Nazia Hassan - An Internalized Tribute

What can you say about a thirty-five-year-old lady who died ? That she was beautiful... And as an untrained singer... brilliant.

She burst unsuspectingly on the sub-continent musical pysche at a tender age of 13. Still a schoolgirl, she sang the famous Aap jaisa koi mere Zindagi mein aaye for Feroz Khan's Qurbani.. This song propelled the movie in the top league..The song stayed on the top of the Binaca Geetmala for 14 consecutive weeks & won Nazia her only Filmfare award.

Next year, she teamed up with her brother Zoheb to cut an Album Disco Dewane. This album zoomed to the top of the charts and became an anthem of teeny boomers. The entire class of ours had a collective crush on her. The LP record of hers was the hottest gift item in the early Eighties.

What is amazing that her records sold entirely on word of mouth or rather snatch of ear. Remember there were no publicity vehicles like Video albums, sms, Internet or PR team backing the album. It was the good ole times of Vivid Bharti (A.I.R).

Slowly Nazia receded from our memory till we heard she is getting married..we wished her well.. Then came a rumour of her being afflicted by cancer which sadly turned out to be true. She passed away in Aug' 2000.

Her parents and brother have created a Nazia Hassan foundation, which strives to provide for destitute children and women while promoting harmony between different cultures, traditions and beliefs.