Last weekend Pakistan Professional Forum Qatar celebrated their 5th Anniversary by hosting a Gala Dinner for the community. Amanat Ali (of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa fame) was invited to perform at the event managed by Apex Events.  The whole event was very well organised, with Amanat Ali’s performance being the cherry on top!

Amanat Ali is a young Pakistani singer-songwriter who made Pakistan proud by winning the third place in the Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge musical contest in India back in 2007. He captivated the audience all around the world with his voice and charm at the age of 19!

Last weekend, I experienced Amanat Ali perform live. I won’t be exaggerating if I say that he was simply out of this world and I had goosebumps listening to some of his songs! He has such great energy and sang such a wide range of songs from Sufi Kalams, to Ghazals to Old Classics to the Current Hit Songs. It was an absolute delight to watch him perform live.

Later that weekend, we got a chance to have dinner with him and his lovely wife Sarah, and know a little bit more about him.

So here is a little bit more of what you probably didn’t know about him.

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1. Says a Little Prayer Before Every Performace

Mohsin(my husband) noticed on the night of event that when Amanat Ali got on stage, he was mumbling something and it took him a couple of minutes before he addressed the audience. He told us that everytime he gets on stage, he says a couple of prayers and seeks Allah’s help before he starts the show.

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2. A Sufi At Heart

Amanat Ali belongs to a religious family and is inclined towards Sufism himself. He ALWAYS starts his show with a Sufi Kalam and ends it with a Sufi kalam. And the purity with he performed these kalams, with all this heart and soul, it was one of the most mesmerising performances I have ever seen! 

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3. Hosts The Biggest Charity Events in Faisalabad

Amanat Ali hosts one of the biggest charity events in Faisalabad (his hometown). He strongly believes in giving back to the society and that is why he thinks Allah blesses him. He is one of the most humble and grounded celebrities I have ever met!

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4. Plays 10 Instruments!

Besides receiving extensive training in classical music, Amanat Ali can also play around 10 musical instruments which include tabla, harmonium, dholak, guitar, keyboard, piano, percussions, drums, Congo drums and pakhawaj (a type of dholak). He performed a beautiful ghazal (Aaj janay ki zid na karo..) on harmonium, which was the soul of the entire event!

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5. A Standup Comedian

I always knew Amanat Ali had a great voice but I never knew he had a funny bone as well! He has such a great sense of humour, engages with the audience and keeps cracking jokes in between his great vocal performances! An all-round entertainer! 

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It was an absolute delight to watch him perform live. I was always a fan of his voice, but after this night have become a BIG fan of the singer, entertainer and the star!

I would highly recommend, NEVER to miss a chance to watch Amanat Ali perform live!