Nazia Hassan

Nazia Hassan

Nazia Hassan (Urdu: نازیہ حسن) (April 3, 1965 – August 13, 2000) was an iconic Pakistani pop singer.

Career

Nazia Hassan was introduced to the music industry in London by Indian film producer-director Feroz Khan and Biddu, the legendary Indian music producer, who had had several hits producing hit-songs for acts like Tina Charles, Carl Douglas, etc.

At fifteen, she changed the landscape of pop music in the Subcontinent. Her song “Aap jaisa koi”, arranged by Indian music producer Biddu, which featured in the film Qurbani (1980) was a massive hit in India and in Pakistan. An Indian commentator notes that “...Hindustani film music was never the same after Nazia, maybe accidentally, invaded it...Aap jaisa koi actually set a disco trend.” The next year her first album, Disco Deewane (1980) broke record sales in Pakistan and India and even hit number one on the Brazilian charts. The album was followed by Star/Boom Boom (1982), Young Tarang (1984), Hotline (1987), and Camera Camera (1992).

After the huge success of “Aap Jaisa Koi”, Biddu and Zoheb Hassan (Brother) produced a private album Disco Deewane (1980) with Nazia. Zoheb and Nazia also sang duets for their LP. Both the sister and brother were catapulted to super stardom overnight. The album was block buster not only in India and Pakistan but also became popular in Latin America, Indonesia and Russia and some other countries. Their interviews and videos were shown on TV in India, Pakistan, Dubai, UK (big names like David Soul, David Essex, Zia Mohiuddin conducted the interviews on BBC, ITV, Channel 4 etc) and many other countries.

Before achieving stardom, she trained with music maestro Sohail Rana, appearing often on his show "Sung Sung." Later, she would receive state patronage as her videos appeared on Pakistan Television (PTV). In 1988, she and her brother Zoheb hosted the groundbreaking show Music '89 produced by Shoaib Mansoor.

Pakistan's vibrant contemporary rock scene owes itself to Nazia Hassan's redefinition of pop. In fact, the biggest nineties bands including the Vital Signs and the Jupiters got a platform on "Music '89" Nazia also had a seismic impact in 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, Lucky Ali and Shweta Shetty.

In fact, such was Nazia’s success that in Bollywood lore there is an intriguing story concerning the brief eclipse of the legendary Indian playback singer, Lata, known as the “Queen of Hearts.” 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 Pak (sic) 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.”

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. Nazia worked with Javed Jabbar, former Information Minister, to raise funds for children in Rajasthan. 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. The worthy staff and the students of St Joseph’s Convent, Mama Parsi School and many others had gone out of their way to help the cause.

Music was only a hobby for Nazia and though her achievements in this field were any one’s dream come true, she lived away from the glitzy world and led a secluded life. She completed her education in the UK, got a corporate 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. Nazia spent her teenage between Karachi and London where she would go on to read law at London University.. Nazia was married in March 30, 1995 with Mirza Ishtiaq Baig. This marriage was totally a failure and Nazia Hassan get divorced from court which was confirmed on August 03,2000. Nazia Hassan died in August 13, 2000 due to lung cancer at age 35.

Soon after, as an acknowledgement of the outstanding contributions and achievements of this talented individual, the Government of Pakistan has conferred upon Nazia Hassan the highest civil award Pride of Performance. The award was presented to Mrs. Muniza Basir, mother of Nazia Hassan by the President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf in an official ceremony held at Islamabad on 23rd March 2002.

Nazia's ancestors

Nazia’s father Mr. Basir Hassan is a known businessman and her mother Mrs. Muneeza Basir was an active social worker in her youth. Nazia’s grandfather and Basir Hassan’s father, Nawab Syed Saghiruddin Hassan were the President & Vice President of Muslim League, Delhi and owners of the 1st Ginning Mill in Multan, Pakistan. Some of their friends included Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan and Justice Wajihuddin.

Nazia’s great grandfather, Khan Bahadur Syed Basiruddin Hassan was very active in social work. He was the founder of Anjuman-e-Himayat-e-Islam, Governor of Lady Dufferin Hospital, and Trustee of Fateh Puri Mosque and built seven primary schools in Delhi.

Made in India

Alisha Chinai's hit song "Made in India", which marked the birth of Indian pop music, was originally written for Pakistani pop star Nazia Hassan. But in an illustration of the region's obsession with borders, the sub-continent's first disco diva of the pre-MTV era turned the song down. The late Hassan, an intensely political person, was the first Pakistani artiste to win a Filmfare award and towards the end of her life, saw herself as a symbol of "youth culture" for the whole sub-continent.

Yet she told song-writer and music director Biddu she could not bring herself to sing something likely to offend - in different ways – her fans in Pakistan and India. She is loved across the border, as much as she is within.

Nazia Hassan Foundation

The Nazia Hassan Foundation has been established by Nazia's parents, Basir & Muniza in continuation of her life long charitable and social efforts to make the world a better place to live in for all irrespective of colour, creed or religion.

Discography

Albums

• Disco Deewane (1980)
• Star/Boom Boom (1982)
• Young Tarang (1984)
• Hotline (1987)
• Camera Camera (1992)

Films (Playback Singer)

• Qurbani (1980)
• Dil Wala (1986)
• Ilzaam (1986)
• Main Bulwaan (1986)
• Sheela (1987)
• Saaya (1989)

TV appearances

• Kaliyon Ke Mala (1975) -- Appearance as a child artist - Nazia Hassan sung Dosti Asa Naata
• Sang Sang Chalien (1977) -- Appearance as a child artist
• Disco Deewane (BBC Show 1981)
• Disco Deewane (DD 1 1981)
• BBC News (1981)
• Zia Moh-u-Din Show (Channel 4 1981)
• David Sole (1981)
• David Essex (1981)
• Young Tarang Show (DD 1 1984)
• Aap Ke Liye (PTV 1985)
• PTV Election Transmission (1985)
• Show Time (PTV 1986)
• Yes Sir No Sir (PTV 1987)
• TV Hits (1987)
• BBC Show (1987)
• PTV Awards (1988)
• Then He Kissed ME (1988)
• Music '89 (1989)
• Dhanak (1989)
• PTV 25 (1990)
• Mehman-i-Khasosi (1990)
• Studio 2 (1990)
• Eid Show (1992)
• Eye Witness (1993)
• Kaliyan (1990 - 1991)
• Pro Audio Show (1995)
• Sawaire Sawaire (PTV 1997)
• PTV World (1998)
• Zee TV (1999, Nazia Hassan's last TV appearance)

TV commercials

• Sitara Sapna Lawn
• Lipton (1990)
• Lipton (1991)
• Lipton (1992)

Awards

1. 1 Filmfare Best Female Playback Award
2. 4 Double Platinum
3. 5 Platinum
4. 15 Golden Discs
5. 1 Pride of Performance

See also

• Nazia and Zoheb

External links

• Nazia Hassan at IMDb