Salman Ahmad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Salman Ahmad
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Salman Ahmad
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Salman Ahmad |
| Born | 12 December 1963 Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician, physician |
| Instruments | vocals, electric guitar, Electric acoustic guitar, acoustic guitar, bass guitar |
| Years active | 1989 – present |
| Labels | Coke Studio, EMI Records, PTV Studios, Studio 146 |
Salman Ahmad (Urdu: سلمان احمد; born December 12, 1963) is a Pakistani-American musician, rock guitarist, and doctor. He is also an activist, a sometime actor, and a professor at Queens College in New York City.
He became famous in Pakistan in 1998 for his unique guitar playing, which mixed modern rock with traditional Pakistani music. After being part of the band Vital Signs, he started his own band called Junoon in 1990. Junoon, which means "Passion," was one of the first bands to create Sufi rock, a style that blends rock music with spiritual Sufi poetry.
In the mid-1990s, Ahmad became an activist. He has appeared in two BBC documentaries about important topics in Pakistan, like society, education, and religion. He also served as a UN Goodwill Ambassador to help spread awareness about HIV/AIDS in South Asia. Ahmad has worked to promote peace between India and Pakistan. Today, he teaches at Queens College and continues to perform as a solo artist.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Salman Ahmad grew up in Pakistan and went to Aitchison College. Later, his family moved to New York. In the United States, he went to a Led Zeppelin concert and was inspired to learn the guitar. His parents did not want him to be a musician, but he learned to play anyway.
After high school, he returned to Pakistan to study medicine. At the time, the political situation in Pakistan was tense, and rock music was not encouraged. Ahmad was not stopped by this. He played his guitar at secret talent shows, even when he received threats. These experiences helped shape him into a musician who would fight for peace and freedom of expression.
Music Career
Ahmad has taught a class called "Islamic Music and Culture of South Asia" at Queens College. He has also performed with other musicians to celebrate different cultures. For example, in 2008, he performed with Klezmer artist Yale Strom in a concert that brought together Muslim and Jewish music.
Nobel Peace Prize Concert
In 2007, Salman Ahmad and his band Junoon performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway. The concert was broadcast in about 100 countries, allowing people all over the world to hear their music. He also played at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony a few days earlier.
Facing Censorship
Censorship is when a government or another group tries to control what people can see, hear, or say. In the 1990s, Ahmad and Junoon faced censorship in Pakistan. The government of Benazir Bhutto did not like one of their songs, which spoke out against political problems.
Later, in 1998, the government of Nawaz Sharif banned Junoon again. This time, it was because the band protested against nuclear weapons tests in both India and Pakistan. The band asked why money was being spent on weapons when people needed basic things like clean water.
Ahmad believes that his music and his faith can exist together. He once said, "there is no conflict between my faith and my music, you can be a Muslim and play electric guitar." He has worked with organizations like Freemuse, which helps musicians who face censorship.
Other Work
Acting and Writing
Ahmad has acted in a few Pakistani television shows, including:
- Dhundle Raste
- Aahat
- Talaash
- Gulls & Guys (a travel documentary show)
He also wrote a book about his life called Rock & Roll Jihad: A Muslim Rock Star's Revolution, which was published in 2010.
Social and Political Work
As a UNAIDS Goodwill ambassador, Ahmad worked to teach people about HIV/AIDS. In 2009, he and his wife also helped raise money for people in the Swat District of Pakistan who had to leave their homes because of conflict.
Ahmad has also been involved in politics. He often supported the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which was founded by the former Prime Minister Imran Khan. He would sing patriotic songs at the party's rallies to energize the crowds.
In October 2016, Ahmad was briefly taken into custody by police during a clash between PTI supporters and law enforcement. In December 2024, the PTI party canceled his membership. The party stated that he had made posts online that caused arguments among party members.
See also
- List of Pakistani musicians
- Music of Pakistan
