Mai Dhai urges international promotion of Sindh's songs

The love and respect we receive is overwhelming. I have received a lot of love wherever I have performed around the world," she said. Describing Sindh as a beautiful land with a distinctive musical identity, she said its traditional songs and folk voices deserved greater international recognition.

Mai Dhai hails from Tharparkar, Sindh. She formed a folk-band called Mai Dhai Band composed of Jamal Shab, a harmonium player and dhol player, Muhammad Fakir. Mai and her band have performed in the United States at SXSW Music 2015, where her music style was met with extravagant positive response.

She rose to prominence on national television after appearing as a featured artist in eighth season of music series Coke Studio. Mai belongs to the Manganiar community. In 2013, she appeared in Lahooti Live Sessions a Live Music Sessions to promote Indigenous Music Sufi/Folk music, musicians, instruments among masses specially youth which is produced by the band The Sketches.

She rose to fame after performing in Lahooti Live Sessions. In March 2015, as a part of DubMC collaboration with the US embassy in Pakistan and Foundation for Arts, Culture and Education (FACE) at SXSW Music 2015 Global program, Mai performed in New York City at Graduate Center of City University.

In an interview with Broadway world, she said, "I have confidence in my voice and the culture I come from," she states. "Things around here are getting stricter, especially when it comes to a woman singing on stage.

I am the only woman from the Manganiyar tribe who has performed on a big stage. But I am hopeful that things will get better, maybe for the next generation. And as long as my voice is with me I will keep singing.

"The Sketches & Lahooti Live Sessions helped Mai Dhai to appear in Coke Studio Pakistan. In 2015, she debuted in the eighth season of Pakistani music reality television series Coke Studio, where she sang two songs including "Aankha?li Pha?ookai" and "Kadi Ao Ni" with artists Karam Abbas Khan & Atif Aslam respectively.

Before appearing in Coke Studio, Saif Samejo of The Sketches collaborated with Mai.

In an interview with The Express Tribune, he had said, "The style in which Mai Dhai is performing on Coke Studio is her natural style, whereas we have tried to incorporate our style of music into hers, so that it retains its original Rajasthani flavour while also sounding like a dialogue between us.

"In 2024, she was honored by the Government of Pakistan with Pride of Performance for her contributions to the music industry. Mai Dhai said she had always remained connected to her cultural roots, regardless of where her musical journey took her.

Referring to legendary folk singer Mai Bhagi, she said artists like her had taken Sindhi culture beyond Pakistan without abandoning their traditions. "She travelled to places such as America, London and Dubai, but never left her culture behind.

She remained connected to her roots and maintained her own musical style," Mai Dhai said. Mai Bhagi's folk song 'Saman Sai Maan Ta Goli Ghulam Tohinji Dar Ji' became very popular among the Pakistani people and secured her stardom, her folk song 'Murli Wari Man Mohiyo also became popular in the rural areas of Sindh.

The government of Pakistan provided financial support for her to tour overseas, and she had continued her career in music until her death on 7 July 1986. Expressing gratitude for the recognition given to artists in Pakistan, she described cultural festivals as an important platform for bringing artists and audiences from different parts of the world together.

She encouraged people to attend such events and appreciate different cultures and artistic traditions. Mai Dhai was accompanied by her grandsons, who also manage her musical engagements. One of them said he was currently learning to play the harmonium from his grandmother and hoped to carry forward the family's musical tradition.