Wednesday, April 8, 2009

NIGHTINGALE OF EAST - life of NAZIA HASSAN!


“ Some tunes never fade away... “ This is the third article of mine under the series of “Creative Tragedies”, which highlights the life of Artists who died in pain and vain at an early age! First one was on the life of artist “Vincent Van Gogh”, second on Janis Joplin and now Nazia Hassan(April,3,1965-August,13,2000), an iconic Pakistani Pop singer. Known by many for Her song "Aap Jaisa Koi" from the film Qurbani that made her a legend and pop icon in India in the 80s where she is admired and loved even today, several years after her death. Born in Karachi, Nazia's professional career started at the age of fifteen with Indian producer-director Feroz Khan! The song was a huge success in India and despite Nazia being a Pakistani, she gained overnight fame here!

ON TOP OF CHARTS AND HEARTS!

POPULAR TRACKS AND MUSICAL MEMORIES - She collaborated with Biddu, a UK-based Indian music producer who was also the composer of Aap Jaisa Koi, on numerous other projects.

In 1981, Biddu released Nazia's first mega-hit, Disco Deewane. The album broke record sales in Pakistan and India and even topped the charts in the West Indies, Latin America and Russia. Her later albums also had vocals of her brother, Zoheb Hassan. These included Star/Boom Boom(1982), Young Tarang (1984), Hotline(1987), and Camera Camera (1992).



LEGACY OF SUCCESS - Pakistan's vibrant contemporary music scene owes itself to Nazia Hassan's redefinition of pop.

Nazia also had a seismic impact in India. India Today magazine voted her as one of the 50 people who helped change the face of India. She has contributed to the development of the present isomorphism of Bollywood music and pop: “She set - well ahead of its time - the personal album trend in India”, spawning the likes of Alisha Chinai,Lucky Ali and Shweta Shetty!

such was Nazia’s success that in Bollywood there is an intriguing story stating that she outdid both in terms of sales and popularity the Indian playback singer, Lata, Mangeshkar. ” Lata's biographer Raju Bharatan poses the following question: “Were there, then, no serious challenges to Lata Mangeshkar in her long singing career?” The answer surprises: “…there was a happening in Lata's life and times that made a mere teenager a near despair for her. That teenybopper was Nazia Hasan.” He continues, “Lata’s film Aasha…just could not catch up with Nazia's Aap jaisa koi for 14 weeks running, hard as it tried! The year 1980 in Hindi film music thus belonged to a UK based Pakistani singer – a slip of a girl who came to India via England to capture subcontinental hearts. There was no way even the velvet voice of Lata could scale down Nazia during that spell.”


Biddu composed a song titled "Made in India" and wanted Nazia to provide lead vocals for it. However, Nazia turned the offer down. She told song-writer and music director Biddu that she could not bring herself to sing something that was likely to offend both Pakistanis and Indians. Despite Nazia being a Pakistani, she was able to gain immense popularity in India too and was also a recipient of the prestigious Filmfare Award!

The song was eventually offered to Indian singer Alisha Chinai The song was a huge success and is considered to mark the beginning of the era of Indipop.



NAZIA HASSAN FOUNDATION and HER WORK FOR HUMANITY -

Besides music, Nazia has the honour of starting a noble trend of working for the under privileged and poor. All their money earned from music was spent for charity. Nazia supported the “Inner Wheel Club” of India to help with funds for them. In Pakistan, an organization “BAN” for fighting against the curse of narcotics was established. She belonged to many charity organizations and worked with her mother Muniza Basir in the low income areas of Karachi to help the needy and sick.

She went to a very large number of schools to collect toys for the poor children and gave talks on the subject of social awareness for the under privileged. Nazia never forgot the love and support of all the schools and always spoke with great affection for them

She completed her education in the UK, got a law degree and then worked in the United Nations in the Security Council. Nazia continued her social work even in New York and worked for children from the UN platform.


She is known to be the "Sweetheart of Pakistan" and "The Nightingale of East". Nazia Hassan is still the symbol of grace, sacred beauty and innocence and is frequently compared to Princess Diana as she was known to possess a heart of gold



THE SAD AGONIES OF HER LIFE -


She got married in 1995 and started a new life. Her Family, friends and fans wished her the best of luck; she received nothing except sadness. Barely one month after her first (and only) child, Araiz, was born, her in-laws threw her out of the house. After that, it was a tough phase, on the path of destruction, carefully constructed by her in-laws, especially her husband, industrialist Ishtiaq Baig. One by one, every secret was revealed to Nazia including his extra-marital affairs (especially the one said to be with actress Zeba Bakhtiar), his immoral acts.

