Alam Lohar

Alam Lohar was a Pakistani folk singer and musician who is widely regarded as one of the greatest folk singers of South Asia. He was born in 1928 in Achh, a village near Gujrat, Punjab, in British India. He belonged to a family of blacksmiths and started singing from a young age. He read Sufi poetry and folk stories and participated in local gatherings and festivals. He modified a new style of singing the Punjabi Vaar, an epic or folk tale, which made him popular in the rural areas of Punjab. He is credited with creating and popularising the musical term Jugni, which means a female firefly or a rebellious spirit. He recorded his first album at the age of 13 and throughout his career he accomplished 15 Gold Disc LP's for various songs, including Saif ul Maluk, Qissa Yusuf Zulaykha, Bol Mitti de Bawa, Dilwala Dukhra, Wajan Mariyan Bulaya, Qissa Mirza Sahiban, Qissa Hirni, Maa Da Pyaar, Heer, Qissa Sassi Pannu, Qissa Baraa Maa, Jis Din Mera Vayaah Howega, Qissa Dhulla Bhatti, and Mirza De Maa. He also sang naats, or praises of the Prophet Muhammad, and appeared in several Pakistani films. He performed in various countries, including India, UK, Canada, Norway, US and Germany, where he entertained the South Asian diaspora. He was awarded the Pride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1979. He died in a road accident near Sham ki Bhattian on 3 July 1979. He was buried in Lalamusa with a state funeral. He is remembered as a legend of Pakistan folk music and a master of the Jugni genre.