Iconic 'Pop Diva' Nazia Hassan Remembered

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Aug, 2023 ) :Nazia Hassan, one of the most iconic figures in the pop music history of Pakistan, was remembered here on Sunday.

Nazia passed away 23 years ago on August 13 at the age of 35, following a prolonged battle with lungs cancer.

She was born on April 3, 1965. The "Queen of Pop", as she was called, started her career at the age of 10 as a child artist.

Nazia rose to prominence through a popular Pakistan Television programme 'Sung Sung'.

Talking to APP, ptv Senior Producer Agha Qaiser said that Nazia made her playback singing debut with the song 'Aap Jaisa Koi' in an Indian film, Qurbani, in 1980.

Her debut album, Disco Deewane, was released in 1981, and it charted in 14 countries worldwide, and became the best-selling Asian pop record at that time, he added.

To a query, Agha said that Nazia Hassan enjoyed widespread popularity across South and Southeast Asia.

Along with her brother Zoheb Hassan, Nazia went on to sell over 65 million records worldwide, he added.

Her English language single 'Dreamer Deewane' made her the first Pakistani singer to make it to the British musical charts.

Nazia Hassan was also a lawyer and a social activist. A graduate of Richmond, The American International University, and the University of London, she received numerous national and international awards.

In 1980, she became the first Pakistani singer to win the Filmfare, a prominent Indian film award, at the age of 15 and remains the youngest recipient of the honour to date.

She was also a recipient of the nation's highest civilian award, Pride of Performance.

In addition to singing in films, Hassan was also a philanthropist and was appointed by UNICEF as its cultural ambassador in 1991. Her last album, Camera Camera (1992), was part of a campaign against drugs.