Nayyara Noor who died of cancer on August 20 was popularly known as Bulbul-e-Pakistan.
by Sheharyar Rizwan
My earliest memory (or at least one that I clearly remember) of Nayyara Noor and her music would have to be her performing her most popular songs ever: roothe ho tum tum ko kaise manaoon piya and tera saya jahan bhi ho sajna on PTV in the late ‘80s. I also remember my mother being a fan and introducing me to Noor’s music. At that time, this unassuming, demure, woman with simple looks, clad in a modest shalwar-qameez-dupatta combo,looking down mostly and singing with such captivating skill sans any nakhra or ada was a stark departure from her blingy sari-clad, though iconic, contemporaries.
One of the last remaining greats, Nayyara Noor, left for her heavenly abode late on August 20 at the age of 71 after a long battle with cancer. May sound cliched, but she will always be remembered through her rich legacy left behind in the form of ghazals, geet, national songs, na’ats and what not! Noor not only sang across genres, but owned whatever she sang. Ghazal was always her forte, though.
Born on November 3, 1950 in Guwahati in the Indian state of Assam where her family had shifted from Amritsar, Nayyara’s mother along with her children immigrated to Karachi in 1957, while her businessman father stayed back to settle some property matters, and came to Pakistan in the early 1990s.
She was discovered by Prof Asrar of Islamia College when, as a student, she sang a Lata Mangeshkar bhajan, jo tum todo piya from Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, during a concert at NCA.
Prof Asrar took her to Radio Pakistan, where she recorded her first ghazal. “Before that I was never serious about singing. Gaana ganay ka nahi sunne ka shauq tha; I was always listening to some song as a child and would try to copy it,” she once said in an interview on PTV.
Noor was a naturally gifted singer. She had received no formal training in music. “I never learnt singing; it was always within me. My family listened to a lot of good music from K.L. Saigal, Pankaj Mullick, Kamala Jhariya, Kanan Devi to Begum Akhtar. We had plenty of their collection at home and everybody would listen to it. I was a restless child, but whenever I heard a good sur (a musical note), I would just stop there,” she told Moneeza Hashmi in the PTV interview.
After beginning with radio in the late 1960s, Noor focused more on television, and sang for some films too. She gained recognition through her appearances on TV shows Taal Matol, Akkar Bakar and Sach Gup, while her foray into films began in 1973 with Gharana, (which also featured one of her most popular songs, tera saya jahan bhi ho sajna) andTansen.
However, it was Aina in 1977 that gave Noor one of the most iconic songs of her career – roothe ho tum tum ko kaisey manaoon piya – composed by the legendary Robin Ghosh.
“Had Robin sahib not migrated to Bangladesh I would have continued to sing for films,” she once said in an interview to the daily Dawn.
Later, she sang for many popular television serials, films and plays like Phool Mere Gulshan Ka (1974), Farz Aur Mamta (1975), Aina (1977), Bobby and Julie (1978) and Dhoop Kinaray (1987).
Besides her TV and film singing, Noor also sang two of Pakistan’s most popular national songs, wattan ki mitti and is parcham ke saaye tale, without which no Independence Day celebration to date is deemed complete. She also has to her credit a very popular naat, aaya hai bulawa mujhe darbar-e-nabi se.
When asked why she didn’t sing much for films, Noor said in the PTV interview that she couldn’t adjust to the different situations in a film she had to sing for, so she became choosy. She also admitted that singing live on stage was very difficult, but the most fun too.
In her TV appearances and live performances too, Noor was very choosy, but when she did perform, she was nothing less than mesmerising. In her own words, she wouldn’t choose to sing the poetry that had no essence, and named veteran composer Arshad Mahmud as someone who knew what she wanted even though she had worked with many composers. Her collaborations with composers Khaleel Ahmad and Nisar Bazmi are also immensely popular.
“The way Arshad composes for me, I’m very comfortable with him. Among the poets, I feel extremely comfortable and connected when I sing Faiz sahib; he is the closest to my heart and I was personally very close to him too,” she once said.
Whatever Noor sang, it was felt in the heart, one could connect with her, the feelings and emotions she was trying to portray. If ever one has to mollify a loved one, you unconsciously rely on her rothe ho tum tum ko or when calling out to a lost love to return, you seek refuge in her mellifluous rendition of kahan ho tum chalay aao. She was there for every emotion you wanted to convey. The consummate ease with which she sang complex poetry set on equally complex compositions, especially ghazals, made her one of the greatest singers from the subcontinent.
