Hadiqa Kiani facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hadiqa Kiani TI
حدیقہ کیانی
Hadiqa Kiani, 2016
Born	(1974-08-11) 11 August 1974 (age 50) Kohat, KPK, Pakistan
Occupation	Singer Songwriter Actress Television presenter Philanthropist
Years active	1995–present
Musical career
Genres	Pop folk
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Sound Master Lips Music Fire Records (Pakistan) Hi-tech Music Coke Studio Pakistan
Associated acts	Irfan Khan Amir Zaki Atif Aslam

Hadiqa Kiani (born 11 August 1974) is a famous Pakistani singer, songwriter, actress, and helper of people (philanthropist). She has won many awards both in Pakistan and around the world. She has even performed in famous places like the Royal Albert Hall and The Kennedy Center. Hadiqa sings in Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, and Pashto languages.

In 2006, Hadiqa received the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, which is one of Pakistan's highest awards for civilians. She got it for her amazing work in music. In 2010, she became a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador. This made her the first woman in Pakistan to be a Goodwill ambassador for the United Nations.

In 2016, a big news group called Jang Group of Newspapers named her one of "Pakistan's Most Powerful and Influential Women."

Early Life and Music Journey

Hadiqa Kiani was born in Rawalpindi. She is the youngest of three children. Her father passed away when she was only three years old. Her mother, Khawar Kiani, was a poet and a school principal. She saw Hadiqa's talent for music and enrolled her in the Pakistan National Council of the Arts. Hadiqa learned music from her teacher, Madam Nargis Naheed.

While she was in school, Hadiqa represented Pakistan at children's festivals in countries like Turkey, Jordan, Bulgaria, and Greece. She won many medals and performed for thousands of people. She also appeared on a weekly music show for children called Rang Barangi Dunya on PTV.

When Hadiqa was in eighth grade, she moved to Lahore. There, she continued her classical music training. She later went to top universities in Pakistan, earning degrees in Psychology.

In the early 1990s, Hadiqa hosted a children's music show called Angan Angan Taray. She sang over a thousand songs for children on this show. Because of this, PTV gave her the title of "A+ artist," putting her in the same group as legendary singers like Noor Jehan.

Hadiqa also started singing for movies. Her most famous movie song was for Sargam in 1995. She won awards for her singing in this movie, including the Nigar Awards for Best Female Playback Singer.

Music Albums and Success

1996: Raaz

In 1995, Hadiqa Kiani won the "NTM Viewer's Choice Award" for Best Female Singer in Pakistan. The next year, she released her first album, Raaz (Secret), in 1996. The album had many popular songs and was well-received. It was special because it was not common for educated women to release pop albums in Pakistan at that time. Hadiqa was one of the first to do so after Nazia Hassan. Her album also showed her ability to sing in different languages, like the Kashmiri folk song "Maane Di Mauj."

In January 1997, Hadiqa became the first Asian singer to perform on the British National Lottery Live on BBC One. This show was watched by millions of people. She then toured the U.S. and Canada and performed in the United Kingdom, Australia, and China. In 1997, she was the only Pakistani singer to perform at "Celebration Hong Kong 97," an event to celebrate Hong Kong's freedom from the UK. She performed alongside international stars like Lisa Stansfield.

By the end of 1997, Hadiqa became the first Asian female singer to sign with Pepsi Cola International. She was only the second international female artist in the world to be signed by Pepsi, after Gloria Estefan.

1998: Roshni

In 1998, Hadiqa recorded the official song for the 1999 Cricket World Cup. The song was called Intehai Shauq. It was written by her mother, Khawar Kiani, and became very popular.

Around the same time, she released her second album, Roshni. The song "Dupatta" from this album became a huge hit. Its music video was inspired by the movie The Matrix. "Dupatta" is considered one of the best pop songs ever in Pakistan. Its success made Hadiqa known as the top female singer in the country.

Other popular songs from Roshni included "Roshni" and "Woh Kaun Hai." Her sixth song from the album, "Boohey Barian," became even more successful than "Dupatta." Many people still consider "Boohey Barian" Hadiqa's best song and one of Pakistan's most famous songs of all time.

