Suraiya Multanikar

Suraiya Multanikar (born 1940) is a Pakistani singer mostly known for her folk songs. Her repertoire includes classical, semi-classical, ghazal, folk songs and film songs.

Early life and family
Multanikar was born in Multan, Punjab. Her earliest childhood memories are of wanting to excel as a singer. No one in her immediate family could either teach or advise her. So in her childhood, she taught herself by listening to film songs and copying their tunes and lyrics. Later, she became a formal disciple of Ghulam Nabi Khan of the Delhi gharana of classical music who was a sarangi player.

Multanikar has 7 children (from oldest to youngest): Muhammad Ali, a UK-based orthopaedic doctor; Ruqaiya Sajjad; Ramzan Ali, Shaista, Rabia, Aalia and Rahat Bano. Her youngest daughter, Rahat Multanikar is also a folk singer like her mother.

Radio Pakistan
On the radio, at age 15, she sang compositions by veteran Pakistani composers, Niaz Hussain Shami and Abdul Haq Qureshi. In her career as a singer, she was inspired from the works of Roshan Ara Begum, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan of Sham Chaurasia gharana, Bade Fateh Ali Khan of Patiala gharana and Mehdi Hassan.

Film industry
Multanikar's career as a playback singer was short lived. She gained widespread recognition for her song,"Bare Be Murawwat Hain Yeh Husn Walay", "Kahin Dil Laganey Ki Koshish Na Karna" written by Masroor Anwar, music by Deebo Bhattacharya from the Pakistani film, Badnaam (1966).

Awards and recognition

 * 1959: Golden Award
 * 1960: Chatta Gaang Award
 * 1975: Gulam Fareed Award
 * 1980: Gulam Fareed Award
 * 1982: Jashn-e-Fareed Award
 * 1981: Shair-e-Mashriq Award
 * 1982: Shair-e-Mashriq Award
 * 1986: Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan
 * 2000: Shahbaz Award
 * 2002: Gulam Fareed Award
 * 2008: Sitara-i-Imtiaz Award by the President of Pakistan