Nazia Hassan: Queen of Pakistani pop music
She passed away on August 13, 2000
Nazia Hassan, an artist who revolutionalised Pakistani pop music, is still remembered today with adoration across the country on her 21st death anniversary.
She was not only the youngest and first Pakistani to receive a Filmfare Award for best playback singer, but made her way to the British charts as well. She was also a recipient of Pakistan’s Pride of Performance.
Nazia began her singing career as a child on Kaliyon Ki Mala on PTV in 1975. She was only 15 when she was approached by London producer Kumar. This is when she recorded Bollywood hit Aap Jaisa Koi for the blockbuster film Qurbani. The song was such a hit that it transformed Nazia into a star and won her a Filmfare award. Nazia and her brother Zoheb gave many hits together, including Boom Boom in 1983 and Young Tarang in 1984.
She was a devoted humanitarian and worked at the UN and UNICEF. Nazia promoted many social causes and often took time to visit schools and gave talks about social awareness.
On 30 March 1995, she married businessman Mirza Ishtiaq Baig in a ceremony held in Karachi. They have a son, Arez Hassan, born on April 7, 1997. The marriage ended in a divorce 10 days before Nazia’s death. Her life was tragically cut short by lung cancer at the age of 35 on August 13, 2000.