Roshni sold over a million copies in Pakistan, earning a "Platinum" award. It is also listed as one of "The 20 Best Local Pop Albums Ever" in Pakistan.

Hadiqa's success led her to work with big companies like Unilever for Lipton tea in 2001 and Sunsilk Shampoo in 2002. She performed many live concerts around the world in the early 2000s.

2002: Rung

Hadiqa released her third album, Rung, in September 2002. She promoted the album with new songs like "Ranjhan," "Jogi Bun Kay Aa," "Mahi," and "Dholan." In the video for "Jogi Bun Kay Aa," Hadiqa played different women from various cultures. In her "Mahi" video, she played a vampire. This video was very expensive to make and showed that it's wrong to judge people based on their beliefs or backgrounds.

In 2004, she won the Best Female Pop Singer Award from Indus Music. Hadiqa was also named one of "Pakistani Pop's 10 most Influential Acts Ever." A UK magazine called her the 22nd greatest music maker in South Asia.

2007: Rough Cut

In 2007, Hadiqa released her fourth album, Rough Cut. This album was special because it was entirely in English, making her the first Pakistani artist to do so. Before the album, she released an Urdu song called "Iss Baar Milo" with Aamir Zaki. The video for this song was highly praised and won "Best Video" at MTV Pakistan awards.

The first English song from the album was "Living This Lie." It won "Best English Song" at "The Musik Awards" in 2007.

2009: Aasmaan

In June 2009, Hadiqa released her fifth album, Aasmaan. In this album, she sang in many languages, including Urdu, Punjabi, Hindko, Pashto, and Persian.

The first song from the album was "Sohnya," which became very popular. The album Aasmaan was named the Best Album of 2009 based on sales and popularity.

One of the biggest hits from this album was "Janan," released in 2010. She sang this song with Pashto singer Irfan Khan. "Janan" became Hadiqa's most popular song ever, even more than "Boohey Barian." The Los Angeles Times newspaper mentioned "Janan" as the song everyone in Pakistan was listening to. Hadiqa's singing in Pashto was highly praised. Many people started calling her "Hadiqa Pathani." This song helped bring back interest in Pashto culture in Pakistan.

2017: WAJD

In 2017, Hadiqa worked with her brother to release a visual album called "Wajd." This album had five folk songs and was very well-received. It won Hadiqa her first "Album of the Year" award at the Lux Style Awards in 2018.

2022: VASL

In 2022, Hadiqa released her album VASL. This album had new versions of songs from her first album, Raaz. The album gained international attention when Spotify, a global music streaming service, featured her on a huge billboard in Times Square in New York City.

Singing for Movies and TV

In 1995, Hadiqa sang for several Pakistani films, including Sargam. She won awards for her singing in Sargam. Later, in 2011, she was a main singer for the film Bol, singing four songs, two of which were with Atif Aslam.

In 2006, Hadiqa was featured on a song called "Mehr Ma" by UK producer Khiza. This song was a big hit in Pakistan. She also sang title songs for TV dramas like Zindagi Gulzar Hai (with Ali Zafar) and Aas Pass (with Atif Aslam).

In May 2012, Hadiqa appeared on Coke Studio, a popular music show. She performed traditional songs and received positive reviews.

In 2016, Hadiqa sang the title song for the Hum TV drama "Udaari," which was very popular. In 2018, she also sang for the animated film 3 Bahadur: Rise of the Warriors.

Performances Around the World

Kiani performing live at Mohatta Palace in 2016

Hadiqa Kiani has represented Pakistan in many international events. In 2005, she performed for the Prime Minister of Japan in Nagoya. She also performed in Toronto, Houston, and New York, including at the Mets Shea Stadium.

In October 2005, she performed in Malaysia for the Prime Minister of Pakistan. She even sang a song in Malay to show respect to the Malaysian people.

Hadiqa represented Pakistan at the 25th Anniversary of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Turkey. She performed at the AKM Opera House in November 2005. She surprised the audience by singing a Turkish song, showing the love between Pakistan and Turkey.

She performed for the Chinese Premier in February 2006 and for President George W. Bush in March 2006. President Bush praised her talent. She also performed for the Crown Prince of Brunei, Prince Charles of the United Kingdom, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

In May 2007, Hadiqa performed in Jordan for 28 Heads of States at the World Economic Forum. She even sang an Arabic song. In August 2007, she was a main performer at the London Day Parade in Trafalgar Square, celebrating Pakistan's independence.

