Daily Times

The 44th death anniversary of legendary Sufi and folk singer Alam Lohar is being observed today. Lohar was born in 1928 in a village near Lala Musa, Gujrat. Alam Lohar is famous for his rendition of Waris Shah’s Heer, which he has memorised in 36 styles and forms. He was also honoured with Pakistan’s Highest Civil Award Pride of Performance for Arts and Theatre in 1979. He died in a road accident on 3rd July, 1979 at the age of 51. Alam Lohar developed a new style of singing the Punjabi Vaar, an epic or folk tale. He recorded his first album at the age of 13 and has outsold all other singers in Pakistan in the 1970s. Alam’s death marked the end of the golden era of Punjabi folk music, even though his son Arif has tried hard to continue the legacy left behind by his superstar father. The celebrated singer continues to live on in the hearts of folk music lovers. His singing style of Jugni is still remembered by his fans even after four decades.