Bio of Iqbal Bano
Iqbal Bano was born in 1935 in Delhi. She was a musical ghazal singer from Pakistan. She was famous and recognized for her semi-classical Urdu ghazal songs and classical thumris and sang easy-listening numbers in the films of the 1950s. Iqbal Bano’s renowned work includes her singing of ghazals of the great Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. She received the Pride of Performance award in 1975.
This article contains all the information about Iqbal Bano, including her career, early life, and death.
The early life of Iqbal Bano
Iqbal Bano was born in 1935 in Delhi, British India. At a very young age, she realized her love for music. It was a significant time in her life. Once her friend’s father told Bano’s father, “My daughters do sing honestly well, but Iqbal Bano is uniquely endowed in singing. She will become a big star if you start her training.”
Her father permitted her to study music. Then, she spent her childhood years in Rohtak, near Delhi. In Delhi, she was training under Ustad Sabri Khan and Ustad Chaand Khan of the Delhi Gharana, who were experts in all kinds of real classical and lighted classical styles of singing music.
He trained her in pure classical music and lighted classical music within the classical styles of thumri and Dadra. She was initiated perfectly into Ganda-bandh shagird (It is a standard term, which means Ganda-bandh is a traditional knot-tying-ceremony which strengthens the bond between guru and disciple) of her Ustad.
The career of Iqbal Bano
Ustad Chand Khan referred her to All India Radio, Delhi, where she sang on the radio and recorded her first song. In 1952, she emigrated to Pakistan at 17 and got married to a landed family in Multan, Pakistan. She shifted to Multan with her husband, who promised her that he would never stop her from singing but would instead encourage and promote her. Until the 1950s, he sang soundtracks for popular Pakistani Urdu films such as Gomana (1954), Qateel (1955), Intaqam (1955), Sarfroosh (1956), Ishq-e-Laila (1957), and was a ‘singing star’ until the 1950s. Became and Nagan (1959).
Her husband died in the year 1980, after which she moved from Multan to Lahore. Many music critics observed that his temperament was particularly suited to sound genres such as Tomari, Dadra, and Ghazal. According to the BBC News website, “Very few classical music singers have matched their vocals and the rhythm of their command on the musical note.”
Later, Radio Pakistan invited Iqbal Bano for a classical performance on the radio. Its first public meeting was held in 1957 at the Lahore Arts Council.
She is considered an expert in singing the lyrics of Lenin Award-winning poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. In 1985, Bano, while singing a passionate Urdu anthem of Faiz, Hum Dekenga (We Will See), stopped a massive crowd of 50,000 people in Lahore. Al-Haq’s army banned the poet’s work.
Government based on close ties with Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. In particular, she created more and more public appeal, became an expert in singing Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Kalam, and had the moral courage to violate the government ban on singing Faiz’s poems. His provocative ghazals are considered an act of disbelief and resistance.
She was considered one of the best singers of Nasir Kazmi’s ghazals. She also sang Persian poetry, which became popular in Iran and Afghanistan.
In pre-1979 Afghanistan, they were often invited to the annual cultural festival, Jashan-Kabul. In light classics, Raga Khamaj (Kahe Sate Moye), Raga Tilak Kamod (Sutan Ghar Na Ja), Raga Des (Nahi Pare Moe China), Raga Pelo (Gori as Nina Kajar Bin Kare), and others like her Exhibition of Thomas. Rendering that has become an evergreen classic.
Music fans noticed some similarities between Iqbal Bano and Begum Akhtar, especially in their singing style. Banu’s recitation is based on the classical style, which puts more pressure on the melody’s purity.
Awards of Iqbal Bano
- The President of Pakistan awarded her the Pride of Performance Award in 1974.
Death of Iqbal Bano
Iqbal Bano died in Lahore, Pakistan, on 21 April 2009, due to illness at 74.
Tribute to Iqbal Bano
On 28 December 2019, Google celebrated her 81st birthday (as she was born in 1938) with a Google Doodle. Nonetheless, some other references indicate her birth date as the 27th of August.
