Voice of Cholistan Krishan Lal Bheel dies.

BAHAWALPUR/LAHORE -- Renowned Seraiki folk singer from Cholistan Krishan Lal Bheel passed away in Rahim Yar Khan on Thursday after suffering from kidney disease. He was 60.

According to his family sources, the singer was hospitalised five days ago as he was suffering from serious kidney complications.

He had received the President's Pride of Performance Award and was a constant feature in Lok Mela at the Lok Virsa, Islamabad, Rafi Peer Mystic Music Sufi Festival, Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) and Alhamra Arts Council. He had performed in many countries of the world.

Bheel mostly sang in his native language Marwari dialect of Rajasthani but he was also fluent in Hindi, Sindhi, Punjabi, Urdu and Seraiki as well.He started singing in the 1970s.

Quoting an interview with Krishan Lal Bheel, Dr Fozia Saeed writes in her booklet on Bhil Community and Folklore Society that his father was against his singing.

'At first his father came to know (about his singing) when in 1978 he performed on the Radio Station in Bahawalpur and people of his community listened him and told to his father. His father was angry with him but with the passage of time as much he got popularity, people started respecting him and his family agreed (sic).'

Rafi Peer Theatre Festival Creative Director Saadan Pirzada said no edition of the Rafi Peer Mystic Music Sufi Festival could be complete without him.

He said Krishan Lal, who belonged to the Hindu community of the Bheels, was not well for the last three months. He was suffering from multiple medical complications such as kidney issues. He had an attack of paralysis also and was on dialysis. He breathed his last at a hospital at around 3am on Thursday and his last rites were performed on the outskirts of Rahim Yar Khan the same day.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has expressed a deep sense of sorrow over the death of Bheel and extended sympathies to the bereaved...