Legendary artist Arif Lohar has immortalized Punjabi folk music through his powerful voice and soulful songs. Renowned for his ability to evolve with the times while retaining the essence of traditional music, Lohar’s repertoire includes everything from party anthems to solace for the brokenhearted.
His latest release, Ah, epitomizes his versatile talent. Despite its simplicity, the song quickly became a fan favorite, so much so that it even found its way into the FIFA World Cup.
Football and music fans were pleasantly surprised to find that Lohar’s Ah appeared on the official FIFA World Cup Instagram page. The song was used in a post wishing Lionel Messi on his 37th birthday, accompanied by a video celebrating his 2022 World Cup victory.
The caption of the post, written in Urdu, translated to “Messi’s magic!” This unexpected tribute left fans in awe of the representation and excited by FIFA’s use of a Punjabi tune. Comments ranged from amusement—”FIFA is obsessed with Pakistani songs,” to suspicion—”FIFA was hacked.” Pakistani model and actor Khaqan Shahnawaz humorously weighed in with two goat emojis, symbolizing the greatness of both Messi and Lohar.
Released three months ago, the music video for Ah has garnered over 101 million views. The video shows Lohar dancing to a hip-hop beat in London accompanied by his signature chimta. This song is a collaboration with rappers Roach Killa and Deep Jandu, bringing a new twist to his traditional sound. Interestingly, the story of the song comes from a real incident.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Lohar shared how the song came about. While rehearsing and recording in London, he casually told his children to fetch crisps from a shop. When they returned, he jokingly said, “Aa tenu chips khwawan” (Come here, I’ll feed you chips). This spontaneous moment didn’t seem important at the time, but two years later, his team reminded him of the catchy tune, which led to the creation of the song.
Discussing the crazy process, Lohar remarked, “When it comes to creating something like the song, it just happens.” The singer continues to be a trailblazer in the music industry, effortlessly blending traditional sounds with contemporary beats and his latest hit, Ahis a testament to his enduring appeal and creative genius.
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