And a testament to her effortless brilliance is Behzad Lakhnavi’s ae jazba-e-dil gar main chahun, which is among her most popular ghazals ever, including Momin’s vo jo hum mein tum me qarar tha, Nasir kazmi’s phir sawan rut ki pawan chali and Akhtar Sheerani’s ae ishq hamain barbaad na kar, which were popular not just in Pakistan, but across the border in India too.
The Ahmed Shameem poem kabhi hum khubsurat thay that she sang and was later used as soundtrack for TV serial Teesra Kinara in 1980 is still remembered fondly.
Talking about Noor’s ghazals, it would be a musical blasphemy to ignore her outstanding collaboration with composers Arshad Mahmud and and Shahid Toosy on the album Nayyara Sings Faiz. Produced by Faiz’s son-in-law Shoaib Hashmi with the record company, the album was a gift to the poet on his birthday in 1976 and featured some of Faiz’s masterpiece poems sung effortlessly by Noor, including aaj bazaar mein, mere qaatil mere dildaar mere paas raho, chalo phir se muskurayen and hum ke thehre ajnabi to name a few.
It also featured a duet barkha barse chhat par, which she rendered with her husband Sheharyar Zaidi.
In her career spanning well over two decades, Nayyara won several accolades, including the President’s Pride of Performance in 2006 and Nigar Award as the best female playback singer. She also, deservedly earned the epithet Bulbul-e-Pakistan – The Nightingale of Pakistan.
In an interview, she once said that music was her passion never her priority.
“I was a student and a daughter first and a singer later. After my marriage, my primary roles have been those of a wife and a mother.”
Following her demise, many personalities from the worlds of entertainment and politics took to social media to pay tribute to the Nightingale of Pakistan.
Leading was her longtime collaborator and favourite composer Arshad Mahmud.
“I am deeply sad today on ending of a long association and friendship of almost sixty years with Nayyara Noor. I am trying to forget this day. Remember the time we spent together to achieve what we did and the joy of that journey. She added so much value to my ordinary work,” Mahmud tweeted.
Following her funeral, Noor’s husband and veteran TV actor Sheharyar Zaidi told the media that his wife’s death was a loss for the entire nation, but “my loss is more.”
He said he had shared 49 years with her, adding God had ended her misery as she had been suffering from cancer for over a year.
Actor-producer Rubina Ashraf had told the media outside the Imambargah where the funeral was held that Nayyara’s death was sudden and unexpected for her. “She was a beautiful person, and very close to our hearts.”
Actor, singer and playwright Bushra Ansari said Noor was a beautiful person, and she was sad at losing her. She said Noor had a uniquely sweet voice. “Her simplicity was unmatchable. Her personality and behaviour were simple,” she added.
Singer Zaw Ali, daughter of star singer Sajjad Ali, tweeted how Nayyara had influenced generations of musicians: “Grew up singing watan ki mitti at every annual function/national day. Nayyara Aapa, you’ve impacted generations. One of the most decent and melodious artists to have ever lived. Our entire family loved and esteemed you dearly.”
Musician-actor Ali Zafar recalled his last meeting with the nightingale who had entered a spiritual space in life.
“Heart breaking. I remember our last meeting and discussion at her place. She had moved beyond the worldly desires onto a serene and spiritual space with so much wisdom. She was our nightingale. May her soul rest in peace.”
Singer Meesha Shafi also shared her grief: “RIP our nightingale. Heaven will be richer for your voice.”
Singer and actor Junaid Khan commented how it was a huge loss to the nation. “Indeed a huge loss for the entire nation. Nayyara Noor wasn’t just a part of the fraternity but someone who dedicated and contributed her entire life to what she believed in through her voice.”
Actor-producer Adnan Siddiqui remembered her rendition of Faiz’s poems in his tribute and suggested she be celebrated and not mourned. “Alvida, Bulbul-E-Pakistan. She brought out the poignancy of Faiz sahib’s verses in her own special way. Not mourn her departure rather let’s celebrate her melody.”
Classical singer Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan tweeted: “A wonderful singer and human being, Nayyara Noor ji is no more. She leaves behind the legacy of her beautiful music. Inna-lillahe-waina-ilahe-rajeoon #NayyaraNoor.”
Actor Fahad Mustafa commented how big a loss it was to process.
“Love, respect and prayers to our Nightingale, Nayyara Noor Ji, your voice will forever live in our hearts and soul. It’s hard to process such a loss and put it into right words.”
Veteran actor and host Samina Peerzada shared: “I’m heartbroken. A sad day for Pakistan we’ve lost our nightingale Nayyara Noor forever. RIP my angel.”
