ISLAMABAD: The 23rd death anniversary of legendary Punjabi folk singer Tufail Niazi was observed on September 21.
Born in 1916 in Jalandhar, Tufail Niazi received his early training in classical singing from his father.
He rose to fame with his song "Sada Chirian Da Chamba". He started singing for Radio Pakistan and had the honor to be the first singer who performed on Pakistan Television, the day of its inauguration on November 26th, 1964.
Belonging to the Kapurthala music tradition and the lineage of Saeen Ilyas, he had a unique edge over other folk singers.
His voice was full of deep pathos and had the quality to describe unbreakable bonds, such as the love between a man and his daughter.
Tufail made his first public appearance as a singer when he was eight. Before the creation of Pakistan, he had the honour to sing at the famous Harbalb festival with leading Indian singers.
After the division of the subcontinent, he moved to Multan and began selling milk and curd until 1949, when a police inspector arranged for him to perform at a concert.
Afterwards, he established a theatre and continued singing for Radio Pakistan and PTV. He received the Pride of Performance Award in 1983 and died on Sept 21, 1990.
http://www.geo.tv/article-119207-Punjabi-folk-singer-Tufail-Niazi-remembered-
