Farida Khanum (Urdu: فرِیدہ خانُم) is a Pakistani classical singer from the city of Amritsar, Punjab.[2] She is also known by her honorific title Malika-e-Ghazal (The Queen of Ghazal) in both Pakistan and India[3] and is widely regarded as one of the greatest exponents of the ghazal genre of singing.[4][5] 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 Kolkata,West Bengal, British India |
| 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
Khanum was born in 1929 in Amritsar, British India into a Punjabi Muslim family.[6] 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.[7][8]
She started learning Khayal, Thumri and Dadra from Ustad Ashiq Ali Khan of Patiala gharana.[2][7] As a child, her sister Mukhtar Begum would take her to the Khan's place for regular riyaaz (practice of classical music).[7] Her family moved to Pakistan after the Partition of India in 1947.
Career
Farida 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][7] 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.[7]The ghazal she is most associated with is Aaj Jaane Ki Zidd Naa Karo written by the famous poet Fayyaz Hashmi.[7][2] 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.[7] 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
Farida Khanum lives in Lahore, Pakistan. She has five daughters and one son.[10] Her niece, Sheeba Hassan, is also an actress.
Filmography
Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Silver Jubilee | Herself | PTV |
Film
| 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
- 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
| 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
| 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
| 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] |