ISLAMABAD: Renowned Pakistani dhol player Pappu Sain, who is known for his compelling performances at the shrine of Baba Shah Jamal, passed away in Lahore on Sunday, local media reported. 

The musician had been battling liver cancer, due to which he had been shifted to the ICU of a local hospital recently, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. 

Sain earned mainstream recognition following his stint with the band, Overload. The news of his passing comes months after Overload frontman Farhad Humayun’s death. 

Sain was awarded Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for his services to cultural production in Pakistan. He performed at several international venues, including those in the US, UK, Canada, UAE, Sweden and Germany. Apart from performing, Pappu Sain was also a teacher of the dhol. 

Born Zulfiqar Ali, the musician adopted the name Pappu Sain later on. With a career spanning over four decades, he dedicated his success solely to his spiritual master Baba Shah Jamal, considering his weekly performances at the shrine a spiritual duty. 

“I’m on duty assigned to me by my spiritual guide Baba Shah Jamal,” Sain had said of his open-for-all performances at the shrine in a 2016 interview with The Express Tribune. 

“The experience feels so innate and effortless that it seems as if someone else is playing the dhol for me.” 

The dhol maestro remained committed to his roots and never adopted the commercial style of dhol playing. 

“I gave a new dimension to the art of dhol playing and have avoided adopting a commercial style, despite having been part of a band and working with renowned singers,” he had said. 

Sain would be buried in his ancestral village of Chak Jhumra as per his wishes. He is survived by his son, Qalander Baksh, who leads on his father’s legacy at the Baba Shah Jamal shrine. 

“Pappu Sain was an internationally renowned dhol player. May God grant him high status in the hereafter,” Punjab Culture Minister Khayal Ahmad Kastro told The Express Tribune, expressing grief over Sain’s passing. 

“Pappu Sain worked hard to promote a tolerant and loving image of Pakistan in the international community. His services when it comes to promoting the local folk tradition and music, especially the dhol, cannot be ignored,” Horeya Asmat, a female drum player and Sain’s student, said of the late musician. 

“He brought music to the lives of many people, and as a teacher he was inclusive, teaching girls the art of the dhol as well.” 

On his prowess, lyrics writer Altaf Bajwa said, “Not only did he perform all over the world, but Pappu Sain was also invited to speak about the art of dhol and to lecture people about the techniques involved in dhol playing.” 

Describing Sain as a saint, he said, “I feel that the art of dhol playing had died with him and that no other dhol player in the field can reach his level of talent and expertise. He was a great, one-of-a-kind artist.”