Farida Khanum (Urdu: فرِیدہ خانُم) is a Pakistani classical singer. She is also known by her honorific title Malika-e-Ghazal (The Queen of Ghazal) in both Pakistan and India[2] and is widely regarded as one of the greatest exponents of the ghazal genre of singing.[3][4] Khanum has been affectionately called Queen of Ghazal in Pakistan.
Farida Khanum | |
|---|---|
| فرِیدہ خانُم | |
 Farida Khanum rehearsing in December 2005 | |
| Born | Farida Khanum 16 May 1929 |
| Other names | Queen of Ghazal[1] |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1948 - present |
| Known for | Ghazal • Dadra • Khyal • Thumri |
| Notable credit(s) | Coke Studio Pakistan Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) Radio Pakistan |
| Children | 6 |
| Relatives | Agha Hashar Kashmiri (brother-in-law) Mukhtar Begum (sister) Sheeba Hassan (niece) |
| Awards | Pride of Performance (1970) Hilal-i-Imtiaz (2005) |
Early life
editKhanum was born in 1929 in Amritsar, British India, into a Punjabi Muslim family.[5] She had four siblings — a sister and three brothers. Her sister is the famous singer, Mukhtar Begum. Their entire family moved from Amritsar, Punjab, to Lahore, Pakistan, when she was 18 years old.[6][7]
She started learning Khayal, Thumri, and Dadra from Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan of Patiala gharana.[8][6] As a child, her sister Mukhtar Begum would take her to the Khan's place for regular riyaaz (practice of classical music).[6] Her family moved to Pakistan after the Partition of India in 1947.
Career
editFarida Khanum gave her first public concert in 1950 at the very young age of 21, and then joined Radio Pakistan, where she gained recognition for herself.[9][6] She became a star when Pakistan's president Ayub Khan invited her to a public recital in the 1960s. Farida also acted in films, and she also sang songs for films. She has been a frequent performer on Pakistan Television and other Pakistani TV channels.[6] The ghazal she is most associated with is Aaj Jaane Ki Zidd Naa Karo, written by the famous poet Fayyaz Hashmi.[6][8] In 2015, at the age of 86, she sang this ghazal in Coke Studio Season 8.[10]
Khanum's live concerts in India have been very popular.[6] She visited Kabul, Afghanistan, in the late 1960s and early 1970s for concerts where she collaborated with Afghan musicians and sang Persian-language ghazals.[11]
Personal life
editFarida Khanum lives in Lahore, Pakistan. She has five daughters and one son.[10] Her niece, Sheeba Hassan, is also an actress.
Filmography
editTelevision shows
edit| Year | Title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Silver Jubilee | Herself | PTV |
Film
edit| Year | Film | Language |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Sailab | Urdu |
| 1961 | Sher-e-Islam | Urdu |
| 1963 | Baji | Urdu |
| 1967 | Main Woh Nahin | Urdu |
| 1968 | Pakeeza | Urdu |
| 1969 | Qasm Us Waqt Ki | Urdu |
| 1970 | Pardesi | Punjabi |
| 1972 | Bazi Jit Lei | Punjabi |
| 1973 | Pyasa | Urdu |
| 1973 | Dukh Sajna Day | Punjabi |
| 1974 | Rano | Punjabi |
| 1979 | Nishani | Urdu |
Discography
edit- 1978 Farida Khanum in Concert Vol. 1
- 1979 Farida Khanum in Concert Vol. 2
- 1980 Farida Khanum in Concert Vol. 3
- 1985 Taghazzul Farida Khanum Vol. 1
- 1993 Farida Khanum: Meri Pasand Vol 1
- 1993 Farida Khanum: Meri Pasand Vol 2
Studio releases
edit| Year | Title | Album details | Track listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Farida Khanum: Meri Pasand Vol 1 | Digital release date: 9 April 1993
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| 1993 | Farida Khanum: Meri Pasand Vol 2 | Digital release date: 9 April 1993
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Compilations and live albums
edit| Year | Title | Album details | Track listing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Farida Khanum In Concert Vol. 1 | Digital release date: 1 December 1978
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| 1979 | Farida Khanum In Concert Vol. 2 | Digital release date: 1 October 1979
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| 1980 | Farida Khanum In Concert Vol. 3 | Digital release date: 1 January 1980
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| 1985 | Taghazzul Farida Khanum Vol 1 | Digital release date: 1 July 1985
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Awards and recognition
edit| Year | Award | Category | Result | Title | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Pride of Performance | Award by the President of Pakistan | Won | Herself | [11] |
| 1974 | EMI Silver Disc Awards | Best Ghazal Singer | Won | Herself | [11] |
| 1980 | Amir Khusrau Award | Best Ghazal Singer | Won | Herself | [12] |
| 2000 | PTV Award | Best Singer | Won | Herself | [13] |
| 2005 | Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence) | Award by the President of Pakistan | Won | Herself | [10] |
| 2005 | Hafiz Ali Khan Award | Best Singer | Won | Herself | [10] |
| 2007 | The Times of India | Malika-e-Ghazal (Queen of Ghazal) | Won | Herself | [14][10] |
| 2017 | 5th Hum Awards | Hum Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | Herself | [15] |
| 2021 | 20th Lux Style Awards | Unilever Chairman's Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | Herself | [16] |
References
edit- ^ "Farida Khanum: The Queen of Ghazal". Youlin Magazine. 24 July 2022.
- ^ "Khawaja Najamul Hassan Remembers Farida Khanum: The Queen of Ghazal: Part III". Youlin Magazine. 4 February 2022.
- ^ Shuaib, Haroon (2 February 2022). "Khawaja Najamul Hassan Remembers Farida Khanum: The Queen of Ghazal". youlinmagazine.com. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "Farida Khanum sings Aaj Jane Ki Zid Na Karo on Instagram live". The Indian Express. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
- ^ "Farida Khanum loves coming to India". The Times of India. 23 May 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Song Sung True (Farida Khanum interview)". Indian Express (newspaper). 4 May 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Farida Khanum: Memories New and Old". ALL THINGS PAKISTAN website. 12 December 2007. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Rajan, Anjana (13 November 2006). "When mood and melody merged". The Hindu (newspaper). Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ Lahore : a musical companion. Lahore : Baber Ali Foundation. p. 75.
- ^ a b c d e Profile of Farida Khanum on Coke Studio (Pakistan) website Retrieved 13 July 2021
- ^ a b c "Farida Khanum: The Queen of Ghazal". Youlin Magazine. 18 January 2022.
- ^ Who's Who: Music in Pakistan. Xlibris Corporation. p. 87.
- ^ "PTV World Awards", PTV (News), archived from the original on 18 January 2022, retrieved 22 February 2022
- ^ "Fareeda Khanum: Made in India, queen of Pak music". The Times of India. 14 December 2005. Archived from the original on 10 June 2007. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
- ^ "Farida Khanum given lifetime achievement award at 5th Hum Awards". Dunya News. 23 December 2021.
- ^ "20th LSAs dazzle and reward stars in fashion, TV and music". Daily Times. 17 October 2021.