Alam Lohar
Encyclopedia
Muhammad Alam Lohar was a prominent Punjabi
folk music
singer of Pakistan
.He died in 1979 in an accident. He is also credited with popularizing the term and song Jugni
.
was born in the small village Achh
,Kharian
in Gujrat District
, in Punjab
, British India into a family of blacksmiths. He was gifted with a melodious voice and began singing as a child.
Vaar, an epic or folk tale. He is famous for his rendition of Waris Shah
’s Heer
, which he has memorized in 36 styles and forms. He recorded his first album at the age of 13 and has outsold all other singers in Pakistan (Verified in records kept with HMV Pakistan 1979)
In his childhood he used to read sufiana kalaams, Punjabi stories and participate as a young child in local elderly gatherings expressing a vocal only art form in reading passages of great poets. From many of the gatherings out of the rural background rose a great singer that could influence his audience with elements of joy peace, happiness and sadness. Further on: he started going to festivals and gatherings on a regular basis and within these performances he rose to become one of the most listened to singers in South Asia. In the 1970s it was the Queen's Jubilee event in the UK and there was a singing competition between all Commonwealth Countries and after all performances: Alam Lohar won the award as the best performance and was handed a gold medal for his unique and God given voice.
Throughout the period of 1930's and until his passing away in 1979 he has dominated Folk singing in Pakistan and been a major singer in Punjabi and Sufi singing throughout the entire World. In many rural villages the local traditional people have called him 'Sher-e-Punjab' or 'Heerah' meaning diamond.
Alongside his God given voice and singing in difficult high and low pitches he had a unique style of singing with his Chimta. Now the Chimta has been around for centuries as it was a tool used in gathering livestock in rural settings or used as an aid in other activities, but Alam Lohar has the unique credit that he single handedly popularised this instrument globally and modified its use and changed its outlook.
Other than being a famous singer, Alam lohar was also a great poet writing his own songs and kalaams and also had another quality that he used old books of Sufi saints and stories and brought them in a song format: which gave his songs overwhelming great lyrical content which could make people cry and express joy at the same time. The word "Jugni" was his creation(the word Jugni is also attributed to some runaway poet- singer duo name unknown, who followed the Jubilee flame in the British raj -and sang satires showing pitiable condition and sufferings of common Indians outside programme grounds, drawing huge crowds and later captured and killed by brits the incident times back to twenties in 20th century when Silver jubilee of the then btitish kings ascention of throne was being celebrated in all cities arount British India - Jubilee parks in many cities of India & Pakistan are proof) and he created this term from reading many Sufi writings and represented this word as a spiritual feeling of ones experience of the world. Furthermore he was the pioneer of introducing the writings of Saif Ul Mulook and Mirza Shabaan in a song format.
Alam Lohar had another quality that he had overwhelming singing stamina - he was renowned to sing all night and sometimes without the music technology we have with PA systems now-nevertheless his strong voice could be heard in large gatherings. In rural punjab he used to sing from village to village and without any modern music technology: his voice reflected with the background of the natural echo caused by the stillness of the night.
In essence, later on Alam Lohar organised a full-fledged theatre with a complete orchestra. His troupe toured all over Punjab for religious and seasonal festivals and was one of the first Pakistani as well as South Asian singers to sing internationally in almost all countries that had people from the South Asian region.
Alam Lohar died in an accident near Sham ki Bhaitiyan on July 3, 1979. He was laid to rest in Lala Musa
, Punjab, Pakistan. He was given the Pride of Performance award in 1979 by General Zia Ul Haq in Islamabad and has received numerous awards within his lifetime. He is a pioneer in cultural and Folk styled singing and has in his own right become a folk story. He set a bench mark and many Punjabi and other folk singers have greatly been influenced. Therefore he has left a great legacy of a unique style of singing which is still followed in Pakistan by Punjabi as well as other folk singers. One of the greatest singers of all time: he is seen and remembered through his son Arif Lohar who has continued in the same tradition.
May he rest in Peace - & May God grant him Peace -
Dil wala dukhra nahin kisse noon sunayee da
Saiful Malook
Qissa Hazrat Yousaf
Mar ke modha hauly jaye sorry akh gaye
Bol mitti diya bawiya
Jugni
Mirza
Qissa Karbala
Kalam baba Bulle shah
Sohni Mahiwal
Sassi ~Pannu
Wajan mariayan bullayah
England di Jugni
Maa da Pyar (maa da qissa)
Assan hun Tur Jaa naa
Layee beqadran naal yaarey
Qissa Hirni
Qissa Puran Bhagat
Rahee Khushay daa malka
Me neel kariyan neelka
36 style formats of Heer Ranjha
Kohee tu paneey motiyar nee
Gabrro jat punjab daa
Allah hoo haq Allah hoo
Mohammed miah kee tarifan sunavaa
Ghamaa vich jind mukh gaye
Sutee rahgee nee maa patt dee phulegey
kee dassa me kaun teh kidhroo sharher terey vich ayyah
Jis din merah viah hohay gaa
mee tee viah kar ke pachtayah
mee vakh daa hee rehgeyah me vakh daa hee rehgayaa
many versions of Dullah Bhatti
too merey mohabbatein daa bootah putt gaye
'
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.He died in 1979 in an accident. He is also credited with popularizing the term and song Jugni
Jugni
Jugni is an age-old narrative device used in Punjabi folk music and sung at Punjabi weddings in Pakistan, India, US, Canada, Australia and UK. The word literally means 'Female Firefly', in folk music it stands in for the poet-writer who uses Jugni as an innocent observer to make incisive, often...
.
