Balwinder Safri (Singer)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Balwinder Safri

• Balwinder Safri was an Indian singer, who was residing in Birmingham, Canada, since 1991. He sang many popular Punjabi songs like “O Chan Mere Makhna” (1998), “Tere Ishqe Ne” (1999), and “Rahe Rahe Jaan Waliye” (2010). He was a well-known Bhangra star.

• When he was a child, his father used to recite Gurbani and Shabad Kirtan at various gurdwaras. He used to accompany his father in gurudwaras and from there he developed an interest in singing.

• While studying in school, he used to sing patriotic songs in school’s morning assembly and other competitions.

• He learnt the basics of Indian classical music from his guru Jaswant Bhawra.

• In 1980, he moved to Canada and started working as a tailor in a cloth manufacturing factory. On weekends, he used to work with various music groups as a singer.

  

• Initially, he worked with a few music groups named ‘Azad Group’ and ‘Ashoka Group.’ In association with the groups, Balwinder performed live at various stage shows and events.

  

• In 1985, he sang the song “Jad Lagiya Chotta Ishqiya Diya.” The song was his first song to be released on television.

• After working with the music groups for a few years. In 1990, he formed his own music group named ‘Safri Boys,’ consisting of six members. Safri Boys released many Punjabi songs and music albums which gained immense popularity in India and Canada.

• Balwinder Safri worked as a singer in many Punjabi music albums like ‘Kar Shukar Khuda Da’ (1994), ‘Another Level’ (1999), ‘Inferno’ (2000), ‘Get Real’ (2010), and ‘Jadon Mann Dole Tera’ (2014).

  

• He sung many popular songs like “Do Tikhiyaan Talwaran” (1997), “Tera Bhana” (2000), “Pao Bhangra” (2009), and “Mere Dil Te Alana Paya” (2010).

• In an interview, he shared how he got the name Safri, he said,
  

  I was a notorious child in school and was not interested in studying. One of my teachers used to taunt me by saying ‘Tu hamesha safar they rehnda aa, bada safari bna firda aa.’ From then my teacher used to call me safari safari. When I made career in singing I included it in my name.”

• In 2019, he received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from Brit Asia TV.

  

• In 2022, he had triple bypass surgery at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, England. The surgery had complications which resulted in his brain damage. Thereafter, he went into a coma, and after almost 86 days, he was discharged from the hospital. During the treatment, he showed some signs of improvement, but he could not survive and passed away on 26 July 2022. On his demise, various Punjabi celebrities shared their grief.

  

• The former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh shared his condolence on Safri’s demise. He tweeted,
  

  Saddened to learn about the death of Punjabi music legend Balwinder Safri today. My heartfelt condolences are with his family and millions of Punjabi fans around the world.”