Bearing mental torture is hard enough, but dealing with disease as well makes every moment of life a living hell, and that’s precisely what her life was like when suffering from cancer twice which eventually took her life. At that time, she complained that her husband did nothing for her. Let alone standing by her side, he didn’t even pay for her treatment. She filed a case in a Pakistani civil court and refused to die as his wife!


THE Nightingale WILL NEVER DIE IN OUR MEMORIES -



She had a style of her own that was unique in all sense! Toe-tapping beats, quality Music and catchy lyrics. each song went on to make history. She had been honored with the Highest Civilian Award of Pakistan! Each song cast a magical spell, never to be broken. Popular around the world for angelic smile of hers, full of contentment and satisfaction, She had always been Quoted as Woman of Pakistan. she walked all the steps, which had been ordained for her by an authority, which is greater than any human agency" God Almighty had showered Nazia with all the bounties, except length of age. Queen of Pop Nazia Hasan is remembered today with a vengeance that is far greater than the music she made. Nightingale from Pakistan!




That distinct stretch of vocal nodes, her soul involving slow notes and everything related to her sense of music was a challenge to the definitions of a Muslim eastern girl that everyone around the world have framed in their mind! I had decided to write an article on her about two weeks back but was not just getting the desired kick to do that! It was when I saw a heart sobbing visual on a Hindi news channel where a pashtun girl was spanked brutally by a Tabilani extremist in north province of Pakistan for an offense of meeting a stranger(a person not belonging to her household),It was then I thought its the right time to share the story of this boldly talented girl! This article is dedicated to thousands of womens and children of Pakistan and Afghanistan who are suffering continuously while dealing with conservative social extremism! I believe that within each one of them lies a flame similar to the voice of Nazia, that wants to be acknowledged and heard!



Link
(WITH REFERENCES FROM nazia hassan info @ wikipedia,nazia hassan foundation's official website,following articles on nazia :- A, B)

26 comments:

PULKIT said...

dearest readers of my blog,
I had been constantly recieving suggestions to write something positive on this page for quite some time, I would like to aplologize to anyone whose optimism I might have sucked through any of my poetic pieces lately!
anyways... what I write is a mere reflection of the kind of days I am facing these days! its truly a rough patch! a sad one indeed, me too waiting for it to end!

this post of mine as mentioned earlier too is dedicated to each and every girl who had ever crushed her creative desires and expression submitting to any cruel infuence of extremism and conservatism!

I am trying to summing up my posts in labels these days... this too is a very very hard worked article of mine for which I am not expecting much, its a very long post! and I dont think maximum of people who will reach this page will even try reading what I wanted to convey!
anyways... this blog runs on instinct and personal thoughts, I write what I feel like sharing.. and life of people like janis,nazia and vincent though had a tragic end, but still each of these bear a great livliness, atleast within my soul... I kind of feel that someday may be me too....

Regards
WITH ocean of love
universe of care!

PULKIT
(april,6,09,3:42 am)

Opaque said...

"She had a style of her own that was unique in all sense!"

I readily agree to that. A great post here!!! Nice to know someone who respects and honours such talented individuals in this world. Great going!!!

You've done a lot of research here, embedded videos, personal life and so on. Good on you!!! This nature will definitely take you places, for sure!!!

Bless you!!!

Anonymous said...

It was interesting to read about the life of Nazia Hasan.You have done a lot of hardwork and published an encylopedia of the Pakistani singer on your blog for which you deserve applause.The fact that she has sung some of the greatest bollywood numbers were even unknown to me.That helped me increase my awareness.A must read for music lovers.Keep going.
Saurabh

Kartikeya said...

its another sad case with another talented artist.......i wonder why don't these talented people die before their times..........neways nice work pulkit.....like always.....nd heyy she's very very beautiful yaar.......seems like an actress to me!!!!

PULKIT said...

@ brosreview - thanks for the visit and comments sir! as always m glad to have kind words from ur end!

PULKIT said...

@ saurabh bhaiya - thanks for the visit and comments as always! meant a lot to me!

PULKIT said...

@ kartikey - yes yaar, these stories of such premature death of extremely talented people seems to have been my inspiration in writing these articles throughout...
and haan bey! she's very very mesmerizing in terms of beauty! an angel seems like..
notice the resemblance in the lower chin half of face of nazia with anushka sharma, the actress of Rab ne bana di jodi!

