Brother departs: Sufi singer Pyarelal Wadali passes away in Amritsar

The Sufi singing pair of Wadali Brothers was broken as Pyarelal Wadali, the younger brother, passed away at the age of 65 in Amritsar on Friday. He was admitted to a local hospital due to diabetes- and kidney-related ailments since February 26, said his son Satpal Singh, “On Friday at 8.25 am, my father suffered a fatal cardiac arrest.”

Pyarelal is survived by his wife Surjit Kaur, two sons, Satpal and Sandeep Singh, and three daughters, Sheela Rani, Raj Rani and Soma Rani. The body was taken to the family home just outside the village around 9.30 am where his partner and guru, elder brother Puran Chand, and the latter’s son, singer Lakhwinder Wadali, were among those who paid their respects. “Jodi tod gaya! (He has left the pair broken)” wailed the relatives. Puran Chand was quiet in grief.

“The brothers’ love is an example for the world to follow,” said Satpal. “They never sang separately. Every day that my father was in hospital, my uncle Puran Chand visited him. He cancelled many shows in India and abroad.” Terming the Wadali Brothers a “university”, Lakhwinder said, “Ustad Pyarelal Wadali was not only my uncle, but my mentor too.”

Before turning to singing, Puran Chand was a wrestler for 25 years, and Pyarelal contributed to the meagre family income by playing the role of Krishna in the village plays. Their father, Thakur Das Wadali, compelled Puran Chand to learn music, and he learnt from celebrated masters such as Pandit Durga Das and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan of the Patiala Gharana. Pyarelal was trained by Puran Chand.

In 1975, the duo went to Jalandhar to perform at the Harballabh Sangeet Sammelan but was reportedly not allowed. They made their musical offering instead at Harballabh Temple, where an executive of All India Radio, Jalandhar, eventually recorded their first song. Among their most famous songs was their rendition of ‘Tu Mane ya Na Mane’.

Besides Sufi kalaam and qawwali, they sang bhajan, ghazal and kaafi forms. In 2003, they famously sang for a Bollywood film, Pinjar. Later, their songs were featured in Dhoop, Tanu Weds Manu and Mausam, among others.

The duo got Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992, Tulsi Award in 1998, and Punjabi Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2003. Puran Chand Wadali was given the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, in 2005. He had expressed unhappiness at how the government gave the award only to him and not to the Wadali Brothers as a pair. Another of their brothers, Kartar Singh, works with a raagi jatha of Padam Shri awardee Nirmal Singh Khalsa, while a fourth brother, who was a dhol player, died about 15 years ago, family said.

‘He was so kind’

As soon as the news of Pyarelal’s death spread, scores of his pupils reached the house. One of them, Mandeep Singh, said, “I was his student for the last five years. He was so kind, and never took a single penny from his pupils to teach them Sufi singing. He often treated us like his own sons.”

Gurpreet Singh, another pupil, said, “A live show of the brothers was scheduled for April 2 in London, but Pyarelal ji had said he would not be able to go as his health was deteriorating. But Ustad Puran Chand and we were confident that he will soon be fine, and that the show will be held. But destiny had its own ordainment.”

People of the village too were in shock. An elderly resident, Ajit Singh, said, “Nazar hi lag gyi jodi nu! Kinna sohna pind da naam roshan kita si (Evil eye was cast on the pair; they brought such fame to the village)!”

The last rites were carried out at the village cremation ground around 4.30 pm, with a guard of honour by a police contingent. Deputy commissioner (DC), Amritsar, Kamaljit Singh Sangha, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Amrik Singh Pawar, MLA Raj Kumar Verka, leaders of various political parties, and actor-comic Sudesh Lehri also paid homage.

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