Street Poet: How Chamkila Defied Punjabi Norms Through his Music

Amar Singh Chamkila remains one of Indian music’s most paradoxical figures. A man from the margins who sang in the idiom of the streets, his voice travelled far beyond its origins - echoing through fields, truck radios, wedding processions, and drawing rooms alike.

He confronted Punjab’s unspoken truths; and provoked moralists even as he united communities in song, mirroring the desires, frustrations, and contradictions of ordinary Punjabis.

Chamkila’s early life was shaped by loss and labor. After his mother’s death, he worked odd jobs, joined a cloth mill, and trained as an electrician to support his family. Music, however, was both refuge and rebellion. He picked up the harmonium, tumbi, and dholki, performing with village drama troupes and learning how rhythm and story could bind a crowd.

The arrival of the cassette player in the 80s transformed Punjab’s musical landscape; suddenly, songs could travel faster than radio or television ever allowed. Chamkila’s raw, melodic voice became the soundtrack of the villages and small towns that had emerged from the Green Revolution.

Chamkila began writing, composing, and performing songs about infidelity, alcohol, and female desire - subjects that society shunned but everyone recognized. His lyrics, full of colloquial words like chapkar, patola, and peengh, blurred the line between the sacred and profane. In his world, the vaili—the local gangster—was a folk hero, a symbol of defiance against authority and class hierarchy.

But fame in Punjab came with peril. On March 8, 1988, in Mehsampur, gunmen opened fire as Chamkila arrived for a performance, killing him, his wife Amarjot, and two band members. He was twenty-eight. The case remains unsolved.

Decades later, the same themes of caste pride, feudal masculinity, and rural bravado run through the songs of newer icons like Sidhu Moose Wala. To listen to Chamkila today is to hear a Punjab both exuberant and uneasy—where art speaks what society won’t, and where one man’s forbidden voice still echoes across a landscape that never quite let him live, but refuses to let him die.

Jija Lak Minle

Jija Lak Minle LP; 1980

This song is one of Chamkila’s early hits, from the LP Jija Lak Minle. It captures youthful longing, village romance, and his signature direct style. With simple instrumentation and emotional delivery, it resonated powerfully in rural Punjab. The song helped solidify his reputation as a folk-pop voice speaking to everyday life among rural audiences.

Hikk Utte So Ja Ve

Hikk Utte So Ja Ve LP; 1985

This title track from his 1985 LP Hikk Utte So Ja Ve showcases Chamkila’s emotional depth. The song’s theme is introspective, invoking solitude, loss, or longing. Its simple arrangement allows his voice and lyrics to dominate, creating an intimate space for listeners to reflect. The record further extended his reach beyond live shows into home listening audiences.

Lak Mera Kach Warga

Lak Mera Kach Warga LP; 1982

“Lak Mera Kach Warga” uses metaphor to speak of fragility, identity, and social belonging. Chamkila blends folk melodies with bold, earthy lyrics about life’s uncertainties. It remains a favorite in retrospective collections of his work.

Naam Jap Le

Naam Jap Le; 1986

A more spiritual or exhortative turn in Chamkila's output is “Naam Jap Le.” Released circa 1986, it appeals to devotional sensibilities, urging remembrance. This shows Chamkila's range — not limited to earthy or provocative themes but also able to touch on religious devotion in his own voice.

Baba Tera Nankana

“Baba Tera Nankana” is among his devotional or lyrical songs invoking Sikh heritage (Nankana Sahib). Though precise release date or LP attribution is unclear, the song is a part of his charitable/spiritual side, reflecting a more contemplative mood. It remains part of Chamkila’s long-term legacy through compilations.

Tar Gayi Ravidas Di Pathri

Another song with devotional or socially rooted tone, “Tar Gayi Ravidas Di Pathri” references the saint Ravidas, connecting regional, religious, and communal sentiment. While footnotes on its original album or year are sparse, it shows Chamkila’s engagement with folk beliefs and spiritual culture.

Sharbat Wango

“Sharbat Wango” evokes imagery of sweetness, longing, and refreshment — a metaphorical emotional balm. The melody, likely folk-oriented, gives Chamkila space to bring raw vocal nuance, while the lyric invites listeners to feel solace or comfort.

Talwar Main Kalgidhar Di

A devotional/historical register: the title invokes the Guru (“Kalgidhar”). These religious albums broadened his reach and helped him pivot away from “obscenity” accusations into sangat spaces. Year/title presence is corroborated in the Wikipedia bio’s discography summary.

Chak Lao Drivero Purje Nu

A workaday vignette (“driver, take up the parts”), this one spotlights his fascination with trades, travel, and the road. It’s chatty, kinetic, and tailor-made for live repartee. Appears on the Lak Mera Kach Warga LP.

Pehle Lalkare Naal

Jija Lak Minle; 1980

A breakout duet with Amarjot from Chamkila’s early LP era. Built on punchy folk phrasing and conversational lyric, it spotlights his gift for everyday idiom and call-and-response energy that played brilliantly on stage. Often cited among his earliest “hits,” it sits on the 1980 HMV LP alongside other staples from this phase.

Takue Te Takua

Lak Mera Kach Varga; 1982

Frequently mentioned as his first recorded song in biographies, it also appears on the Lak Mera Kach Varga tracklist. The lyric’s wordplay and percussion-forward bounce foreshadow his later stage ferocity.

Banhan Wich Bhabi

The title points to family dynamics (sister/sister-in-law), a theme Chamkila mined for humour and friction. It’s typical of his domestic micro-dramas — short scenes set to nimble folk rhythm.

Mirza

Mirza appears in Chamkila’s performance/folk song compilations, but there’s no verifiable album or year attribution in credible discographic sources. The versions online show his characteristic vocal intensity and rural storytelling motifs. In many uploads, Mirza is grouped with hits such as Pehle Lalkare Naal, implying it is part of his core repertoire.

Imtiaz Ali’s Amar Singh Chamkila (2024) revisits the life of Punjab’s most controversial musician

Starring Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, the film traces Chamkila’s meteoric rise, his provocative lyrics, and his violent death in 1988. Shot like a musical documentary and scored by A.R. Rahman, it captures both the euphoria and tragedy of an artist who gave voice to the unspeakable.