Pakistani folk singer
Allan Fakir or Allan Faqir (1932 – 4 July 2000)[1][2][3] (Sindhi: علڻ فقيرُ), was a Sindhi folk singer from Sindh, Pakistan. He was particularly known for his ecstatic style of performance, marked with devotional rhetoric and Sufi dance-singing.[2]
Personal life and death
Birth
Allan Fakir was born in 1932 in the Aamari in Jamshoro District, Sindh in the cottage of Dhamaali Faqeer.[4] He spent his childhood in Manjhand, a town between Sehwan and Hyderabad, Sindh.
Allan Fakeer belonged to the Manganhar community. According to Manganhar traditions, his father used to beat the drum and sing traditional songs at weddings and other festivities. Allan also sang at dargahs.[5][6][7]
Attachment with mother
Allan’s mother left the world soon after his birth, and her untimely demise plunged him into a profound sense of solitude, prompting him to express his melancholy through sombre songs.
While searching for motherly love, Allan Fakir departed from his home and arrived at the tomb of the Sufi saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai in Bhit Shah. There, he resided for an extended period, immersing himself in the art of singing.[6]
Becoming a Fakir
Fakir is an Arabic word, and implies a Sufi or a mystic. Thus in the real sense of the word, a 'Fakir' is someone who leads an independent life marked by piety, abstinence from material needs, and contentment with the available resources. Allan himself chose the suffix 'Fakir' for his name.[8]
Singing career
Under the guidance of his father, Allan Fakir received mentorship. Despite lacking formal schooling, his remarkable memory enabled him to perform Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai's poetry at the shrine every night, adorned with a turban resembling a crown for the next twenty years of his life at the shrine.
Encouraged by Faqir Zawar Qurban Ali Lanjwani and Moolchand Maharaj, Allan continued singing at the shrine, until his meeting with Abdul Karim Baloch who introduced him to Radio Pakistan and Pakistan Television Corporation in Hyderabad, Sindh. His voice reached almost 'every single house' in Pakistan which made him a 'performing legend'.[6][3]
Death and burial
Allan Faqir died on 4 July 2000, at Liaqat National Hospital, in Karachi, after a paralysis attack.[4] He is buried at the Jamshoro Housing Society Graveyard.[6] He left behind his wife, 3 sons and 2 daughters.[3]
Honors and awards
Allan Fakir received the following awards:
