Legend has it that Attaullah Khan Essakhelvi was deeply in love with his cousin and was engaged to be married to her. But then “along came a big spider and sat down beside her. “
Only in this case it was not a big spider. It was an “Ingandia” newly returned from U.K. And as was the custom those days, such of those returnees who could afford it, used to bring along a Ford wagon with them. This symbolized wealth in those times. And with wealth, as from times immemorial, comes prestige and standing in the community.
And while the townsfolk stared wide-eyed at the brand new Ford wagon, the eye of the “inglandia” alighted on Essakhelvi’s finance.
What he saw, he found very desirable. And so, he wormed his way to her father and offered to become his son in law.
The father looked beyond him, at his Ford wagon, got bedazzled by it, ditched Essakhelvi, and got his daughter promptly betrothed to him.
It is said that Essakhelvi broke down, and from that day on he began singing his lamentations. And he sang them with such pathos and such heart, that soon the whole of Pakistan began to sing with him.
For the next thirty years Essakhelvi completely dominated the Pakistani music scene like never before, nor since. For years every bus, every truck, and most cars played his songs. He became the folk heartthrob of the poorest, as well as that of the “elite”. And he was as popular in Sind, Baluchistan, NWFP and Azad Kashmir, as he was in the Punjab.
His father did not like it when his son turned to singing day in and night out. A story of the father’s return from Haj is told with great amusement. When Attaullah asked him how his Haj had gone. “Not well at all my son” replied the unhappy old man. ” Even there, whichever way I turned, I heard little else but your braying”.
The link below will take you to his first album. For many of you it will bring a gust of sweet nostalgia. This album is unique in the sense that he moves from Seraiki into Urdu and back again. The pathos in his voice can be cut with a knife and gives credibility to his legend.
But he did more than just sing his lamentations by way of revenge. He made up his loss by getting himself three wives!
And, it is said, that all three are very happy with him and with each other. How he managed this, no one can tell!
If he decided to share his secret in a book, he may end up earning more than all his singing got him.