Draft:Shakila Torah Ahmed

Shakila Ahmed,(also known as Shakila Khorasani) is a Bangladesh-born, American singer, songwriter, composer, and writer.

Her music career spans across the globe from the Indian subcontinent to the United States. Her most famous songs are Ghazals, Tumhara ishq, Abh kise chahen, Usne jab mujhse, Unse milneka, (from an album with Hariharan), Tere qareeb aake, Meri ankhonme, Toota jo aake and pop songs Chori chori, Kisise na kehna, Bekhudi, Do char pal, Sehra, Nere nere aa and many more.

Shakila is very popular as a vibrant, live performer, her repertoire ranging from classical ghazals, sufi poetry, often fused with western instrumentation to pop songs. Shakila's, 'dazzling smile expresses the pure pleasure she experiences as she presents poetic sentiments in musical form', writes Rukhsana Mashadi in an interview in Images Dawn

Early life and education
Shakila Ahmed, born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, took formal training in North Indian classical ragas/scales since the age of eight at the College of Music and sang as a child artist on Bangladesh radio and television. She is the only child of parents who were both teachers and has an illustrious, academic background. She studied in Little Jewels School, then Green Herald International School (Senior Cambridge), Holy Cross College (High School), Honours and Masters degree, with flying colours (first in Honours and 2nd in Masters) in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Dhaka. Meanwhile, she continued her lessons in classical music from Sanjeev Dey and later became a student of the most revered Ustad Mohammad Dilshad Khan in Mumbai, India. She won many awards as best vocalist, including the Dhaka University Annual competitions in the categories, Khayal and Bengali geet.

Career
Her singing career began as a child artist in radio and television. Shakila's first album, 'Hridoy Binar Tare', was released by Sargam Records in 1989, comprising of Bengali geets and Urdu ghazals and composed by the award-winning music director Shujeo Shyam. She focused on mastering the style of ghazal singing in Urdu and recorded her second album called 'Ankh Barsi' comprising ghazals. Mansur Bukhari of Emi Pakistan, impressed with her voice and style in a concert in London, released her third ghazal album, 'Dastan'. The music is directed by Arshad Mahmud and consists of various composers, including her teacher, Ustad Dilshad Khan Saheb and well-known ghazal singer/composer, Tauseef Akhtar. Shakila, while living in London, sang for Bernardo Bertolucci's movie, Little Buddha (nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score,1993) and had the opportunity to work with musical genius, Ryuichi Sakamoto, the music director of the movie. Shakila was handpicked by Ustad Zakir Hussain, the tabla maestro who also worked on the soundtrack. Shakila's meeting with Hariharan, the renowned ghazal maestro, and composer, in London (1994), led to the birth of her most lauded album, 'Nayee Baat', eight ghazals composed by Hariharan and recorded between London and Mumbai. The album, Tumhara ishq tumhari wafa hi kafi hai' written by Ibrahim Ashq and 'Abh kise chahen' by Dr. Bashir Badr, brought Shakila to the limelight and earned her worldwide fame. The album also featured legendary musicians, sarangi by Ustad Sultan Khan saheb, Ustad Bhure Khan saheb on harmonium. She moved to Pakistan, where she spent many years and her popularity as a singer grew to great heights. She worked with many more musical luminaries including composers like Nisar Bazmi, Niaz Ahmed, Arshad Mahmud, and pop giants Aamir Zaki, Shuja Haider, Emu of Fuzon, Nadeem Ahmed, Emad Rahman. Shakila sang for the movie 'Daira' (an adaptation of Mohsin Hamid's book Mothsmoke) and many fashion shows, and stage productions, including all the songs from the dance drama 'Anarkali' (2003) and performed on stage as Anarkali.

Shakila also worked as a journalist, writing for various newspapers and journals and her published articles include interviews of many mega artists namely Mehdi Hasan, Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Farida Khanum, and Hariharan. ref

Shakila is a philanthropist, raising funds for various charities through concerts, celebrity appearances, talks, etc. She was the goodwill ambassador of HOPE( Health Oriented Preventive Education) for many years. She sang in several benefit concerts for HOPE all over Pakistan and USA(2011)Umeedon ka safar, Hope song, written and composed by Nadeem Ahmed.

She toured with Faakhir Mehmood, raising funds for the earthquake in Pakistan (2005). She did concerts to raise funds for building the auditorium in the Arts Council of Karachi.

She has innumerable live concerts recordings, interviews in print and electronic media, Shakila lives in California, performing and recording throughout the US and the world. "Shakila is possibly the best Ghazal singer in the region. And when she sings the words of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, it can be mesmerizing." .

Latest Collaboration
Shakila's latest venture is a collaboration with renowned ghazal maestro Ustad Ghulam Ali Khan. He composed two ghazals, one of poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz 'Hamke Thehre Ajnabi' meant to foster an affinity between Bangladesh and Pakistan through music.

Anarkali, Theatre
Compilation albums

Film

 * Little Buddha
 * Daira

Categories
Pakistani singer