NOEL Dias, who later become popular as singing sensation Saleem Raza, was born on March 4, 1932, in Amritsar to a Christian family in Clarkabad, near Kot Radha Kishan. When he moved to Lahore, his beautiful voice mesmerised millions.

His singing career which started in 1955 and ended in the early 1970s. He sang songs for over a 100 films of different genres. He also sang patriotic songs and naats.

During the 1965 war he sang patriotic songs for Lahore radio station round the clock and free of cost. A fine example of patriotism I must say. “Jan-e-Baharaan Rashk-e-Chaman” a song from the 1962 film Azra composed by Master Inayet Hussain took him to the zenith of success and secured him unfathomable fame.

This song is still alive, fresh and sentimental after 56 years. Raza eventually moved to Canada in 1975 along with his family where he took his last breath on Nov 25, 1983. May he rest in peace.

Iftikhar Mirza

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2018