Salman Ahmad

Infobox musical artist 2
Name = Salman Ahmad


Img_capt =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Salman Ahmad
Alias = Sufisal, Soulman, Sal,
Born = 1963Fact|date=July 2007
date_of_death =
Origin = Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Instrument = Guitars (Acoustic, Electric, Bass), Keyboards, Harmoniums
Genre = Pop - Rock
Occupation = Singer
guitarist
Years_active = 1985 - Present
Label =
Associated_acts = Vital Signs - Junoon
URL = http://www.junoon.com
Current_members =
Past_members =

Salman Ahmad (Urdu: سلمان احمد) is a Pakistani musician and former actor, who used to be a member of Vital Signs but left after their debut album due to creative differences. He is also a medical doctor.

He went on to form Junoon, South Asia's biggest and most senior rock band. While still enjoying the success of Junoon, Salman Ahmed has been involved in two documentaries with the BBC and is also the Goodwill Ambassador for HIV/AIDS. Ahmad is working towards spreading awareness about HIV in South Asia, and helping to bring peace between Pakistan and India.

He released his solo album, "Infiniti", in mid-2005, but contrary to rumors, has not dissolved Junoon. The first video for "Infiniti" is "Al-Vida". It seeks to promote HIV awareness, and features famous Pakistani actress Nadia Jamil playing the role of a woman whose husband dies of AIDS; Jamil's character goes on to educate street people about preventing the disease. Ahmad has appeared on Bill Maher's "Politically Incorrect", the PBS documentary "The Rock Star and The Mullah", and the BBC documentary "It's My Country Too". He has also appeared on CNN and NPR to speak on behalf of Pakistanis and Muslims.

In September 2006, Salman Ahmad was personally invited by former US President Bill Clinton to speak at the Clinton Global Initiative panel in New York on Thursday, September 21st, featuring such prominent guests as Bill Gates, President Musharraf, Queen Rania, and others. After Junoon's international acclaim and success, Salman reached new heights, which include being an ambassador for peace with numerous international awards under his belt. Salman also played an important role in raising funds and awareness for the massive earthquake that hit Pakistan in October, 2005.

In an interview with ARY One World, Ahmad said he would be working with Madonna and Bono in 2007. Recently, Salman has been touring actively, performing and speaking at prestigious U.S. institutions such as Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Purdue, Stanford, MIT, and UT Austin.

Salman has been teaching a class on music titled "Islamic Music and Culture of South Asia", as a guest faculty at Queens College. This year, he started his second semester as a guest faculty. [ [http://www1.cuny.edu/portal_ur/news/cuny_matters/2007/fall/1.html CUNY website article about Salman Ahmed] ]

Salman recently worked with Annie Lennox, Sarah McLachlan and Dave Stewart to create a song for 'Green Peace', which was produced and mixed by Junoon's producer John Alec.

Performances

He performed at the Cherry Blossom festival on Sunday, April 6th 2008 , in DC.Ahmad performed in Toronto Sunday, November 4th at Roy Thomson Hall as part of the sold-out A Mystical Journey concert. With stops in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Montreal, and featuring 60 musicians and dancers from various parts of the Muslim world, the concert marks the Golden Jubilee initiative of His Highness Prince Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims.

On December 10 2007 Salman Ahmed and Indian tabla maestro Samir Chatterjee performed at the Nobel peace prize ceremony in Oslo City hall in the honour of former American vice president Al Gore and United Nations Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) who were the winners of the prestigious Nobel peace prize for the year 2007.

Salman Ahmad will perform with Yale Strom (a world leading Klezmer artist) on March 1, 2008 at [http://www.tbsroslyn.org Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn Heights] as part of another [http://www.qc.cuny.edu/nis/Releases/viewNews.php?id=297 "Common Chords II"] concert celebrating Muslim and Jewish Music. Salman is also set to perform with Oscar and multi Grammy award winner Melissa Etheridge, with which he recorded a duet called "Ring the Bells" (hear it at http://deepakchopra.com/2008/09/26/ring-the-bells-by-melissa-etheridge-and-salman-ahmad/). They will be performing at Etheridge's album release concerts in New Jersey and Atlantic City in November 2008. Etheridge hopes to present this track to democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

See also

* List of Pakistani musicians
* Music of Pakistan

References

External links

* [http://www.junoon.com Junoon's Official Website and Salman's Tour Roster]
* [http://www.junoonforums.com Discussion Forum and details on Salman's Tour Roster]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3322539.stm When the rock star met the mullah]
* [http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=383&srcid=568 Salman's Profile on the Clinton Global Initiative]
* [http://www.isufirock.com iSufiRock, Sample music from Salman's Infiniti CD]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-hO1aRKPyo&feature=PlayList&p=0166E3AAABB14E29&index=8 Riz Khan's One on One with Salman Ahmad, 21 April 2007, Part 1]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cawrS3nhnq4&feature=PlayList&p=0166E3AAABB14E29&index=9 Riz Khan's One on One with Salman Ahmad, 21 April 2007, Part 2]
* [http://nobelprize.org/award_ceremonies/ceremony_oslo/video/2007/index.html Nobel Peace prize ceremony Salman Ahmed performance ]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2008/03/13/VI2008031302097.html?hpid=topnews "Washington Post" interview with Salman Ahmad]