Nayyara Noor

Nayyara Noor
Born	3 November 1950 Assam
Origin	Pakistani
Genres	Ghazal singing, film Playback singing
Occupation(s)	Playback singer
Instruments	Vocalist
Years active	1971–2012

Nayyara Noor (Urdu: نیرہ نور ‎) is a Pakistani playback singer who is considered to be one of South Asia's popular film songs playback singer and a stage performer in the live ghazal singing concerts on Pakistan Television shows or in concert halls in the country mainly active from 1971-2012.

Biography

Nayyara Noor was born in 1950 in Assam, India. Her ancestors and family were a merchant class hailing originally from Amritsar, Punjab, British India who had settled in Guwahati in Assam State in the North-Eastern India. Her father was an active member of the All-India Muslim League and had played host to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,leader of the ongoing movement for creating a new country called Pakistan, on his trip to Assam before the Partition of India in 1947.It was in 1957 (or 1958,Nayyara Noor is not sure) that her mother with 7 year old Nayyara Noor and her siblings migrated to Pakistan and settled down in Lahore, Pakistan.Her father had to stay back in Assam until 1993 because he wanted to sell-off his properties in Assam before migrating to Pakistan to join the rest of his family. As a child, Nayyara is said to have been inspired by the bhajans of Kanan Devi and Kamla as well as the ghazals and thumris of Begum Akhtar.

Although Nayyara had no formal musical background nor formal training, she was discovered by Professor Israr at the Islamia College in Lahore after hearing her sing for her friends and teachers at an annual dinner at the National College of Arts in Lahore in 1968. Soon thereafter, she was asked to sing for the university's Radio Pakistan programs.

In 1971, Nayyara made her public singing debut in Pakistani television serials and then beginning with films like Gharana (1973) and Tansen. She has since sung ghazals penned by the likes of Ghalib and Faiz Ahmed Faiz and has performed with legends like Mehdi Hassan and Ahmed Rushdi. She has won three gold medals in the All Pakistan Music Conference and a Nigar Award for best playback female singer in film Gharana (1973). She has since performed at countless mehfils and mushairas having cemented a following among ghazal lovers in Pakistan and India. Probably the most famous ghazal of hers (a form of song in Urdu poetry) was ae jazba- e- dil gar main chahoon, written by Behzad Lakhnavi (1900-1974), a renowned poet of Urdu Naats & Ghazals, scriptwriter and song writer of Radio Pakistan.Nayyara Noor later won many awards for this ghazal.

Singing career

She is a versatile singer & following are some all time (Non-film) great ghazals recorded in her voice:

• 'Rang barsaat nay bharay kuchh tou' (poet: Nasir Kazmi: Nayyara's favorite poet)
• 'Phir sawan ruth ki pawan chali' (poet: Nasir Kazmi)
• 'Aye ishq hamay barbaad na kar':(Nazm, poet: Akhtar Shirani, composer: Khalil Ahmed- A Pakistan Television production
• 'Barkha Barsay Chhat Per, Mein Teray Sapnay Deikhuun' ( poet: Faiz Ahmed Faiz- A Pakistan Television production

- Nayyara believes that Ibn-e-Insha's ghazals carry a unique pathos:

• 'Jal tau jalao gori' (poet: Ibn-e-Insha)

National song in Nayyara's voice:

• 'Watan ki mitti gawah rehna' is widely listened to from Karachi to Khyber,Pakistan.

During her long singing career, she has sung ghazals, geet, nazm and national songs. Sober and shy, she has always maintained her high singing standards from the beginning. She has also recorded hundreds of songs for the Pakistani films.

Nayyara Noor's super-hit film songs

Song Title	Lyrics by	Music by	Film and Year
Tera Saaya Jahan Bhi Ho Sajana,Palkain Bichhauun	Kaleem Usmani	M Ashraf	film Gharana (1973)
Aaj Gham Hai Tau Kya,Woh Din Bhi Zaroor Aaeiga,Jab Tera Gham Khushi Mein Badal Jaaega	Khawaja Pervez	Kamal Ahmad	film Mastana (1973)
Roothay Ho Tum,Tumko Kaisay Manauun Piya,Bolo Na	Taslim Fazli	Robin Ghosh	Aina (1977 film)
Mujhay Dil Sey Na Bhulana,Chaahay Rokay Zamana	Taslim Fazli	Robin Ghosh	Aina (1977 film)
Iss Parcham Kay Saaey Talay Hum Eik Hain	Kaleem Usmani	M Ashraf	film Farz Aur Mamta (1975)
Bol Ree Gurria Bol	Masroor Anwar	Nisar Bazmi	film Aas (1973)

• 'Too hee bata, pagli pawan (1974 film: 'Phool meray gulshan ka' lyricist: Masroor Anwar Music: M Ashraf)
• 'Itna bhi na chaho mujhay' (1974 film: 'Parda na uthao')

Some tragic numbers like the following:

• 'Toot gaya sapna'(1974 film:'Subha ka tara' music:Kamal Ahmad)

Nayyara's versatile voice touches the hearts of her fans in Pakistan and across the borders in India. More of her super- hit film songs are listed below:

• 'Ik ajnabi chehray'(film:'Baghi Haseena')
• 'Mera pyar tumhe ho'(1975 film: 'Farz aur mamta' lyricist:Kaleem Usmani music:M Ashraf)
• 'Mausum tau diwana hai'(1975 film: 'Dou saathi' lyricist:Tasleem Fazli,music:Robin Ghosh)
• 'Tera pyar bun kay Aaye' (1974 film: 'Bhool' lyricist:Khawaja Pervez,music:Robin Ghosh)
• 'Zara meri nabz deikh kar'(1975 film: 'Ajnabi' lyricist:Tasleem Fazli music:Nisar Bazmi)
• 'Phool bun ja-oon gee' (film: 'Qismath')
• 'Kuchh loag mohabbat ka sila' (film: 'Gumrah')

Nayyara's innumerable admirers look forward to listening to her melodious voice for many years to come from her recordings.However,Nayyara Noor officially announced in 2012 that she no longer will sing professionally.

Related information

• Her younger son Jaffer is the lead vocalist of Kaavish music band, while the elder son Naad-e-Ali has started his debut as a solo singer.

External links

• Nayyara Noor at the Internet Movie Database, Nayyara Noor Filmography on IMDb website, Retrieved 24 Nov 2015