[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Born
April 3, 1965
Origin
Karachi, Pakistan
Died
August 13, 2000 (aged 35)
Genre(s)
Pop Singer
Occupation(s)
Lawyer/Political Analyst UN (1992-94)
Years active
1980-1992 (Singing)
CareerNazia Hassan professional singing debut was for an Indian film, Qurbani produced by film producer-director Feroz Khan. Biddu, a UK based Indian music producer, who had had several hits producing hit-songs for acts like Tina Charles, Carl Douglas, etc produced Nazia's first mega hit, Aap Jaisa Koi.
At thirteen, she introduced pop music in the Subcontinent with her first number, Aap Jaisa Koi which broke all records by outselling and eclipsing almost every artist in the sub-continental music scene. She became the sub continent's first true pop mega star with looks to match. An Indian commentator notes that “...Hindustani film music was never the same after Nazia. Thereafter Nazia teamed up with her equally talented younger brother an produced hits after hits . ”[citation needed] Disco Deewane (1981) broke record sales in Pakistan and India and even topped the charts in the West Indies, Latin America, Russia, etc. charts. Further records included Star/Boom Boom (1982), Young Tarang (1984), Hotline (1987), and Camera Camera (1992). Nazia & Zoheb Hassan literally ruled sub-continental music scene for over a decade.
After the huge success of their music, selling millions of albums worldwide EMI Music International company also signed making them as the first Asian artists to be signed by an International music label.
Nazia and Zoheb's television interviews 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, both Nazia & Zoheb appeared in with music maestro Sohail Rana's television programme for children,"Sung Sung." To this day Pakistan Television regards Nazia and Zoheb as their founding and most celebrated artists. In 1988, Nazia and Zoheb also hosted the groundbreaking show Music '89 produced by Shoaib Mansoor.
Pakistan's vibrant contemporary music 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. 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, Lucky Ali and Shweta Shetty.
In fact, 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.”
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.
Surprisingly, 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 and simple life. 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. Nazia spent her teenage between Karachi and London where she would go on to read law at a London University.[citation needed]. Nazia was married in March 30, 1995 with Mirza Ishtiaq Baig. This marriage was a complete failure and Nazia Hassan got divorced just before her demise. Nazia Hassan died in August 13, 2000 due to lung cancer at age 35.
Nazia Hassan's joy in life was her son Arez who was born on April the 7th 1997. Arez was only three when his mother's succumbed to cancer which not only shook her family but millions of her fans world over. Arez was taken into the care of Nazia's parents who as per her last wishes gave Arez the best upbringing a child could get to that Arez is now turned out to become an intelligent, articulate and mature young man. He like his late mother is talented performer. He has now assumed the role of continuing the good charitable work that his mother initiated in her short life viz. the Nazia Hassan Charitable Foundation. He is very into law and politics and hopes to become a lawyer soon.
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.
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 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
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