, background = solo_singer
, image = Naghma 2010-3.jpgborder
, caption = Naghma singing during the 2010
Nowruz
Nowruz ( fa, نوروز, ; ), zh, 诺鲁孜节, ug, نەۋروز, ka, ნოვრუზ, ku, Newroz, he, נורוז, kk, Наурыз, ky, Нооруз, mn, Наурыз, ur, نوروز, tg, Наврӯз, tr, Nevruz, tk, Nowruz, ...
celebration at
Fairplex
Fairplex has been the home of the L.A. County Fair since 1922. Known prior to 1984 as the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, it is located in the city of Pomona, California. The L.A. County Fair is held during the month of May since 2022, but the fa ...
in
Pomona, California
Pomona is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 151,713. The main campus of California State Polyte ...
, birth_name = Shaperei (''
Fairy
A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, ...
'')
, birth_date =
, birth_place =
Kandahar Province
Kandahār ( ps, ; Kandahār, prs, ; ''Qandahār'') is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the southern part of the country, sharing a border with Pakistan, to the south. It is surrounded by Helmand in the west, Uruzgan ...
,
Kingdom of Afghanistan
The Kingdom of Afghanistan ( ps, , Dǝ Afġānistān wākmanān; prs, پادشاهی افغانستان, Pādešāhī-ye Afġānistān) was a constitutional monarchy in Central Asia established in 1926 as a successor state to the Emirate of Af ...
, genre =
Folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
, Pop
, years_active = 1980–present
, label = Afghan Vision Records
Ariana Records
Naghma Shaperai (
Pashto
Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani ().
Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official languages ...
: نغمه ښاپېرۍ, born 1 January 1951 in
Paktia Province
Paktia (Pashto/Dari: – ''Paktyā'') is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the east of the country. Forming part of the larger Loya Paktia region, Paktia Province is divided into 15 districts and has a population of roughly 6 ...
, Afghanistan) is an Afghan singer who started her career in the early 1980s. She sung along her ex-husband,
Mangal
Mangal Rajgan (or Manghal, Mangla) is a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
People with the given name
*Mangal (singer), Afghan singer
*Mangal Bagh (born 1973), Pakistani militant leader
*Mangal Dhillon, Indian actor ...
, during the 1980s and early 1990s. Naghma sings mostly in
Pashto
Pashto (,; , ) is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani ().
Spoken as a native language mostly by ethnic Pashtuns, it is one of the two official languages ...
, but has also recorded in the
Dari Persian
Dari (, , ), also known as Dari Persian (, ), is the Variety (linguistics), variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. Dari is the term officially recognised and promoted since 1964 by the Politics of Afghanistan, Afghan government ...
language. She is considered to be folklore female artist in Afghanistan and continues to be the voice and face of
Pashtun traditional music.
Biography
Naghma was born as Shaperai (Pashto: ښاپېرۍ meaning Head Fairy) on 1 January 1951 in paktia Afghanistan,She was the eldest daughter in a family of five boys and three girls. Her father's name was Syed Suleiman Shah and her mother is Bibi Mashala. Her father died when Naghma was five years old. As a young girl, she developed an interest in music. At sixteen she moved to
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
with her paternal uncle. She continued her secondary education at
Rabia Balkhi Lece where she was performing in the girl's band as a vocalist. A year before finishing her high school she married Mangal, an already popular Pashto singer from
Laghman Province
Laghman (Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the eastern part of the country. It has a population of about 502,148, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a rural society. Laghman hosts a large number of historical landmarks, m ...
, and left school to advance her musical career. They were instant celebrities, recording hits that are famous to this day. Her early songs were based on southern Afghan music, most of which were folkloric in nature.
Eventually they settled in
Islamabad
Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...
, Pakistan. There, they became very successful with an enthusiastic crowd of Afghan exiles who were nostalgic for their native music. Their financial situation by this time had improved significantly. In 2000, they left Pakistan and immigrated to the United States.
The couple connected with the
Afghan community of
Northern California
Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...
