Building bridges of peace musically
Describing himself as ‘a fakir and a safir’ (a wandering mystic and a cultural ambassador), the famous folk singer Arif Lohar, who shot to fame with Pakistan edition of Coke Studio, said he is using music as a bridge to promote understanding between Pakistan and India.
“I feel that it’s very necessary at this critical time. It allows us to gather people together, using art as a bridge, to extend our hand in friendship to Indians, and to share our love and our wish for peace,” Lohar said.
The singer got applause from the Indians recently with his hit number Jugni from Homi Adjania’s movie Cocktail. He grew up in Lalamusa, a small town in Pakistan’s Gujarat province listening to renditions by his father, Alam Lohar, himself a famous Sufi folk singer in Pakistan. Taking the legacy of his father forward, Lohar says that Jugni is his father’s original composition. “My walid sahib was my first teacher. His voice captivated me. He sang and performed with such passion, it would have been difficult not to imbibe his music,” shared Lohar.
What sort of response did you get from the Delhiwallas? “I sing for Allah and I hope people in Delhi enjoyed my performance. hi Yahan ke logon ne hamesha izzatbaqshi hai (People here have always showered me with respect),” said Arif, who mostly prefers talking in Urdu.
Lohar loves the sound of the Chimta and remembered fiddling with it for years before mastering it. It was folk music and the melody of it that had him hooked. “A folk singer is born, you can’t make a folk singer,” said Lohar.
Lohar recently performed at Siri Fort auditorium organised by ICCR in collaboration with NGO Routes 2 Roots.
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