Early life
Alam LoharLohar
Lohar is an ethnic sub-caste found among Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims in Northern India and Northern Pakistan. Originally this community was a warrior tribe living in provinces of Kermanshah in Iran right up to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan. In India the Lohars are also known as Vishwakarma, Sharma,...
was born in the small village Achh
Achh
Achh is a village and union council of Gujrat District, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is part of Kharian Tehsil and is located at 32°52'0N 74°8'0E with an altitude of 311 metres.- History :Achh is a village of Awan...
,Kharian
Kharian
Kharian is a city of Gujrat District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The chief city of Kharian Tehsil, it lies almost midway between Lahore and Islamabad on the Grand Trunk Road . This is the road which connects the city all the way to Bangladesh, India and Afghanistan and was used during...
in Gujrat District
Gujrat District
Gujrat is a district of Punjab Province in Pakistan. It is an ancient district located in between two famous rivers, the Jhelum and Chenab. Because of its proximity with the rivers the land is good for cultivation with rice and sugar cane as main crops...
, in Punjab
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
, British India into a family of blacksmiths. He was gifted with a melodious voice and began singing as a child.
Career
Alam Lohar developed a new style of singing the PunjabiPunjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
Vaar, an epic or folk tale. He is famous for his rendition of Waris Shah
Waris Shah
Waris Shah was a Punjabi Sufi poet, renowned for his contribution to Punjabi literature. He is best-known for his seminal work Heer Ranjha, based on the traditional folk tale of Heer and her lover Ranjha. Heer is considered one of the quintessential works of classical Punjabi literature...
’s Heer
Heer
Heer is German for "army". Generally, its use as "army" is not restricted to any particular country, so "das britische Heer" would mean "the British army".However, more specifically it can refer to:*An army of Germany:...
, which he has memorized in 36 styles and forms. He recorded his first album at the age of 13 and has outsold all other singers in Pakistan (Verified in records kept with HMV Pakistan 1979)
In his childhood he used to read sufiana kalaams, Punjabi stories and participate as a young child in local elderly gatherings expressing a vocal only art form in reading passages of great poets. From many of the gatherings out of the rural background rose a great singer that could influence his audience with elements of joy peace, happiness and sadness. Further on: he started going to festivals and gatherings on a regular basis and within these performances he rose to become one of the most listened to singers in South Asia. In the 1970s it was the Queen's Jubilee event in the UK and there was a singing competition between all Commonwealth Countries and after all performances: Alam Lohar won the award as the best performance and was handed a gold medal for his unique and God given voice.
Throughout the period of 1930's and until his passing away in 1979 he has dominated Folk singing in Pakistan and been a major singer in Punjabi and Sufi singing throughout the entire World. In many rural villages the local traditional people have called him 'Sher-e-Punjab' or 'Heerah' meaning diamond.
Alongside his God given voice and singing in difficult high and low pitches he had a unique style of singing with his Chimta. Now the Chimta has been around for centuries as it was a tool used in gathering livestock in rural settings or used as an aid in other activities, but Alam Lohar has the unique credit that he single handedly popularised this instrument globally and modified its use and changed its outlook.
Other than being a famous singer, Alam lohar was also a great poet writing his own songs and kalaams and also had another quality that he used old books of Sufi saints and stories and brought them in a song format: which gave his songs overwhelming great lyrical content which could make people cry and express joy at the same time. The word "Jugni" was his creation(the word Jugni is also attributed to some runaway poet- singer duo name unknown, who followed the Jubilee flame in the British raj -and sang satires showing pitiable condition and sufferings of common Indians outside programme grounds, drawing huge crowds and later captured and killed by brits the incident times back to twenties in 20th century when Silver jubilee of the then btitish kings ascention of throne was being celebrated in all cities arount British India - Jubilee parks in many cities of India & Pakistan are proof) and he created this term from reading many Sufi writings and represented this word as a spiritual feeling of ones experience of the world. Furthermore he was the pioneer of introducing the writings of Saif Ul Mulook and Mirza Shabaan in a song format.
Alam Lohar had another quality that he had overwhelming singing stamina - he was renowned to sing all night and sometimes without the music technology we have with PA systems now-nevertheless his strong voice could be heard in large gatherings. In rural punjab he used to sing from village to village and without any modern music technology: his voice reflected with the background of the natural echo caused by the stillness of the night.
In essence, later on Alam Lohar organised a full-fledged theatre with a complete orchestra. His troupe toured all over Punjab for religious and seasonal festivals and was one of the first Pakistani as well as South Asian singers to sing internationally in almost all countries that had people from the South Asian region.
Alam Lohar died in an accident near Sham ki Bhaitiyan on July 3, 1979. He was laid to rest in Lala Musa
Lalamusa
Lalamusa is a town in Gujrat District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is geographically located at latitude 32° 42' 0" North of the Equator and longitude 73° 57' 35" East of the Prime Meridian on the Map of the world...
, Punjab, Pakistan. He was given the Pride of Performance award in 1979 by General Zia Ul Haq in Islamabad and has received numerous awards within his lifetime. He is a pioneer in cultural and Folk styled singing and has in his own right become a folk story. He set a bench mark and many Punjabi and other folk singers have greatly been influenced. Therefore he has left a great legacy of a unique style of singing which is still followed in Pakistan by Punjabi as well as other folk singers. One of the greatest singers of all time: he is seen and remembered through his son Arif Lohar who has continued in the same tradition.
May he rest in Peace - & May God grant him Peace -
Discography
His famous songs are;- Thousands to name-is a true Folk Singer and a bench mark for Punjabi Folk Singing and Modern day Bhangra.
'