CHITRAL: Renowned folk singer of Chitral Mir Wali alias Kuragho Mashter was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard in Kuragh village of Upper Chitral here on Saturday.

He had died a day earlier after a short illness. Thousands of his admirers attended his funeral. He enthralled the people of Chitral and Ghizar district of Gilgit-Baltistan for more than six decades.

In his mid-90s, Mir Wali was known for his incredible stamina of singing.

He had performed in a cultural event only a month before his death and the pitch and tone of his voice remained unaltered as it was six decades ago.

Prof Zahoorul Haq Danish of English department of Chitral University and a commentator of Chitali music said that Mir Wali was a bridge between the old and new generations of singers of Chitral.

He successfully transmitted the classical music of Chitral to the new generation, he added.

He said that a singer of par excellence, he was second to none of his contemporaries.

He developed his own classical style of singing the centuries-old folk songs and tunes.

“With his death, an epoch of Chtirali music has come to an end,” he added.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2024