Abida Parveen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Abida Parveen NI HI SI PP
عابده پروين
Abida Parveen in 2016
Born	(1954-02-20) 20 February 1954 (age 71) Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan
Other names	Living legend of Pakistan Queen of Sufi music
Occupation	Singer musician entrepreneur composer
Musical career
Origin	Pakistan
Genres	Sufi kafi ghazal qawwali
Instruments	Vocals harmonium percussions
Years active	1973–present
Labels	Coke studio, PTV, etc
Associated acts	Coke Studio, Jahan-e-Khusrau, Bulleh Shah, Mobilink, Telenor, Alfllah, Pakistan Television Corporation

Abida Parveen (Sindhi: عابده پروين‎; Urdu: عابدہ پروین; born 20 February 1954) is a famous Pakistani singer, composer, and musician. She is especially known for her Sufi music, which is a spiritual type of music. Abida Parveen is one of the highest-paid singers in Pakistan. Her amazing singing has earned her many awards, and she is often called the Queen of Sufi music.

Abida Parveen grew up in Larkana, Pakistan, in a Sindhi Sufi family. Her father, Ustad Ghulam Haider, was a well-known singer and music teacher who taught her. She can play instruments like the Pump organ, Keyboard, and Sitar. Parveen started performing in the early 1970s and became famous around the world in the 1990s. Since 1993, she has performed in many countries, including her first international concert in California, USA. She has also sung in churches several times.

Abida Parveen is a regular performer on Pakistan's popular music show, Coke Studio. She was also a judge on the TV show Sur Kshetra, which featured singers from South Asia. She has appeared on other music shows in India and Pakistan, like Pakistan Idol. She even sang in a Pepsi advertisement with singer Atif Aslam.

Many people consider Abida Parveen to be one of the world's greatest spiritual singers. She sings different styles of music, including ghazals, qawwali, and her special style called kafi. Kafi is a solo singing style with percussion and harmonium instruments. She sings songs written by Sufi poets in many languages, such as Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Arabic, and Persian. In 2017, she was named a 'Peace Ambassador' by SAARC, an organization of South Asian countries.

Parveen is famous for her strong and emotional voice. She is well-known for songs like Yaar ko Humne and Tere Ishq Nachaya. The song Tere Ishq Nachaya is based on the poetry of Bulleh Shah, a famous Sufi poet. She has received Pakistan's second-highest civilian award, Hilal-e-Imtiaz, in 2012. In March 2021, she received the highest civilian award, Nishan-e-Imtiaz, from the President of Pakistan.

Early Life and Musical Journey

Abida Parveen was born in Ali Goharabad, Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan. She first learned music from her father, Ustad Ghulam Haider. She lovingly called him Baba Sain. Her father had his own music school, which inspired her deeply. She and her father often performed at the shrines of Sufi saints. Her father saw her great talent and chose her to continue his musical legacy.

Growing up, she learned a lot at her father's music school. Later, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan also taught her and helped her grow as a musician. Abida Parveen remembers that she was never forced into music. She sang her first complete song when she was only three years old.

A Career Spanning Decades

Parveen at her concert in Oslo, 2007

Abida Parveen started performing at religious gatherings in the early 1970s. Her big break came in 1973 on Radio Pakistan with the Sindhi song Tuhinje zulfan jay band kamand widha. In 1977, she became an official singer for Radio Pakistan. Since then, Parveen has become one of Pakistan's best vocal artists. She has given Sufi music a new and special identity.

Parveen travels all over the world, often performing for sold-out crowds. Her performance in Chicago in 1988 was recorded. In 1989, her concert in London's Wembley Conference Centre was shown on the BBC. Parveen says she travels internationally to share Sufism, which is about peace and a divine message. By doing this, she also shares Pakistani culture with the world.

In the 1990s, Parveen allowed her spiritual songs to be used in Bollywood films. She also performed at the Sindh Festival in Thatta.

• In 2007, Parveen worked with singer Shehzad Roy on a song called Zindagi. This song was about social problems faced by children.
• In the same year, she performed at the annual Oslo Mela in Norway.
• In 2010, Parveen performed at the famous Royal Albert Hall in London. She sang alongside Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam.
• She also performed at Sufi Music Festivals in New York City in 2010.
• Parveen performs every year at the Jahan-e-Khusrau event, organized by Indian filmmaker Muzaffar Ali. She is known as the main performer there.
• In 2013, she performed at the Manchester International Festival.
• She also worked with composer John Tavener on a special song for a film.
• Parveen was the main performer at the Dhaka International Folk Fest in Bangladesh in 2015. She also received an award there.
• In 2016, she performed at the 2nd International Sufi Festival in Karachi.
• In 2016, she worked with Indian music directors Salim–Sulaiman and an orchestra in Canada. They released a song called "Noor e Illahi" for Eid.
• In 2017, she released a patriotic song called 'Mulk e Khuda', which showed the beautiful places in Pakistan.
• She performed at the Alchemy Festival 2017 in London.
• She also performs annually at the Faiz International Festival, honoring the poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz.

