40th death anniversary of the great Alam Lohar observed

Fans, friends and family celebrate the legendary folk singer and the legacy he left behind

LAHORE: The 40^th death anniversary of the legendary Sufi and folk singer Alam Lohar is being observed by his fans, friends and family across Pakistan today. The late artist passed away in a road accident back in 1979 and was succeeded by his son Arif, who has himself become a veteran of the Pakistani music industry.

Alam was born in the village of Aaj Koch in Gujarat back in 1928 and began singing from a very early age. In fact, he recorded his very first album when he just 13. But perhaps it was his chimta that got him the most attention. His instrument of choice was one that no other singer in Pakistan had ever used before and soon enough, Alam became a household name across the country.



In the early days of his career, the Jugni hit maker established his own musical and theatre group and began performing at various festivals and shrines with it. This proved to be a great platform for Alam, who was focused on singing Sufi poetry and verses written by saints. Saiful Mulook, Boliyan, Tapy, Punjabi Dhory, Mahiya are just some of the most popular works he lent his voice to, alongside the folk tales of Heer Ranjha, Mirza Sahibaan, Sohni Mahiwal and Shireen Farhad, etc.

There was a time when Alam was travelling across Punjab, performing in a different city every night. Songs such as Jugni, Dilwala Dukhra, Waja Mariyan and many others are still adored by fans across the province, so much so that the government of Pakistan awarded him the Pride of Performance in 1979.

Alam’s death marked the end of the golden era of Punjabi folk music, even though Arif has tried hard to continue the legacy left behind by his superstar father. To mark the occasion, he has even held a Quran khawani on Wednesday.

Arif Lohar. PHOTO:FILE

“I have witnessed the peak of my father’s career first hand as I was always with him as a child. I used to go to all the festivals that he was performing at,” Arif told The Express Tribune. “He was my ustaad. He was a Sufi who used to recite the Quran every night. Whatever I am today, whatever I have achieved is because of him as he was the one who put me on this track.”

Arif added that the chimta he sings with is an ode to his father as well. “He was a great human being and that’s why, the public still misses him, even today. And that’s not the case here in Pakistan only but around the world,” he said. “Wherever I go, I find fans of the great Alam Lohar.”

Folk singer Shoukat Ali echoed Arif’s sentiments. He said, “Alam Lohar was truly one of a kind. His voice was so sweet and pure. And today, I cannot help but remember him for all that he was. What a great singer; what a great soul.”

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