Ho Jamalo - The Story Behind - And No It's Not Dahi Jamalo
No No No Its Not Dahi Jamalo nor anything else... It's Ho Jamalo or He Jamalo, but do you know the story behind this popular song??
Ho Jamalo, is a folk song deeply ingrained in Sindhi folk culture. It symbolizes the bravery, capabilities, and perseverance of the people of Sindh. The people of Sindh who take collective pride when singing the song 'Ho Jamalo', congratulating him for the successful completion of the task.
There are many versions of how this song came into existence due to the feat of Jamalo.
Some say, it was a celebratory song when Jamalo organized a rebellion against the invaders, others say it was because he helped capture the thieves who were stealing the cattle in the area.
There is another theory floating around which says it was sung in joyous celebration of a release of a prisoner Jamalo sentenced to death under the colonial British rule.
Jamalo Khoso Baloch or well known as Jamalo Sheedi born in the city of Sukkur of then Bharat now Pakistan who was imprisoned under the colonial rule of British. He was sentenced to death by the British for rebelling and leading a rebellion against the invaders.
The song, Jamalo's future is said to be intertwined with what is considered to be construction marvel by the British - East India Company. A bridge called as Landsowne Bridge or as the locals of Sukkur affectionately called as Ayub Bridge.
This bridge constructed between the two cities of Rohri and Sukkur with the beautiful majestic Indus river flowing through it. A marvel created during the 1888s by the British, it was considered a proof of the technological advancements then for a bridge to be suspended in the air and supported only by huge iron chains..
Although this bridge was created, what the Britishers and even the world needed was the proof that this structure would take the weight of any train that could go through it. And this is where our hero, Jamalo comes in. What happened was that every rail driver opted out to drive the train through the bridge with fear of the bridge totally collapsing and in turn making it the last journey of the driver's life. Who can blame them, they were tasked with driving the train through a pillar less bridge.
When no one could come forward, a prisoner named Jamalo Sheedi who, for his luck, was imprisoned near the jail near the newly constructed bridge, came forward. His only condition? That he be pardoned completely if he can complete this, which could be a miraculous feat.
And indeed, it was a miraculous feat that started with Jamalo taking the train from one end to another. There was also a moment where the bridge did made a ~4 inches dip but finally got stable after. Jamalo though, finally made it's way across leading to a huge celebration in his hometown of Sukkur.
Came the start of joyous celebration, with Jamalo's wife singing the Ho Jamalo song and the town joining in for the same.
Now we do not know what is the actual truth of the song, which theory or which story of it is true or false. What we do know is today it has become a part of every celebration around. It's considered as testament to not just the bravery but also the commitment and spirit of survival which was the need during the times. And if something can spread happiness around, bring a collective spirit to the masses the job is already done!
That's about the Ho Jamalo of which different versions by different artists can be found all over the internet. Enjoy the dose of collective spirit and joyous celebration.
Powered by Froala Editor
