Web Desk: The 15th death anniversary of versatile singer Iqbal Bano is being observed today.
Iqbal Bano was born in the Indian city of Rohtak in 1935.
She was trained in the art of singing by Ustad Chand Ali Khan.She began her professional singing career in 1950 from Radio Pakistan.
She was known for her semi-classical Urdu Ghazals songs and classical thumris, but also sang easy-listening numbers in the 1950s films.
Iqbal Bano was a star by the 1950s, singing soundtrack songs for famous Urdu films like Gumnaam, Qatil, Inteqaam, Sarfarosh and Nagin.
It was observed by many music critics that her temperament was particularly suited to vocal genres like thumri, dadra, and ghazal.
According to a British News website, “Few singers of classical music matched the brilliance of her voice and her command over musical notes”.
Iqbal Bano is regarded as an accomplished ghazal singer around the world who took the sub-continental ghazal singing to new heights.
Her repertoire include ghazals of numerous poets including the great Mirza Ghalib (Muddat Hoi Hai Yaar Ko), Quli Qutub Shah (Piya Baaj Piyala, Piya Baaj Jaay Na), Baqi Siddiqui (Daagh e Dil Humko Yaad Anay Lagay),Daagh Dehlvi (Tere Wade Ko – Daag), Nasir Kazmi (Kuchh To Ehsas-e-Ziyan Tha Pahle) and Ahmed Faraz (Ranjish Hi Sahi).
However, in her later career she was recognized particularly for singing ghazals of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, a Lenin Prize-winning poet,such as Aaiye Haath Uthaen, Mere Dil Mere Musafir, Yeh Mausam-e-Gul, Rang Pairahan Ka, Na Ganwao Nawak-e-Neem Kash amongst others.
Her rendition of Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s Dasht-e-Tanhai Mein has become a timeless classic.
In addition to Urdu, she also sang in Saraiki, Punjabi and Persian, the latter introducing her to audiences outside the sub-continent in Iran and Afghanistan. In pre-1979 Afghanistan, she was often invited to the annual cultural fair, the Jashn-e-Kabul.
In light classical, her presentation of Thumris in Raag Khamaj (Kaahe Sataye Mohey), Raag Tilak Kamod (Sautan Ghar Na Ja), Raag Des (Nahin Pare Mohe Chain), Raag Pilu (Gori Tore Naina Kajar Bin Kaare) and other such renderings which have become ever-green classics.
Iqbal Bano was well known for her versatility as a singer and vocalist; she was not only at ease with classical, light-classical, film and popular music but also rendered her classical training to folk songs.
Music lovers noted some similarities between Iqbal Bano and Begum Akhtar,[5] especially some marked resemblances in their styles of singing.
Bano’s recitals stuck to a classical style that lays more stress on the raag purity.
She was decorated with many national awards including the Pride of Performance.
She died on this date in Lahore in 2009.
