Nazia Hassan – Melodious and marvelously impactful

Blurb: ‘Disco Deewane’ proved to be a blockbuster Asian pop record of all time and sold 60 million copies across 14 countries including Pakistan, India, West Indies, Latin America and Russia

Usually show business is associated with a make-believe reality; real talent is important but packaging lends it value; pretention and arrogance commands respect; and glitziness is pursued. Very few artists win hearts for their innate charm and beauty and if they are talented and remain unaffected despite the accolades of millions – they become immortal. One artist who had a short, but extremely successful public life, while staying true to herself is Nazia Hassan.

Born on April 3, 1965 she lived a short life and passed away at a tender age of 35, leaving her fans heartbroken on August 13, 2000. She is remembered as the first female popstar of Pakistan, a break from the more conventional female singer image that the country had known till then. Her personality and singing style were both unmatchable and the freshness was whole heatedly welcomed by audience. She blended East and West in her naturally gifted silky vocals.

Nazia Hassan first appeared on screen at the age of 10. Some of her earliest performances date back to the 1970s as a child artist on PTV in Sohail Rana’s music program. Once settled in London, she was introduced to the super stylish Indian filmmaker Feroz Khan at a party by the most unconventional heroine of Indian cinema, Zeenat Aman. When Khan heard the 14-year-old Nazia sing, he instantly knew that she was a voice that needed for his next film.

When Nazia sang ‘Aap Jaisa Koi Meri Zindagi Mein Aaye’ in ‘Qurbani’, filmed on Zeenat Aman, her popularity in Pakistan and India was instant and extraordinary. This was 1980 – beginning of a decade known for new trends in music. At 15, she won Best Playback Singer FilmFare Award for this unforgettable club track by Biddu Appaiah.

Next came ‘Disco Deewane’ of 1981, a song she sang with her brother Zoheb Hassan. It proved to be a blockbuster Asian pop record of all time and sold 60 million copies across 14 countries including Pakistan, India, West Indies, Latin America and Russia. The quality that Nazia brought to the ditty ‘Lekin Mera Dil Ro Raha Hai’, never ceases to transport listeners to a reflective corner. The ‘Ao Na Pyaar Karen’ and ‘Dil Mera Yeh Kehta Hai’ from ‘Disco Deewane’ album were tracks that Nazia and Zoheb immortalised with their unique duet style.

As if she knew that time was not on her side, she followed these initial chartbusters with Boom Boom, Young Tarang, and Hotline and there was no looking back after that. Young Tarang that was released in 1984 and sold over 40 million copies featured music videos made in London by David Rose and Kathy Rose and its track, ‘Ankhien Milane Wale’ was a runaway hit. The peppy ‘Dum Dum Dee Dee’ from this album would still move everyone to start tapping their feet, regardless of their ages.

From Hotline of 1987, ‘Aa Haan’ was a chartbuster. The brother and sister duo was labelled ‘Beatles minus the crazy haircut’. In 1989, Nazia and Zoheb hosted ‘Music ’89’ which proved to be a gamechanger for the music scene in Pakistan. This show launched the careers of many new rising bands and singers including Vital Signs, Live Wires to name a few. Nazia also hosted another show, ‘Dhanak’ on PTV the same year.

In 1992, during one of her visits to Pakistan, she received a letter in her fan mail from a parent whose son was a drug addict, and in his drugged out and physically incapacitated state, only reacted to Nazia’s music. Nazia visited their house and was so moved by the ordeal of the family that she started an initiative called ‘Battle Against Narcotics’ (BAN), and launched a nationwide movement against drugs. Her last album was dedicated to this cause and had a song called ‘Nasha Na Karo’ (Don’t Do Drugs). This was her fifth and last album, which yet again contained exceedingly popular numbers such as ‘Dil Ki Lagi’ and the unforgettable ‘Talli De Thallay’ in which she experimented with a folk tune.

Brilliant in academics, Nazia did her Bachelor in Business Administration and Economics at the Richmond American University in London. She also held a London University Law (LLB) degree. Nazia was a very humble and compassionate person. She did a lot of voluntary work for causes related to underprivileged children, youth and women. She joined the United Nations Security Council in New York in 1991 and worked there for two years. Following this, she was offered a scholarship in Columbia University’s Leadership Program. Unfortunately, she couldn’t avail of it as she was diagnosed with cancer soon after.

After a marriage that seemed like a fairytale wedding, and a beautiful son, Nazia unfortunately was diagnosed with a resurgence of the disease that eventually took her away after a short but painful fight. Towards the end, her marriage fell apart, pushing her further into deep recesses of despair. Nazia’s marriage ended in a divorce 10 days before she said her final good-bye to the world. The phenomenal artist left behind a rather small but precious body of work that ensures her memory is still alive and the enigma she invoked with her smooth singing style and untainted innocence and humbleness of personality continues to linger.

Her natural two-tone kind split in her vocals sounded like a double track, giving it a unique texture that is very evident in her sublime ‘Komal Komal’. Braided hair and trendy but very relatable western clothes gave her personality a girl-next-door charm that hasn’t lost its allure till today, long after she has gone, and her fans never forget to remember her year after year.

The Government of Pakistan honoured her with the Pride of Performance award posthumously in 2002. In 2014, Global Voices Online named her a young, independent woman who made a space for herself in Pakistan’s music industry. The same year she was awarded a posthumous honourary degree of doctorate from Richmond American University, London, which was received by her son Arez Hassan in her honour.