The Queen Of South Asian Pop Music: Nazia Hassan

However, the parallel cinema and another unlikely protagonist - music - saved the era from being seen as an anomaly. The 80s introduced a new musical idiom with wicked stylisations and thumping beats accentuated by shiny clothes and disco balls. A star emerged that left behind an indelible legacy transforming music globally.



Nazia Hassan, born in Karachi, Pakistan, completely overturned the music industry. Before her, the pop industry in the Indian subcontinent was practically non-existent.

Indian actor, director and producer, Feroz Khan was the instigator who brought together the unlikely talents for his 1980 film ‘Qurbani’. A 15-year-old girl and an established producer who had uprooted himself from India and made their base in London named Biddu Appaiah. He was already famous for his disco records like Carl Douglas’s ‘Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting.’

‘Aap Jaisa Koi’ is the first single that marks the start of a journey that changed the course of not just the pop star but the genre itself.



Hassan was raised between Karachi and London. Stardom was unanticipated. It was also unlikely. Hassan became the first Pakistani artist to win a Filmfare award for Qurbani. Alongside her brother and regular collaborator, Zoheb, she released the album Disco Deewane (1981), again composed by Biddu.



The album became a massive hit, adored by people on both sides of the border. The album allegedly sold out on its release in Mumbai. A teenager had transcended identity, and somehow found the love of two countries that were often portrayed as rivals. Hassan even used her abilities to advocate several humanitarian causes.

Nazia Hassan went on to release four more albums in her career - Boom Boom (1982), Young Tarang (1984), Hotline (1987) and Camera Camera (1992).

Unfortunately, Nazia Hassan's life was marred by a terminal illness when she was in the prime of her life. She battled cancer and tragically passed away in the year 2000.

Read more: Disco Culture in India
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