Hadiqa continues to perform for various companies and events in Pakistan. In 2016, she performed at the first Inter Provincial Games and for the Turkish President Erdoğan at the historic Lahore Fort. In 2022, she performed at Expo 2020 Dubai, representing Pakistan to a large audience.

Helping Others

Hadiqa Kiani is very active in helping people and supporting good causes. In March 2007, she was part of a song called "Yeh Hum Naheen" with other Pakistani artists. This song sent a message that Pakistanis are against terrorism.

In August 2010, Hadiqa and her family helped flood victims in Pakistan after the terrible 2010 Pakistan floods. She worked with the Pakistan Army to give clothes, water, food, and shelter to those affected. She also appeared on TV to ask for donations.

On 8 November 2010, Hadiqa was named a United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador because of her charity work. She continued to build over 250 houses for flood victims in Nowshera.

In 2015, Hadiqa was chosen as one of Pond's Miracle Mentors to support strong women in Pakistan. She also spoke at the Women Leadership Summit about gender equality in the workplace.

Hadiqa regularly works with the Edhi Foundation and other charity groups like Muslim Hands and UNICEF. She has also been an ambassador for Shaukat Khanum and Oxfam International.

In July 2017, she teamed up with Nestlé to support early childhood development in Pakistan.

In August 2022, Hadiqa started her project called Vaseela-e-Raah to help victims of the 2022 Pakistan floods in Balochistan and South Punjab. She sent trucks with food, tents, and medical supplies to the affected areas. She stressed that she was doing this as a Pakistani citizen, not for politics. By March 2023, she had helped build 100 homes, a maternity center, a primary school, and a grocery store in a flood-hit area of Balochistan.

TV Shows and Acting

Pakistan Idol

Hadiqa Kiani was a judge on Pakistan Idol, a singing competition show. It was part of the famous Idols series from other countries. She judged alongside Ali Azmat and Bushra Ansari.

Acting Career

In January 2021, Hadiqa made her acting debut in the Hum TV drama Raqeeb Se. She played a strong mother named Sakina and received great praise for her performance. She won awards for Best TV Actress and Best Emerging Talent for this role.

Her second drama, Dobaara, started in October 2021. It was praised for its story and Hadiqa's acting. In December 2021, she signed her third drama, Pinjra. Her most recent drama is Hadsa (2023), where she plays a strong woman named Taskeen.

Awards and Recognition

Hadiqa attending the anniversary of Government College Lahore in 2016, where she was honored for being one of the highest achieving alumni of the historic university.

In March 2006, the Government of Pakistan gave Hadiqa Kiani the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, one of the country's highest civilian awards. This was to recognize her contributions to music. In 2015, she was named one of "Pakistan's Most Powerful and Influential Women" by The News International.

In August 2015, Daily Times listed Hadiqa as one of 30 celebrated Pakistanis who have brought pride to their country. Other names on the list included Malala Yousafzai and Abdul Sattar Edhi.

In April 2015, Hadiqa performed at the Music Mela and showed her new Qawwali style of music. She later announced she would work on her sixth album, Wajd.

In December 2021, Hadiqa was listed as one of the Top Global Asian Celebrities by Eastern Eye, a UK publication. In May 2022, Spotify honored her with a digital billboard in Times Square for her contributions to global music.

Hadiqa Kiani continues to be a role model for young women in Pakistan. Other artists like Shae Gill and Momina Mustehsan have said Hadiqa inspired them to pursue music.

Personal Life

Hadiqa Kiani was the main caretaker for her mother, Khawar Kiani, who passed away in October 2022. Her mother wrote some of Hadiqa's biggest hit songs, including "Boohey Barian."

In 2005, Hadiqa adopted her son, Naad-e-Ali, from the Edhi Foundation after the 2005 earthquake.

Music Releases

• Raaz – 1995
• Roshni – 1998
• Rung – 2002
• Rough Cut – 2007
• Aasmaan – 2009
• Wajd – 2017
• Vasl – 2022

Awards and Nominations