Renowned singer Rahim Ghamzada dies at 75

JALALABAD (PAN): Famous Afghan singer, Rahim Ghamzada, died from a prolonged illness at a civil hospital in eastern Nangarhar province on Friday morning. He was 75.

Ghamzada served the Afghan music industry for more than 50 years.

The civil hospital director, Dr Baaz Muhammad Sherzad, said Ghamzada had throat cancer for last three years. 

“He was unable to speak since Thursday morning,” said Muhammad Zubair Khaksar, a friend and fan of the singer.

“Rahim Ghamzada was the first singer who composed Pashto folk music in both eastern and western tunes,” Khaksar said, adding the government and cultural authorities had never paid him any attention during his three years of illness.

Ghamzada left behind three sons, who are also singers.

Ghamzada had worked for 60 years in music branch of Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), said Muhammad Ayub Fazali, the Afghanistan Artists Association spokesman. He had sung hundreds of songs during his career, he said.

According to writers and journalists association chief, Lal Pacha Azmun, Ghamzada was not only a good singer but also a good musician.

Rahim Ghamzada will be laid to rest in his family graveyard in Khogyani district on Friday after noon.

Mas/ma

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