Amjad Parvez

Background

Parvez was born in Lahore, Pakistan in 1945 to Sheikh Abdul Karim who was head of the Chemistry department, Islamia College, Lahore and was author of many books on chemistry that were on the syllabus of inter and graduate curricula of the forties and the fifties. Parvez's grandfather Khwaja Dil Muhammad was principal at Islamia College, Lahore. He was also a poet of the Pakistan Movement as his national poems were read in the annual conventions of Anjuman-e-Himayat-e-Islam mostly presided by Allama Iqbal.

Parvez received his primary education in Punjab Schools in 1960. He obtained the Matriculation Examination at Central Model School, Lahore. He joined Government College, Lahore (GCU) and University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore (UET) from where he graduated in Mechanical Engineering in 1967. After joining UET in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, he proceeded to the University of Birmingham, UK, in 1968, where he qualified for a Master's degree in Quality and Reliability Engineering in 1969 and a Doctorate in Engineering Production in 1972.

Parvez served Nespak (National Engineering Services Pakistan) for nearly 30 years rose to the positions of general manager and Vice President, and retired as managing director and President in 2005. His hallmark was the setting up of overseas offices in Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries and acquiring and implementing colossal projects within Pakistan and abroad in all branches of engineering. In this process he was instrumental in increasing foreign exchange earnings for his country. During his tenure as managing director, he broke the records of Nespak and obtained the highest ever business for Nespak.

After retirement from Nespak on reaching superannuation, Parvez joined as professor at UET responsible for teaching and research at graduate and post-graduate levels in its Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering Department. He also set up a consulting company for UET namely Engineering Services UET Pakistan Limited (ESUPAK). In 2011 he joined the University of Lahore (UOL) as head of the Mechanical Engineering Department. He is a visiting faculty member in Ucest at Lahore Leads University.

Laurels

Parvez received the President of Pakistan's Gold Medal for writing the best technical paper for the Institute of Engineers, Pakistan, in 1976. He is the publisher of more than forty technical national & international publications in engineering. He received the Dr. A. Q. Khan lifetime achievement award from the Institute of Engineers, Pakistan in 2010 and the Pride of Performance in 2000 for best music works.

Music

Music has been Parvez's passion since childhood. He is among the fraternity of melodist who started his career as a child artist in 1954 at Radio Pakistan, Lahore in the children's' programme 'Honhaar'. By sheer hard work, love and passion for music, he has rightly earned Radio Pakistan's 'outstanding' category in the classical and semi-classical genres. Introduced by none other than Madam Farida Khanum in her programme 'Khatir-e-Ehbaab' in the sixties, he has not looked back since then. Belonging to non-professional family, he has obtained training in classical singing from the Ustads of Sham Chaurasi Gharana such as Ustad Nazakat Ali Khan-Ustad Salamat Ali Khan duo (became their pupil in 1976), Ustad Ghulam Shabbir Khan-Ustad Ghulam Jaffar Khan duo (1992), and music composers Akhtar Hussain Akhian and Pride of Performance Mian Sheheryaar. He is a practising singer at the Central Production Unit, Radio Pakistan where he has recorded hundreds of ghazals, geets etc. since the seventies in his monthly performances. Since last two decades, he renders a new raag in Broadcasting House's programme 'Ahang-e-Khusrovi' every month and has rendered more than fifty raags in Kheyal form. By his consistent respect accorded to and acquiring knowledge from the professionals, he has become a symbol of bridging the gap of traditional rivalry between the professionals and non-professionals thereby becoming a role model for the present and the future generations. His journey of growth as an artist is commendable, starting from folk songs leading to fusion (PTV's Sangat in 1972–73), Ghazal, Geet, Kafi, Thumri and now Kheyal forms over the past four decades. Parvez therefore combines the art of light, semi-classical and classical singing in one individual.

Parvez has also been associated with PTV since its inception in 1964 and has participated in its major programmes and has also been in PTV's outstanding category for more than four decades; he has not left performing at Radio Pakistan which he considers as his base. He possesses a clear, melodious, sweet, cultured and broad ranged voice full of melodic pathos. He has contributed wholesomely and significantly to the further promotion and presentation of Pakistani melodic culture, both at national and international levels. He travels widely. During his lifetime he has represented his country on a government level as well as in a private capacity in many countries such as US, UK, France, Italy, Norway, Denmark, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Myanmar and India especially on occasions of national importance. He can therefore truly be called a cultural ambassador of Pakistan.

Parvez inherits his love for poetry from his grandfather and selects good quality and sober poetry devoid of vulgarity, before singing it. His ghazals sung at Radio Pakistan such as Master Manzoor's 'Ajnabi Ban Key Nayey Rog Laganey Aao' and 'Meri Tasveer Mein Rang Kisi Aur Ka To Nahi', Nasir Kazmi's 'Aaj To Besabab Udaas Hei Ji', 'Aaj Tujhey Kyun Chup Si Lagi Hei' and scores of other numbers coupled with rendering of Raags Kidara, Megh, Jonpuri, Lilat, Rajeshri, Jog, Sarsawati, Shri, Bindrabini Sarang, Bheem, Bakhzar, Durga, Puria Dhanasri, Shudh Sarang, Dais, Madwanti, Champa Kali, Hans Dhun, Marva, Gujri Todi, Mian Ki Malhaar, Gorakh Kalyan, Gun Kali, Nat Bhairon, Dais, Jai Jai Wanti, Gujri Todi, Mian Ki Todi and the like, speak volumes about his versatility as a practicing musician.

As a founder member of Pakistan Television, Parvez has rendered hundreds of songs for PTV since its inception. He has participated in almost all important music programmes over the past four decades in its folk, light classical and classical music programmes. His song 'Jo Bhi Kutch Hei Muhabbat Ka Phailao Hei', theme song for Ashfaq Ahmed's drama series 'Aik Muhabbat Sau Afsaaney' and folk songs 'Sassi-e-Bekhbrey' and 'Chal Mailey Noon Chaliye' are all time hits.

Writings

Inheriting education from his forefathers and being in the company of most of the senior writers and poets of his generation, Parvez is by now recognized nationally and internationally as a writer par excellence. His regular columns in the daily Nation, Lahore followed by the daily Times, Lahore mostly comprise book reviews on the books emanating from Pakistan in the past three decades both on literature and music. His book titled ‘Symphony of Reflections’ published in 2006 has been received widely nationally and internationally. It comprises selected book reviews till 2006. Another book titled 'Rainbow Of Reflections' comprising Book Reviews till 2011 was published. Both the books were published by Jahangir Books, Lahore. Parvez also speaks and writes on music. His book titled 'melody makers' on forty music composers of the subcontinent from 1950s to 1980s has been published by Sange-Meel Publications, Lahore in 2012.

• Pride of Performance in 2000.
• Dr. A. Q. Khan lifetime achievement award in 2010.