Music is a very treasured element of a country’s cultural heritage and Pakistan has been extremely fortunate in this regard, as the country has always been blessed with singers, unique in talent and diverse in the quality of voices.
They were all extremely gifted and the pleasure for the listener lay in their voices being stirring in a totally different manner
Madam Noor Jahan with her intensely passionate way of singing, Nayyarra Noor, the nightingale of Pakistan, Mahnaz with her lilting voice, Naheed Akhtar with her flair for variety and the vivacious Runa Laila, with her captivating dance numbers, mesmerized listeners for decades. They were all extremely gifted and the pleasure for the listener lay in their voices being stirring in a totally different manner and their way of singing being reflective of their very original talent.
Her musical training had started when she was only eleven years old and her acting career as a child star started in 1935.
Madam’s ardor for singing was unrivalled and every song was sung with a passion so intense, that one felt that she was actually going through the situation depicted in the song. The heartbreak her voice expressed in tragic songs was so poignant that the melody king Medhi Hassan once said that "Saajna rai' from the movie Naag Munni was perhaps the most iconic tragic song, expressing intense despair and grief. It was probably because of this quality that the most dramatic song of the movie was mostly sung by her, as her way of singing enhanced the emotion of the situation.
Her Punjabi songs are legendary and the pleasure one derives from songs like 'Saanu nehar walay pull dai" and "Sannyuun nee mera mahi" is eternal and these songs would remain a cherished part of our music legacy.
Madam’s love for her homeland was depicted in the beautifully sensitive national anthems
Madam’s love for her homeland was depicted in the beautifully sensitive national anthems that she sang and to which people listened with fervor, during the wars that Pakistan had gone through. Her patriotism for the country, pain for the martyred soldiers and her pride in their courage was very apparent in the way each lyric was sung.
Madam’s fame was not just confined to the homeland, as she performed and was applauded in many other countries like Japan, India and England among others. She received fifteen Nigar Awards and was also the recipient of The Millennium Singer Award of Pakistan.
Mala Begum was another legendary singer of the country and her song "Akailay naa jaana" is perhaps still the most iconic and remembered song of Pakistan. Mala Begum was interested in music from a young age and her elder sister Shamim Nazli was her first music teacher.
Mala Begum was a very intrinsic part of the music industry in the sixties and the first half of the seventies. She paired with Ahmed Rushdi and sang many unforgettable duets which were an instant hit and often contributed to the fame of the movie. Her tragic songs were rich in feeling and "Dil daita hai ro ro duhaaee" was sung with such raw emotion, depicting acute heartbreak, that it won her a Nigar Award.
Nayyarra Noor's voice was unique in sweetness and touched the heart with its poignancy. Her initial singing might have been inspired by the legends of the past like Kanan Devi, Kamla, as well as Begum Akhtar and she often sang their thumris and ghazals at musical evenings, hence delighting the serious music lovers. The ghazals sung by her are indeed considered a treasure and till date 'Aey jazbaa e dil" is one of the most iconic ghazals.
She won her first award as a playback singer for singing "Tera saya jahaan bhee ho sajna".
After becoming a prominent success as a ghazal singer she also rose to fame as a playback singer in movies. She won her first award as a playback singer for singing "Tera saya jahaan bhee ho sajna", a song whose beautiful lyrics sung in her lilting voice cast a spell on the listeners. The Original Sound Track of the serial Teesra Kinara "Kabhi hum khoobsurat Thai", though sung by her in the seventies is probably still one of the most applauded OST’s of all times.
Mahnaz Begum with her soft, soul stirring voice was another asset for the Music Industry of Pakistan. She received her initial training in music from her mother Kajjan Begum who was also a prominent singer. Her extremely sweet and melodious voice made her a popular choice for singing the very romantic and sensitive duets like “Mujhe dil sai na bhullana” and “Do piyaasay dil” which still have the power to captivate listeners. Robin Ghosh, the renowned music director once said that Mahnaz sings with her soul and that is why she is often my preferred female playback singer. Mahnaz won the Nigar Award thirteen times for the Best Female Singer and was also the recipient of "The Lifetime Achievement Award" in Lux Style Awards 2013
Naheed Akhtar with her extremely vibrant voice sang with a zest that was unmatched and delighted the listener. She started her career with Radio Pakistan Multan and was discovered as a playback singer by the renowned music director M Ashraf. She was a very diverse singer and her talent extended to film music, pop, Ghazals, traditional classical music and Punjabi songs. She started singing from a very young age and reached the pinnacle of fame in her early twenties.
She was the most favored choice of music directors for singing joyous and cheerful songs. Her songs like "Tutu ru tara tara" and "Bijlee bharee hai mairay aang aang mein" were a huge hit and these fast numbers kept adding to her popularity.
She won 3 Nigar Awards and a Pride of Performance in 2007
Her voice though being vibrant and strong, was also rich in emotion. She has sensitive songs like "Allah he Allah kiya karo" and “Tujhay pyar kartay kartay” to her credit, the former also making her the recipient of an award. The ghazals sung by her were soul touching and her ghazal "Zinda rahain toa kiya hai Jo marr jaain hum" is one of the most beautiful ghazals depicting heartbreak. She won 3 Nigar Awards and a Pride of Performance in 2007.
Runa Laila was another genius of the Pakistan Music Industry who captivated listeners at the tender age of fourteen by singing" Unki nazroan sai jo ulfat". She along with her sister, were initially trained by Ustad Abdul Kader Peyarang and Ustad Habibuddin. Runa Laila being a great fan of Ahmed Rushdi tried to emulate his singing style and she considered him her Guru
She was very popular amongst the youth and was often a captivating component of the popular Zia Mohiyuddin Show of the seventies, in which she and Zia Mohiuddin often gave very entertaining performances
She was at the peak of her success in the seventies and sang songs for super hit movies like Umrao Jan Ada, Anmol, Anjuman and many others. Her dance numbers were a huge success and "Dil dharkay mein tum sai" took the listeners by storm and took her career to new heights.
Music is a feast for the senses and these singers have provided us with such joy and solace over the years with their soulful voices, that even talking about them is an emotional experience. Our homage to these artistes is the eternal appreciation for their legendary work and our endeavor to ensure that the magic created by them always lives. We can achieve this by introducing their work to our young generation and givng them the opportunity of savoring the music which has enthralled us for decades.