Coke Studio Performances

Abida Parveen started performing on the popular Pakistani show Coke Studio in 2010. She sang three songs in season 3. Parveen liked the show because it felt like a spiritual place. She said:

"This project, which Rohail Hyatt has started, is indeed great, and I would like to be a part of it for a long time. The music that comes out of this project reaches both the heart and the soul, and it always complements the lyrics without overriding the true message of the kalams. This platform builds on those messages of our Sufi elders."

She returned for season 7 in 2014. She sang "Mein Sufi Hoon" and a solo song called "dost." She also sang "Chaap Tilak," a famous Sufi poem, with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.

Abida Parveen was also part of season 9. Her first song, "Ae Rah Haq K Shaheedo," was for war heroes. She then sang a duet with Ali Sethi called "Aaqa." She also performed a solo song titled "Maula-i-Kull."

She performed in season 14, singing "Tu Jhoom" with Naseebo Lal.

Abida Parveen's Thoughts

• "Pakistan seems disconnected from the outside. But it is built and runs on the prayers of our Sufi kings, our pirs. Poor people, rich people—we are all God's servants … I'm lucky. My audience is my God."
• "The songs purify the soul of a human being; the human is so involved that he has left God. The songs bring us near to God, near the Almighty, so that the human soul should be purified and satisfied."

Personal Life

Education

Abida Parveen earned a master's degree from Sindh. She also learned Urdu, Sindhi, and Persian languages.

Family Life

In 1975, Abida married Ghulam Hussain Sheikh, who was a senior producer at Radio Pakistan. He later retired to help manage her music career. After he passed away, their daughter Maryam took over managing her career. Abida and Ghulam Hussain have two daughters, Pereha Ikram and Maryam Hussain, and a son, Sarang Latif, who is a music director. All three of her children help her with her work. Her family understands her need for riyaz, which is daily vocal music practice.

Abida Parveen Gallery

Abida Parveen also loves art. She owns the Abida Parveen Gallery. This gallery displays jewelry, paintings, her music CDs, and awards. It also features her clothes and accessories. Her daughters run the gallery. She also has her own music recording studio there.

Unique Style

Parveen has a special way of dressing that she designed for comfort. She wears long, simple dresses with loose sleeves and a coat. She always carries an Ajrak, which is a traditional Sindhi shawl. She says her shawls come from the shrine of the Sufi saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.

Other Details

Abida Parveen is a follower of Najeeb Sultan, her spiritual teacher. On November 28, 2010, she had a heart attack during a performance in Lahore. She had a medical procedure and got better soon after.

Awards and Recognitions

Parveen with the Pushto singer Fazal Malik Akif in Manchester, 1994.

Abida Parveen has received many important awards for her contributions to music:

• Pride of Performance Award (1984) from the President of Pakistan
• Latif Award (twice)
• Pakistan Television Award
• Sitara-e-Imtiaz Award (2005)
• Hilal-e-Imtiaz Award (2012)
• Lifetime Achievement Award in India (2012)
• Honored at the 16th Pakistan Television Awards Ceremony (2011)
• Nominated for Best Original Sound Track (OST) for Yaar Ko Hamne Jabaja Dekha at 12th Lux Style Awards (2013)
• Wonder Woman of the Year (2013)
• 1st ARY Film Awards for Best Playback Singer for the film Ishq Khuda (2014)
• Gold Crown for 40 years in Music Industry (2014)
• Ambassador's Recognition Award in Dubai (2015)
• Tributed as a 'Legend' at the 17th PTV Awards (2012)
• 3rd Hum Awards for excellence in Music (2015)
• Awarded at Dhaka International Folk Fest (2015)
• Awarded at 2nd International Sufi Conference in Karachi (2016)
• 15th Lux Style Awards for best female singer (film) in 2016
• Received a lifetime achievement award from BBC Asian Network (2016)
• PISA Lifetime Achievement Award (2020)
• Nishan-e-Imtiaz by President Arif Alvi (2021)

Film and TV Appearances

Even though Abida Parveen is very famous, she has never sung directly for the cinema industry. However, her existing songs have been used in films. She has received offers from famous Bollywood filmmakers like Subhash Ghai and Yash Chopra, and even from Shah Rukh Khan and music director A. R. Rahman. Parveen usually turns down these offers because of her strong Sufi beliefs and commitments.

Television Shows

Films Featuring Her Music

Discography

Images for kids

• 

  Abida Parveen in 2016

• 

  Parveen at her concert in Oslo, 2007

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  Parveen with the Pushto singer Fazal Malik Akif in Manchester, 1994.

See also

In Spanish: Abida Parveen para niños