Reshma:
A renowned name among Pakistani folk singers, Reshma was discovered by a TV and radio producer while she was singing a folk song at the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar at the age of 12. She was born into the home of a nomadic banjara of Rajasthan, India. But, her fate displaced her away from her homeland into Karachi after the partition of the Indian subcontinent. Reshma rose to fame after having recorded her world-famous ‘Lal Meri’, a folk song sung to praise Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. She was not only listened to and loved by Pakistani audiences but also, the audiences across borders. She sang many times in India as well. She was also awarded several national awards as well as the most prestigious award of Sitara-e-Imtiaz by the president of Pakistan. After having lived a life full of fame, Reshma died due to throat cancer in 2013.
Abida Parveen:
The Sufi superstar of folk music, Abida Parveen was born into a family of renowned mystic singers. Her father, Ustad Ghulam Haider was a famous classical Sufi musician himself. Abida Parveen started singing at the age of three years old and was highly encouraged and trained by her father. From a very early age, she got acquainted with Sufism and thus, spirituality and mysticism got deeply rooted in her personality. This immersion still reflects in her style, her clothing, her music. Abida Parveen says, “The concept of being a man or a woman doesn’t cross my mind. I’m neither on stage, I’m a vehicle on stage for passion.”
Arif Lohar:
Arif Lohar was born in a small town of Punjab, Lala Musa to a renowned folk singer, Alam Lohar. Arif Lohar started singing at a very early age alongside his father and older brother. He briefly joined the showbiz industry as an actor only to find out that it was not his cup of tea. Arif Lohar has predominantly mastered Punjabi folk singing. He is known for his unique singing style accompanied by a tong-like musical instrument called Chimta. His fame and music outreach is not limited to just Pakistan, he has performed several times across the UK and the Middle East. He has also been rewarded the highest civil award in Pakistan, the Pride of Performance Award by the Government of Pakistan.
Saieen Zahoor:
Originated from the small town of Delalpur, Saieen Zahoor had to free himself from the shackles of normality to set foot on the path of mysticism. Coming from a family of farmers, he did not really have anyone to guide him towards his spiritual journey. But, he received God sent help clues during his dreams where he saw hands reaching out to him from a shrine. Those dreams are what lead him towards his nomadic search for spiritual ecstasy. This search elongated his journey to every corner of Pakistan, and he finally found the shrine from his dream in Uch Sharif, the birthplace of Baba Bulleh Shah. He spent five long years at this shrine seeking spiritual guidance which then lead him onto his path of spreading spirituality through Sufi music. Saieen Zahoor is now a world-famous Sufi musician who has won BBC’s Voice of the Year 2006. He has traveled to many parts of the world spreading Sufism through music and the poetry of Baba Bulleh Shah.
