Hamsafar, Seema (1963 film)|Seema and many more. His last film was Payal Ki Jhankar (1966).^[2]

Career decline

Saleem Raza remained a dominating singer in the late 1950s due to his popularity in singing tragic songs. In 1961, the music director, Khalil Ahmed, recorded a sad song, Kisi chaman main raho tum bahaar bun kay raho, in Raza's voice for film Aanchal (1962) but he was not satisfied with his singing style. Initially, he decided to re-record the same song in Mehdi Hassan's voice but changed his mind because Mehdi Hassan was facing difficulty with high notes as the composition had wide range and variations. Khalil Ahmed finally invited the famous singer Ahmed Rushdi to sing the same song and Rushdi not only satisfied Khalil but also the song was a super hit. Apart from Ahmed Rushdi, Saleem Raza was in direct competition with highly talented singers like Mehdi Hassan, Masood Rana, Mujeeb Aalam and Bashir Ahmad. Moreover his voice was best suited on Syed Musa Raza (Santosh Kumar) and his brother Darpan. These 2 actors also lost their popularity in the mid 1960s. These were the basic factors which affected his fame. Later, with the change in the recording devices,Saleem Raza found it difficult to adjust to the new equipment, resulting in a setback to his career.

Death

Saleem Raza migrated to Vancouver, Canada in 1975, and established a Music school. For eight years, from 1975 to 1983, Saleem Raza taught music to numerous music students. He also started performing in musical concerts. Saleem Raza suffered from Kidney failure, which took his life on 25 November 1983. He was fifty-one years of age.^[3]

Urdu and Punjabi musical movies

Here are the names of some Urdu and Punjabi famous films for which Salim Raza sang songs which even today make a large number of fans nostalgic.

Saat laakh, Ishq-e-Laila, Bedari, Saheli, Rehguzar, Salma, Gulfaam, Saperan, Azra, Mousiqaar, Aanchal, Qaidi, Ik tera sahara, Tauba, Chingari, Payal Ki jhankar Noor- E- Islam, Chann Mahi, Kartar Singh, Mouj Mela, Dil Dian Lagiyan

Some famous songs of Saleem Raza

1. Bedard zamanay walon nay kab dard kisi ka jaana hai (Aas paas 1957), music by Akhtar Hussain Akhhian

2. Shah-e-Madina (saw), Yasrib kay wali (Noor-e-Islam 1957) Poet Was Naeem Hashmi, music by Hassan Latif Lilak

3. Ae nazneen tujh sa koi haseen ham nay kabhi (Shama 1959)

4. Zindgi mein ek pal bhi chain aye na, iss jahan main kash koi dil lagaey na (Hamsafar 1960)

5. Bana kay mera nasheman (Do rastay 1961)

6. Tujh ko maalum nahin, tujh ko bhala kya maalum (Aanchal 1962)

7. Jan-e-baharan, rashke-e-chaman, ghuncha dahan, shireen badan (Azra 1962), music by Master Inayat Hussain

8. Tum jug jug goe maharaj ray, hum teree nagarya main aaey (Mousiqar 1962)

9. Ae dil kisi ki yaad mein hota hay beqarar kyun, jiss nay bhula dia tujhay us ka hai intezar kyun (film Ik tera sahara 1963), music by Master Inayat Hussain

10. Na milta gar yeh tauba ka sahara hum kahan jatay (Tauba 1964)- A Qawwali song, music by A. Hameed

11. Jo kisi kay qareeb hotay hain, woh baray khush naseeb hotay hain (Shabnam 1965), music by A. Hameed

12. Ek hamen awara kehna, koi bara ilzam nahin (Insaan 1966)

13. Husn ko chand jawani ko kanwal kehtay hain, tairee surat nazar aaey to ghazal kehtay hain (Payal Ki Jhankar 1966)

14. Yaro mujhay muaf rakho main nashay main hoon, ab jaam do to khali do main nashay main hoon (Saat laakh 1957), music by Rasheed Attre

15. Meray dil ki anjuman main teray ghum say roshni hai, na bhula sakoon ga tujh ko tera pyar zindagi hai

References