. In 2006 they divorced. Naghma remarried after her divorce to a man from
Logar Province
Logar (Pashto/Dari: ; meaning Greater Mountain ( لوې غر)) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan located in the eastern section of the country. It is divided into 7 districts and contains hundreds of villages. Puli Alam is the capital of ...
.
In March 2014, she became the first Afghan to receive the
Tamgha-e-Imtiaz
Tamgha-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, is a state-organised honour of Pakistan. It is given to any civilian in Pakistan based on their achievements. While it is a civilian/military award, it can be bestowed upon officers of the P ...
and the
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 ...
, the highest Pakistani Presidential Awards handed to artists, sportsmen, scientists, and writers. It was a proud moment for Naghma who has always been a strong voice for the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Naghma encourages Afghan refugees to try and go back to Afghanistan through her aid work and music to rebuild the country.
Discography
She has recorded over 500 songs in a period of 32 years in Afghanistan, Pakistan and also in the United States.
''This list is incomplete''
Album: Bachi Hamsaya
* '' Bachi Hamsaya ''
* '' Aros ''
* '' O Bacha ''
* '' Maida Maida ''
* '' Nazi Jan ''
* '' Ba Yin Sazi Mahali ''
* '' Ghataghani ''
* '' Shekesta Chelamey''
* '' Imroz ''
* '' Tu Ra Meparastam ''
* '' O Dilbar Janim ''
* '' O Bacha ''
* '' Jama Narinje ''
Album: Best Of Naghma
* '' Charsi Halika Stargi ''
* '' Janana ke Pashton ''
* '' Halka Daroghjan Mee ''
* '' Raghlay Yama Damor ''
* '' Za Ba Gidi Rawdim ''
* '' Chita Che Zi Mat ''
* '' Raza Da Zandgi Sra ''
* '' Yara Rana Wrak Nashi ''
* '' Janana Rasha Da Shamali ''
* '' Hagha Sra Oshan ''
* '' Allah Wi Zamazda ''
Album: Kabul Nazaneen
* '' Salam Afghanistan ''
* '' Delbar Jan ''
* '' Ghataghani ''
* '' Yaram Nest ''
* '' Darbigeri ''
* '' O Dilbar Janam ''
* '' Nazi Jan ''
* '' O Bachi Afghan ''
* '' Maida Maida Baran ''
* '' Em Roz Che Roz Ast ''
Album: O Khoda Jan
* '' Az America Wa Alman ''
* '' O Khuda Jan ''
* '' Sharshara Baran ''
* '' Shab Amadam ''
* '' Bebe Roko Jan ''
* '' Kashki Ma ''
* '' Man Dokhtari Sherazam ''
* '' Mara Az Ashiqi Bas ''
* '' Mohabat ''
* '' Pesta Forosh ''
Popular Singles:
* '' Mazdigar De Ka Nade ''
* '' O Bacha Jane Bacha ''
* '' Lalaya Hawa Baza ''
* '' Kandahar Halika ''
* '' Adam Khana Charsi ''
* '' Mohabbat ''
* '' Mohabbat (Slow Version) ''
* '' Lalo Lalo ''
* '' Mala Chal Ne Razi ''
* '' Akh Janan Me Laro ''
* '' Zma Afghanistana''
* '' Loya Khudaya ''
* '' Orbal Chapa Kra Bya Rasta ''
* '' Akhshe na ni na (Attan De Gada Da)''
* '' Mubarak Di Sha Akhtar ''
* '' Lalai de ''
* '' Dilbar Zalim Zalim ''
* '' Wa Grana ''
* '' Nor e Newranawo ''
* '' Ay Da Watan Da Abay Roka Zoya ''
* '' Afghani Mashoma ''
;Contributing artist
* ''
The Rough Guide To The Music Of Afghanistan'', 2010
References
External links
{{Authority control
1964 births
Living people
20th-century Afghan women singers
Recipients of the Pride of Performance
Pashtun women
Afghan expatriate musicians in Pakistan
Recipients of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz
21st-century Afghan women singers