PinkyGul Heroines
Abida Parveen is one of the giants of Sufi music, the spirited singer maybe the greatest of her generation, who has moved millions of people across the world by the way she recites the poetry of the saints. Well versed in Sindhi, Punjabi, Saraiki, Urdu and Persian – Abida transcends the barriers of language with her diverse repertoire of songs that pierce through the soul of the listener.
The versatile singer is primarily a singer of ghazals, and plays multiple instruments.Born into a family that boasts of a rich musical legacy, she was introduced to the world of Sufism and music at a young age. Her father recognized the potential his daughter possessed and personally trained her in music when she was young. She started singing when she was three and displayed such a deep love for music that her father decided to defy tradition and chose her as his musical heir over his two sons.
Her career began in the early seventies when she began performing at Dargahs and Urs. However, her big break came after a Sindhi song she sang on Pakistan Radio managed to become a hit. Her vocal skills impressed the audiences so much that she was asked to become a permanent fixture on Radio Pakistan for as long as she wanted.
Among her many accolades, she received the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the third highest honor and civilian award in the State of Pakistan, in 2005. She also received Pakistan’s second highest civilian award, the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, which was bestowed by the President of Pakistan in 2012.
She travels internationally, often performing at sold-out venues. Her 1988 performance in Chicago was recorded by the Hazrat Amir Khusrau Society of Art and Culture, which issued a LP of her songs. Her 1989 performance in London’s Wembley Conference Centre was broadcast on the BBC. Parveen cites her motivation for international travel as being to spread Sufism, peace and the divine message. In doing so, she also promotes Pakistani culture.
Like every pop icon, she maintains a distinctive musical identity encompassing the mastery of the pump organ, keyboard, harmonium, and sitar, not to mention singing live. She also sings in not one, not two, but seven languages: Urdu, Sindhi, Persian, Nepali, Punjabi, Arabic, and Saraiki.
PinkyGul Heroines
Abida Parveen is one of the giants of Sufi music, the spirited singer maybe the greatest of her generation, who has moved millions of people across the world by the way she recites the poetry of the saints. Well versed in Sindhi, Punjabi, Saraiki, Urdu and Persian – Abida transcends the barriers of language with her diverse repertoire of songs that pierce through the soul of the listener.
The versatile singer is primarily a singer of ghazals, and plays multiple instruments.Born into a family that boasts of a rich musical legacy, she was introduced to the world of Sufism and music at a young age. Her father recognized the potential his daughter possessed and personally trained her in music when she was young. She started singing when she was three and displayed such a deep love for music that her father decided to defy tradition and chose her as his musical heir over his two sons.
Her career began in the early seventies when she began performing at Dargahs and Urs. However, her big break came after a Sindhi song she sang on Pakistan Radio managed to become a hit. Her vocal skills impressed the audiences so much that she was asked to become a permanent fixture on Radio Pakistan for as long as she wanted.
Among her many accolades, she received the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, the third highest honor and civilian award in the State of Pakistan, in 2005. She also received Pakistan’s second highest civilian award, the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, which was bestowed by the President of Pakistan in 2012.
She travels internationally, often performing at sold-out venues. Her 1988 performance in Chicago was recorded by the Hazrat Amir Khusrau Society of Art and Culture, which issued a LP of her songs. Her 1989 performance in London’s Wembley Conference Centre was broadcast on the BBC. Parveen cites her motivation for international travel as being to spread Sufism, peace and the divine message. In doing so, she also promotes Pakistani culture.
Like every pop icon, she maintains a distinctive musical identity encompassing the mastery of the pump organ, keyboard, harmonium, and sitar, not to mention singing live. She also sings in not one, not two, but seven languages: Urdu, Sindhi, Persian, Nepali, Punjabi, Arabic, and Saraiki.
