LAHORE: One of the most iconic figures in the history of Pakistan music, Nazia Hassan, would have turned 53 today, had she not passed away with cancer at the young age of 35.
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. She rose to prominence through the popular Pakistan Television (PTV) programme Sung Sung.
Hassan made her singing debut with the song Aap Jaisa Koi from a 1980 Indian film, Qurbani. Her debut album, Disco Deewane, released in 1981, charted in fourteen countries worldwide, and became the best-selling Asian pop record at the time.
She enjoyed widespread popularity across South and Southeast Asia. Along with her brother Zoheb Hassan, she went on to sell over 65 million records worldwide.
Her English language single Dreamer Deewane made her the first Pakistani singer to make it to the British musical charts.
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 an age of 15 and remains the youngest recipient of the honour to date.
She was also a recipient of the country’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.
She passed away on August 13, 2000, in London at a young age of 35, following a prolonged battle with lung cancer.
