Born in 1965 in Karachi, Nazia Hassan was the most influential and probably the only real female pop singer of the 80s and 90s in both India and Pakistan.

Hassan is mourned today with a vengeance that is far greater than the music she made. The reason is simple; Nazia Hasan had a quality that went beyond talent. She was a star in the true sense of the overused and misunderstood word. Her contribution to music itself may be minimal but her contribution to breaking the shackles of musical orthodoxy cannot be forgotten. Perhaps unwittingly, she was much more than just a singer. And that is why the tragically short life of Hassan is so important

Today marks her birth anniversary. (Click here to read more)

(Excerpt from an article published in the September 2000 edition of Herald)