Remember Master Aslam, the rickshaw driver with killer vocals?

KARACHI: Where has Master Aslam disappeared?

Yes, the same rickshaw driver Aslam from Karachi who was generously praised by the iconic Indian melody queen Lata Mangeshkar for his singing on Facebook - after which he became an overnight celebrity of sorts.

It was in the second week of April that a video clip of Aslam, in which he’s singing in his rickshaw a Bade Ghulam Ali thumri Yaad piya ki aey with a great deal of aplomb, went viral and was seen by Lataji. The playback legend immediately commented on the clip saying the man should be in front of the microphone singing songs not holding the handlebars of a rickshaw.

Her validation of his talented prompted a hysteric response from the Pakistani media. In the blink of an eye, Aslam was almost on every television channel, giving interviews, thanking Lataji profusely and pledging that he would resume the riaz which had been disrupted because of his financially challenged situation. That he did. And, make no mistake, he is a pretty special vocalist. Those who know about music will tell you that he seldom hits a false note.

During his interviews on television channels promises were made to Aslam that his life would now take a turn, for the better. On one occasion, Indian folk and film singer Daler Mehdi said he would buy a flat for Aslam as his Eid gift. He told Aslam that he could get the apartment in any city of Pakistan.

Then promises were made in the media that Aslam’s difficult times were over, and that now he would lead a comfortable life and should only concentrate on flexing his vocal muscles. Were the promises kept? Why did Aslam suddenly vanish from the showbiz radar?

Talking to Dawn on Monday morning, Aslam sounded despondent. “Not a single promise has been kept. I’m still there where I was. Daler Mehdi had said that he would hand me over the keys to my flat on Eid, it didn’t happen either.”

So, how has he been making ends meet? “Those who are close to me have been supporting me. A television channel got in touch with me saying that I would be given a job there. They say they will get back to me in a few days,” said Aslam.

What does this say about our society? Unsurprisingly, not much. Perhaps if Lataji hadn’t talked about this Karachi-based singer, he wouldn’t have garnered the kind of attention that he did in April. Even after that, his sonorous voice is yet to reach a wider audience.

Originally published in Dawn, July 26th, 2016