14 Facts About Saieen Zahoor

Saieen Zahoor Ahmed or Ali Saain Shafiu is a leading Punjabi Sufi musician from Pakistan.

Saieen Zahoor has spent most of his life singing in Sufi shrines, and didn't produce a record until 2006, when he was nominated for the BBC World Music awards based on word of mouth.

Saieen Zahoor emerged as the "best BBC voice of the year 2006", Saieen is not his first name but a Punjabi and Sindhi honorific title and is spelled as Sain, In the muslim society of Punjab it is often associated with people who have given up the worldly pleasures for a more spiritual lifestyle.

Saieen Zahoor is said to have started singing at the age of five, and from that early age, he had dreamt of a hand beckoning him towards a shrine.

Saieen Zahoor started roaming the Sufi shrines of Sindh, Punjab, making a living through singing.

Saieen Zahoor had performed in Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2014.

For most of his life Saieen Zahoor performed mainly in dargahs and festivals, and in the streets.

Saieen Zahoor adopted the folk instrument Ektara, in its three-stringed version called Tumbi, as his main instrument.

Saieen Zahoor's voice has an earthy tone, almost cracking at the edges, but capable of a wide vocal and emotional range.

Saieen Zahoor has given concerts in UK, Japan, Ireland, Canada and Norway.

In 2006, Saieen Zahoor released an album titled Awazay through Matteela Records.

Saieen Zahoor sang an OST in 2011 for West Is West a British comedy-drama film, which is a sequel to the 1999 comedy East Is East.

Saieen Zahoor has performed in Norway, Belgium, Dubai, Malaysia, China and India.

Saieen Zahoor's music has been used in the following films.