Reminiscing Nazia Hassan – The Pop Queen Who Never Died!

(@mahnoorsheikh03)

Reminiscing Nazia Hassan – the pop queen who never died!

Too young, too charming, too bewitching – She was not only the queen of pop music but the queen of hearts as well

Mahnoor Sheikh: In what would have been her 53rd birthday, Google pays a beautiful tribute to our pop icon Nazia Hassan with a Doodle that reads: "When young Pakistani girls in the 1980s closed their eyes and clutched a pretend mic in their hands, swaying and singing, a major inspiration was Nazia Hassan". Google surely knows it – Nazia Hassan has always been an inspiration for the girls in Pakistan and pop music lovers around the world.

Too young, too charming, too bewitching – She was not only the queen of pop music but the queen of hearts as well. But as sad as it could be, she left too early. Battling with lungs cancer for long, she died at the young age of 35, leaving many hearts broken and many eyes teary. Since then, the vacuum she left in the music industry has remained unfilled but the songs she sung echo forever. Starting with ‘Aap jaisa koi’ featured in Bollywood movie Qurbani to ‘Dua ye karo’ and ‘Teri yaad’, Nazia has given us many songs to cherish forever.

Her hits Disco deewaney, Aankhein milaney waley, Dosti, Dil ki lagi, Sun maire mehboob sun, takes one to her eternal musical journey bringing back memories that lie somewhat suppressed in the head. Being the first Pakistani and the youngest recipient of Filmfare Award, Nazia’s short journey is marked with many achievements. She was a foreign qualified and a lawyer who also had the opportunity to work for United Nations Security Council.

She was awarded with Pakistan's highest civilian Pride of Performance award. Not only that, her activism and philanthropy led her to become the cultural ambassador of United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) . She did not only have a melodious voice, she was a beautiful soul too. Reaching the climax of her musical career during 80’s and 90’s, she left a glorious mark in the sub-continental history. Her music is still listened to and celebrated across the world.

As much tribute is paid to her for her amazing contribution to the world of music is less as such legends are not born every day. She was one in kind and this kind has never emerged since. Taking lead from Google, the people and Government of Pakistan should also arrange a tribute for the pop queen as it is the heroes of Pakistan that are its true ambassadors and real pride. Nazia’s voice still remains in our hearts and we love how she was as a singer and a human. This day, the Google Doodle has reminded us and the world of her short-lived glory but the tunes and melodies she left will surely endure for generations to come.

Mahnoor Sheikh

The writer is News Editor, Pakistan Point. She has graduated in Mass Communication and has worked in various media houses