Nadira Begum ( ur, ), better known by her pseudonym title, Munni Begum ( ur, ) is a Pakistani vocalist and ghazal singer.
Early life
Munni Begum was born Nadira Begum in
Murshidabad
Murshidabad fa, مرشد آباد (, or ) is a historical city in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located on the eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River, a distributary of the Ganges. It forms part of the Murshidabad district.
During ...
(now in
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fourt ...
, India) in 1946. The third child of seven children. She first started taking music lessons from the famous singer Ustad Khwaja Ghulam Mustafa Warsi. It was this music teacher who gave her this professional name due to her small size and young age. Subsequently, she studied in the school of music for three years, and thereafter, she launched her career.
Her parents migrated from India to
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a Pakistani province established in 1955 by the One Unit Scheme, One Unit Policy, renaming the province as such from East Bengal, which, in modern times, is split between India and Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India ...
in the early 1950s. East Pakistan later became independent
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
Dacca
Dhaka ( or ; bn, ঢাকা, Ḍhākā, ), formerly known as Dacca, is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh, as well as the world's largest Bengali-speaking city. It is the eighth largest and sixth most densely populated city i ...
; however, she moved to
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
, West Pakistan due to
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...
of 1971.
Career
Munni Begum began her career as a singer in
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
, Pakistan in the 1970s. She released her first album of ghazals in 1976. Then she sang many more hit ghazals and thus became a renowned ghazal singer of Pakistan. In her news media interviews, she always was quick-witted and bold. Even though
Urdu language
Urdu (;"Urdu" ''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. ur, , link=no, ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, In ...
was not her mother tongue, she showed a remarkable talent for choosing
ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
s with simple language. This was very effective and became one of the reasons of her popularity among common people. The other reasons for her popularity were that she had a voice characterized by its clarity and strength. In the 1980s, Munni Begum's rise coincided with the rapid growth of a then new technology, the cassette tape. Cassette tape prices were cheap compared to the old technology of vinyl records. On top of that, Munni Begum had a rich voice with many shades. She also was a good
harmonium
The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...
player.
Personal life
Munni Begum was married in the 1980s which resulted in a divorce in 1998. She has two daughters, Muniba Hasnain and Minara Umer, and one son Syed Mohammad Asad Ali. As of 2016, she lives in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, United States and does not perform regularly.
Notable ghazals
As for Munni Begum's hit ghazals, the list is very long. Some of these are:
* Lazzat-e-Ghum Badhaa Dijeay
* Jhoom Barabar Jhoom Sharabi
* Har Qadam Zehmatein
* Tumhare Sheher Ka Mausam Bada Suhana Lage (lyrics by poet QAISARUL JAFRI
* Ek Bar Muskura Do
* Awaargi Mein Had Se Guzar Jaana Chahiye
* Chahat MaeN Kya Dunya Dari, Ishq MaeN Kaisi Majboori
* Bewafa Se Bhi Pyar Hota Hai
* Bhoolne Wale Se Koi Kehde
* Dil Ko Hale Karar Mein Dekha
* Kisi kay Gham May Waqar Khona
* Idhar Zindagi Ka Janaza Uthey Ga (lyrics by poet:
Tabish Dehlvi
Syed Masood-ul-Hasan Tabish Dehlvi, TI, ( ur, ) (born November 9, 1913 - September 23, 2004) was an Urdu poet.
Biography
Born on November 9, 1911 in Delhi as Syed Masood-ul-Hasan Tabish Dehlvi to Munshi Zakaullah and a mother "who had memoris ...
)
* Bhujhi Hoi Shama Ka Dhuaan Hun
* Mareez-e-Mohabbat Unhi Ka Fasana
* Laa Pilaade Saaqiya
* Yeh Hai Maikadah Yahan Rind Hain
* Jo fareb mein ne khaya tujhe razdan samajh kar
* Ay ishq hamen itna to bata anjam hamara kia ho ga
* Dil ki bat labon par la kar ab tak hum dukh sehtey hein
* Hum ne hasraton ke daagh aansuon se dho lie
* Merey saqia mujhe bhool ja
* Kab mera nasheman ahl-e-chaman
* Ay merey hamnashin chal kahin aur chal
* Asman se utara gia
* Hamee charagh ki lao hein
* Pyar ki mun mein jote jagae aik zamana beet gia
* Yeh sila mila he mujh ko teri dosti ke peechey
* Mein nazar se pee raha hoon yeh sama badal na jae
* Tum poocho aur mein na bataoon aisey tu halat nahin
* Josh darya mein tha kis qadar alaman
* Teri anjuman mein zalim ajab ehtamam dekha
* Sharab la sharab la
* Dekh kar dar-o-kahba ki ranginian
* Teri soorat nigahon mein phirti rahe
* Yahan tangi-e-qafas he
* Meri dastan-e-hasrat wo suna suna ke roey
* Botal khuli hey raqs mein jaam-e-sharab hey
Discography
* Munni Begum Khoobsurat Ghazlein Vol 1
* Awargi Vol. 28
* Meri Pasand Vol. 1
* Meri Pasand Vol. 2
* Masti Mein Surahi Jhoomti Hai Vol. 1
* Masti Mein Surahi Jhoomti Hai Vol. 2
* An Evening With Munni Begum
* New Ghazals Vol. 26
* Munni Begum Vol. 21
* Munni Begum Vol. 20
* Sham-E-Ghazal
* Meri Pasand
* Munni Begum
* Munni Begum In Concert Vol. 4
* Munni Begum In Concert Vol. 3
* Munni Begum In Concert Vol. 2
* Munni Begum In Concert Vol. 1
* Intoxicating Munni Begum
* Munni Begum - Sentimental Collection
Awards and recognition
*
Pride of Performance
The Pride of Performance ( ur, ), officially known as Presidential Pride of Performance, is an award bestowed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to recognize people with "notable achievements in the field of art, science, literature, sports, an ...
Award (2008) by the
Governor of Sindh
The governor of Sindh is the appointed head of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. The office of the governor as the head of the province is largely a ceremonial position; the executive powers lie with the Chief Minister of Sindh, chief minister and t ...
on behalf of the
President of Pakistan
The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.Jigar Moradabadi