Early life and Career
1975-1980: Beginning & Aap Jaisa KoiNazia Hassan was born in Karachi, Pakistan and from an early age showed interest in music. Nazia began her singing career during the late 1970s, when she appeared on several television shows on PTV as a child artist. Her professional career started at the age of fifteen when she provided the lead vocals for the song Aap Jaisa Koi from the 1980 film Qurbani. Nazia was introduced to the film's director Feroz Khan by his friend in the United Kingdom. The song was a huge success in India and despite Nazia being a Pakistani, she gained overnight fame there. In 1981, Nazia won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback for Aap Jaisa Koi.
1981-1987: Pop Singing
After the success of Aap Jaisa Koi, Qurbani became a big hit and Nazia collaborated with Biddu, a UK-based Indian music producer; who was also the composer of Aap Jaisa Koi, on numerous other projects. In 1981, Nazia became the first playback singer to release an album after the release of her first album, Disco Deewane. The album broke record sales in Pakistan and India and even topped the charts in the West Indies, Latin America and Russia. This album became a mega-hit and Nazia became an established pop singer in Pakistan. This album also had vocals of her brother, Zohaib Hassan.
After the release of Disco Deewane, Nazia and Zoheb were offered by Biddu to act in a movie, but they refused to act and chose singing. Nazia's second album Star/Boom Boom was released in 1982. The soundtrack of the album was used in the movie Star. Nazia made an appearance in the film, singing the film's title song, Boom Boom. The film did not do well at the box office but the album became a successful album and increased the popularity of Nazia and her brother Zoheb in Pakistan and India.
Nazia's third album, Young Tarang was released in 1984. It was the first album in Pakistan to feature music videos. The album sold 40 million copies which set the record of most selling video album of all times. This album became Nazia's most famous album and one of the most popular albums of Asia. Ankhien Milane Wale was the most popular song in the album and became one of the most popular songs in Pakistan and has aired on television numerous times. After the release of Young Tarang, Nazia returned to singing for Bollywood movies as a playback singer.
Nazia's fourth album, Hotline was released in 1987. Aa Haan was the most popular song of this album. It was the second best selling album of Nazia.
1989-1992: Music '89, Camera Camera & Retirement
By the end of the 1980s, Nazia had become the most popular pop singer of Pakistan. In 1988, Nazia and her brother Zoheb appeared with music maestro Sohail Rana in his television program, Sung Sung. In the following year, Nazia and Zoheb hosted the groundbreaking show Music '89. The show was produced by Shoaib Mansoor. It was the first-ever all pop-music stage show airing on television. The show launched the careers of many new rising bands and singers and became a popular show in Pakistan. Nazia hosted another show, Dhanak on PTV in the same year, 1989.
In 1991, Nazia and her brother Zoheb recorded her fifth album, Camera Camera. Before the album's release, Nazia and Zoheb announced during a launching ceremony that it would be their last album. The album was released in 1992. It was not successful like Nazia's previous albums and received average reaction. After the album's release, Nazia left her singing career to focus on her personal life. The composer of her albums, Biddu had composed a song, Made in India and wanted Nazia to sing in it but the retired Nazia refused to sing a song that may offend Pakistan. After Nazia's refusal, the song was offered to Alisha Chinai, who accepted the offer and marked the birth of Indipop.
Legacy
Pakistan's vibrant contemporary music scene owes itself to Nazia Hassan's redefinition of pop. In fact, the biggest nineties bands including the Vital Signs and the Jupiters got a platform on "Music '89". Nazia also had a seismic impact in India. She has contributed to the development of the present isomorphism of Bollywood music and pop: “She set - well ahead of its time - the personal album trend in India”, spawning the likes of Alisha Chinai, Lucky Ali and Shweta Shetty. After the huge success of their music, Nazia and Zoheb were signed by EMI Group and were the first South Asian singers to be signed by an international music company.Besides music, Nazia has the honour of starting a noble trend of working for the under privileged and poor. All their money earned from music was spent for charity. Nazia supported the “Inner Wheel Club” of India to help with funds for them. In Pakistan, an organization “BAN” for fighting against the curse of narcotics was established. She belonged to many charity organizations and worked with her mother Muniza Basir in the low income areas of Karachi to help the needy and sick. Nazia worked with Javed Jabbar, former Information Minister, to raise funds for children in Rajasthan. She went to a very large number of schools to collect toys for the poor children and gave talks on the subject of social awareness for the under privileged. Nazia never forgot the love and support of all the schools and always spoke with great affection for them. The worthy staff and the students of St Joseph’s Convent, Mama Parsi School and many others had gone out of their way to help the cause.
Surprisingly, music was only a hobby for Nazia and though her achievements in this field were any one’s dream come true, she lived away from the glitzy world and led a secluded and simple life. She completed her education in the UK, got a law degree and then worked in the United Nations in the Security Council. Nazia continued her social work even in New York and worked for children from the UN platform.
She is known to be the "Sweetheart of Pakistan". Nazia Hassan is still the symbol of grace, sacred beauty and innocence and is frequently compared to Princess Diana as she was known to possess a heart of gold. Nazia spent her teenage between Karachi and London.
