MITHI: Men of letters, artists, politicians and music lovers arrived in the town from different parts of the desert region on Friday evening and paid tribute to late Sadiq Faqeer on his sixth death anniversary.

Late Faqeer pioneered a unique style of singing verses of Sindhi poets Shaikh Ayaz, Ustad Bukhari, Dr Akash Ansari and Saindad Sand, who were considered founders of modern progressive literary tradition in Sindh, they said.

Dr Fateh Mohammad Marri, Vice Chancellor of Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam, said that Faqeer was one of the nicest souls, who had left behind indelible imprints on the sands of time and will always be remembered for his immortal songs, music and his humility. He immortalised poems of a number of contemporary poets through his classical rendition and style, he said.

Baloch nationalist leader Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch said that Sindhis were lucky to have a singer like Faqeer who left behind a unique legacy. “The soil of Sindh has always produced giants, who have played their role to awaken people,” he added.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani said that Faqeer was not only a great singer but also a nice soul with humble nature. Faqeer was among those who always fostered interfaith harmony in the desert district, he said.

“Because of his selection and adaptation of modern literary and romantic poetry, Faqeer is credited with having introduced and institutionalised the genre of literary music in Sindhi which served political and aesthetic objectives as well,” said Naz Sahito, anchorperson at a Sindhi TV channel.

He said the singer had so impressed Shaikh Ayaz that he used to say that he got fame and respect in Thar because of Faqeer. Instead of observing death anniversaries there was need to organise festivals to pay tribute to such giants, he said.

Thar Foundation general manager Naseer Memon, who is also a well-known writer and critic, said that Faqeer was not only a singer but also a great composer who inherited art of creating original compositions of various genres of modern Sindhi poetry.

“He introduced works of Ayaz Gul, Adal Soomro, Dr Akash Ansari, Saindad Sand, Haleem Baghi, Hassan Dars, Ishaq Samejo, Tajal Bewas, through his rendition,” he said.

Sindhi nationalist leader Aslam Khairpuri said that through his selection of verse and original rendition, Faqeer earned more fame and popularity than mainstream commercial singers.

Syed Akbar Ali Shah, station director of Radio Pakistan Mithi, said that Faqeer was one of the greatest classical singers of his time and times to come. He was a creative singer and composer, he added.

Nationalist leader Syed Nawaz Shah Bhadai said that Faqeer introduced new trends which were later copied by young classical singers.

Sindh United Party leader Ameer Azad Panhwar said that Faqeer was not only a great classical singer but was also a true and committed ambassador of peace who always preached and practiced interfaith harmony in Thar and beyond.

Later, a large number of people laid wreaths on Faqeer’s grave while several folk singers enthralled the participants by their performance.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2021