I came across this news this week and even though I wasn’t explicitly aware that she was living, the news of her death makes one think about the bygone era of tyranny, political upheaval and suppression. She was a legend not only through her artistic talent but also through an insuppressible spirit.
She is remembered for singing the works of Faiz Ahmed Faiz and gave musical relevance to his the ghazals. She became a cult figure under the rule of Gen Zia ul-Haq in the 1980s when she sang songs banned by the government. The chants of the audience in the 1985 recording of a concert at which she performed Faiz’s inspirational anthem, Hum Dekhenge (We Will See), have become a symbol of resistance.
Few singers of classical music matched the brilliance of her voice and her command of musical notes, critics say.
But her natural talent was towards semi-classical music, such as thumris, dadras and the classical rendition of ghazals, a genre of Urdu poetry.
She was given the Pride of Performance award by the Pakistani government in 1974.
src: BBC and Hindustan Times
Here’s for the lady and her most famous piece-
Hum dekhenge by Faiz – rendered by Iqbal Bano
