Noted Hindko language folksinger Lala Sarwar passes away

ABBOTTABAD: Haji Lala Muhammad Sarwar, the famous singer of Hindko Charbaita genre and the maestro of Gatka art, passed away after a protracted illness here on Monday.

His funeral prayer was offered at his ancestral Nagki village in Abbottabad. People from all walks of life including his relatives, friends, fans and well-wishers attended the funeral prayer. Later, he was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard in the village. Known for his melodious voice, the deceased was a real preacher of culture and had given his whole life for its promotion.

He kept alive the Hindko Charbaita through his sweet voice, which is one of the oldest popular genres of Hindko language folk poetry, for almost six decades and was the true torchbearer of his ancestors’ Gatka art.

Lala Sarwar played a vital role in the promotion of Hindko Charbaita as he sang it in every nook and corner of the country. He had learnt thousands of verses of Charbaita by heart and represented Hazara on radio, TV, Lok Versa in Islamabad, Nishtar Hall in Peshawar and countless cultural events and exhibitions. Lala Sarwar was so popular and master in singing Hindko Charbaita and Gatka art that he would always receive thunderous applause and praises for his melodious voice and style from the audience at the events.

The deceased had received many awards as there was none in the contemporary artistes to compete with him in the genres of Hindko Charbaita and Gatka art.

He trained dozens of people who have kept alive this art. Meanwhile, Hazara Abaseen Arts Council, Abbottabad, paid glowing tributes to the late Lala Sarwar and termed his death a huge loss to the Hazara culture.

It said that the vacuum created by the death of Lala Sarwar cannot be filled for a long. The council demanded the government that the deceased should be given President’s Pride of Performance Award posthumously to acknowledge his services towards the promotion of Hindko Charbaita, Hazara culture and Gatka art.