22 Facts About Mohideen Baig

Kala Suri Alhaj Kareem Mohideen Baig, popularly as Mohideen Baig, was a Sri Lankan musician.

One of the most influential singers in Sinhala music, Baig is known particularly for his Buddhist devotional music.

Mohideen Baig was a Muslim who moved to Sri Lanka from Salem in Tamil Nadu, but of Hyderabadi Muslim origin.

Mohideen Baig was considered a highly influential multicultural figure in the country's arts history.

Mohideen Baig is the first award winning citizen of Sri Lanka.

Mohideen Baig was educated at a school in Salem and received his primary education in music from several music teachers in Salem particularly talented in singing Urdu and Qawali songs.

Mohideen Baig returned Sri Lanka due to untimely death of his brother Aziz by a boat accident in 1931.

Mohideen Baig was married in 1947 to his own cousin, Sakina Mohideen Baig.

Mohideen Baig visited Mecca in 1987 under the patronage of Pakistani President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq.

Mohideen Baig got his name "Alhaj" after his journey to Mecca.

Mohideen Baig was scheduled to perform in England on 13 and 14 November 1991.

On 3 November 1991, Mohideen Baig was admitted to a private hospital in Colombo for cataract removal surgery.

Mohideen Baig was a Grade A Singer of the Radio Ceylon who had the ability to singing songs in about four languages.

In 1947, Mohideen Baig made his singing and acting debut with Shanthi Kumar Seneviratne's film Asokamala and sang the popular song Preethi Preethi.

Mohideen Baig was given the opportunity to playback singing for the film Umathu Vishwasaya by renowned actor and songwriter Herbert M Seneviratne.

In 1956, Mohideen Baig was fortunate enough to sing the song 2500 Buddha Jayanthi Babalewa Lanka during the Buddha Jayanthi celebrations.

Mohideen Baig went to India to record this song of13.5 minutes.

In 1956, Mohideen Baig won the Sarasaviya Award for the Best Playback Singer for the film Allapu Gedara for the song "Piya Salamu Igilli" In the same year, Mohideen Baig sang the welcome song in Urdu at the 1976 Non-Aligned Movement Conference in Sri Lanka.

Mohideen Baig is the only Sri Lankan to duet with Lata Mangeshkar in the film Seda Sulang for the song "Idiriyata Yamu Sawoma".

Mohideen Baig has participated in several foreign concerts including 1986 London Music Concert.

Mohideen Baig last attended an outdoor concert in Wanathamulla, three days before the death in 1991.

Mohideen Baig was an indispensable artist in Sinhala cinema at that time where his voice brought great grandeur to the creation.