Anonymous said...

@Pulkit
Lovely post. Thanks for highlighting Nazia. A whole lot of people don't know about her.

I have her song "Lekin Mera Dil" (my personal fav among her songs), in my i pod. I haven't met a person till date who has heard about her!

I personally had googled her name & read about her in early 2001 or so when my dad, a fan, told me that she passed away & had a very sad but meaningful life.

Grt work. But do write something cheerful next time. If it is not possible to do it here start another blog on a more cheerful note :)

shagun said...

hey bhaiya...rlly bodly talntd gal..felt bad bout her marital lyf...she is rlly nightingale of pakistan n vry pleasing beauty..likd her....n ur post agn ws fab as alwyz! shagun

PULKIT said...

@ choco - thanks for the visit dear! and ur valuable comments... starting a new blog is not in my thought process anyhow dear... have written so many positive articles on this blog too under the category "MOTIVATIONAL SOLIQUE"(on the right hand side of the page, u will see the link to that category), click on it, and u will see a whole new expression of mine which is totally positive in conduct!

regards! keep visiting!

PULKIT said...

@ shagun - thanks sis for the visit again!lub u loadss.. keep visiting!

@ choco - I love the track boom boom and lekin mera dil, the most amongst her collection, apart from that,last album dosti was my fav!

khushi said...

aah haa....now thats what I call a real change bro....even I'm hoping and wishing that you pass thru that so-called rough patch of ur lyf soon....real soon :)

Nazia was no doubt a true nightingale from Pak...not only her vocals and singing style made people go FIDaa....it was also her pure soul that reflected on her aura and voice...
Looking forward for more :)
Khushi

Paramveer said...

another fact that i once listened somewhere on airvawes ws that for the song "aap jaisa koi meri",her voice was so childish against actress that firoz khan needed to give DOUBLE touch to her voice.....feel some kind of echo in the song due to the same reason.


nice work asusual!!

PARAM
bveer.blogspot.com

PULKIT said...

@ khushi - a smile back to u sis! tc! thanks ... for wishes!

PULKIT said...

@ param - thanks for the visit again bro!
trying to get back to some serious blogging these days... learning new tips after ... 2-3 months... about widgets and everything regarding blogging... getting back to life as a blogger! :)
loads to talk with u bro!

Ekam said...

I have heard this song 'Aap Jaisa Koi' many a times but didn't know the singer. Now after reading your article, I came to know about her. Earlier I just had heard her name but didn't know much about her. But now all thanks to you . Great work yaar. This is it what I like about your articles. You work so hard on each topic you decide to write. Keep it up Pulit. And yes, I am looking forward to read more 'positive thoughts' in future in your blog. God bless you :)

Anonymous said...

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priyanka said...

hey pulkit gr8 work done again ....well i knew abt the song and the name of the singer but was not aware the life history of hers .....u have done a gr8 research onit and made us aware of it thanks for it and yes i knew what was your basic reason to post it... nutshell a gr8 post all the best...god bless

PULKIT said...

@ ekam - thanks a lot dear! I am humble that u appreciated my hardwork as always...!!
keep visiting!

PULKIT said...

@ pink orchid - thanks for the visit kajal!
u have an awesome blog!

PULKIT said...

@ prinyanka - love u sis! thanks a lot! keep visiting!

Dorothi said...

gr8 post "Aap jaisa koi","Disco dewane" and "Boom boom" are some of my favorite numbers but I knew nothing about the extaordinarily talented women Nazia Hassan until I came across your post...so thanks for sharing this well written post with us.
Its sad to know about the tragedy of her marital life. Independent minded and courageous souls like her make me keep faith that even individuals matter even they can kindle some change...her active participation in the charity works along with her work in field of music that brought novelty to the field creating a new segment of indipop is definitely commendable.
To me Pulkit this was a positive post, for it wasn't about a sad life but life of someone who through her work and courage soared above her time...an immortal name scribbled on sands of time!!

Femin Susan said...

I heard this song many times because my mom like it......

PULKIT said...

@ dreamer - thanks for the visit nainika! M so glad that u liked the post! :)
ur visit to this blog means a lot to me!
and ur comments are always very precious! keep visiting!

PULKIT said...

@ femim susan - heyyyyyyyy deary! long time.. where were u ? thanks for visiting again! missed u in the comment box! thanks! keep visiting!

Anonymous said...

though i loved few of the songs mentioned here, i never knew of this singer !! thanks for this post :)