Momina Mustehsan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Momina Mustehsan
Mustehsan at Islamabad Airport in 2019
Born	(1992-09-05) 5 September 1992 (age 32) Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan
Alma mater	Stony Brook University
Occupation	Singer songwriter
Years active	2010–present
Musical career
Genres	Pop rock classical
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Associated acts	Coke Studio Junoon

Momina Mustehsan (Urdu: مومنہ مستحسن; born 5 September 1992) is a famous Pakistani singer. She is known for her beautiful voice and popular songs. In 2017, the BBC recognized her as one of the 100 most influential women in the world. The next year, Forbes magazine included her in their "30 Under 30" Asia list. This list features young people who are making a big impact. Stony Brook University, where she studied, also honored her as one of their "40 most successful graduates."

Momina Mustehsan studied Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics at Stony Brook University. She first gained attention for her singing and writing in the song "Pi Jaun" with Farhan Saeed. Later, she sang "Awari" for the Indian movie Ek Villain (2014). Her biggest breakthrough came in 2016 when she appeared on Coke Studio. She sang "Afreen Afreen" and "Tera Woh Pyar". These songs became incredibly popular, with hundreds of millions of views online. After this, she became one of Pakistan's most recognized media personalities.

Her songs "Aaya Na Tu" (2018), "Baari" (2019), and "Uchiyan Deewaran" (2020) were also huge hits. They quickly became top trending videos on YouTube and have gained over 200 million views together. Momina also received praise for her voice in the TV series Alif (2019). Besides singing, Momina Mustehsan often speaks out about important topics. She talks about the role of women in Pakistan and feminism, which means supporting equal rights for women.

Momina's Journey: Early Life and Music Beginnings

Growing Up and Discovering Music (1992–2014)

Momina Mustehsan was born on 5 September 1992, in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. Her family is Shia Muslim and speaks Urdu. Her mother, Huma Mustehsan, is a doctor. Her father, Kazim Mustehsan, was a brigadier in the Pakistan Army. He received a special award called Sitara-i-Imtiaz for his service.

Momina has two brothers. Her older brother, Hashim, is a doctor. Her younger brother, Haider, is a musician. Because her father was in the army, her family lived in many different places. They lived in cities like Multan, New York, Paris, and Kyiv. However, Momina mostly grew up in Islamabad, which she considers her hometown.

Momina Mustehsan with doctor and entrepreneur Inam Ahmed in 2013

Momina finished her high school studies (A-Levels) at Lahore Grammar School. Then, she moved to the United States for college. She graduated from Stony Brook University in 2016 with degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Mathematics. She was on the Dean's list, which means she was a top student.

Momina first learned to play the violin. She sang in public for the first time in her grade school choir. She didn't have any formal music lessons at that time. She realized she loved music after her teacher told her she sang well. Her first experience recording music was in 2004. She covered a song called "The Blower's Daughter" by Irish singer Damien Rice. Even without training, people liked her singing.

In 2011, Momina recorded a song called "Sajna" for the band Junoon's album Junoon 20. In 2012, she wrote the lyrics for "Pee Jaun" and sang it with Farhan Saeed. This song was also featured in Nescafé Basement in 2015.

In 2014, she recorded "Awari" for a Pakistani band called Soch. They didn't tell her it would be used in an Indian movie, Ek Villain. She recorded the song from her university dorm in New York. She said music is her passion, not just a job.

Rising to Fame: Coke Studio and Hit Songs (2016–Present)

In 2016, Momina sang "Zindagi Kitni Haseen Hay" for a romantic movie. Later that year, she made her big debut on Coke Studio in season 9. Her first song, "Afreen Afreen", with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, broke records. It got over 2.5 million views in one day and has now reached over 300 million views. This made her the second Pakistani artist to get 100 million views on YouTube. She also performed "Main Raasta" and "Tera Woh Pyar (Nawazishein Karam)" on Coke Studio. These songs also became very popular. Momina said she was nervous but honored to sing these classic songs with famous singers.

Momina has said that she doesn't want to make music her only career. She does music because she loves it, not to be a celebrity.

Momina Mustehsan with singer Uzair Jaswal in 2017

In February 2017, she released a song for the Pakistan Super League team Islamabad United. Some critics felt the song used too much auto-tune. In November 2017, "Afreen Afreen" became the most-viewed Pakistani video on YouTube.

She returned to Coke Studio for a second time in 2017. She sang the "Qaumi Taranah" (Pakistan's national anthem) with other artists. Some people didn't like this version. Her next song, "Muntazir", with Danyal Zafar, received good reviews. Her final song that season was "Ghoom Taana", a Sufi rock song with the band Irteassh.

In 2018, Momina released "Aaya Na Tu" with Indian singer Arjun Kanungo. This song was about heartbreak and quickly became a top hit. It has over 70 million views on YouTube.

She also sang "Ko Ko Korina" on Coke Studio season 11 with Ahad Raza Mir. This was a remake of a classic song. Many people were upset, saying it ruined the original. It became the most disliked video in Coke Studio's history. Even a government minister called it "horrendous." Later that year, she sang "Ishq Hoa Jo Tari" for the movie Jawani Phir Nahi Ani 2, which was a success.

In 2019, Momina sang the title song "Alif" for the TV series Alif. People loved her vocals on this track. The year ended with her song "Baari" with Bilal Saeed. This romantic music video was very popular, getting over 90 million views. Its sequel, "Uchiyan Deewaran (Baari 2)", released in December 2020, also received positive feedback.

Momina's Personal Life and Helping Others

In September 2016, Momina announced her engagement to Ali Naqvi. However, their relationship ended in early 2017.

Momina Mustehsan cares deeply about helping others. She supports many charities and organizations that work for the well-being of women in Pakistan. She often speaks about the importance of education for girls and equal rights for women. Momina has also openly talked about mental illness and depression. In 2017, she shared her own experience of overcoming depression.

She has used her voice to speak out on global issues. For example, she criticized the policy of separating children from their families at the U.S. border. She called it "inhuman."

Momina has also donated her earnings to help build water-wells in the Thar desert of Sindh, Pakistan. She is planning a special education program for children in rural areas. This program would use learning videos and projectors in mosques to help children learn everything from cooking to physics. In 2017, Momina was part of the United Nations Women "Beat Me" campaign. This campaign aimed to stop domestic violence in Pakistan. During this campaign, she spoke about feminism in Pakistan. She said that empowering women means giving them the same education, job opportunities, wages, and respect as boys.

In May 2018, Momina appeared in a Coca-Cola advertisement with other celebrities. The ad aimed to raise money for the Edhi Foundation, a charity organization. She also recited a poem in the Sindhi for the ad. She donated 1 million Pakistani Rupees to the foundation. That same month, she supported the "Taleem Do" initiative, which helps provide education in Tharparkar.

Momina in the Media

Momina Mustehsan is one of Pakistan's most popular celebrities. After her song "Afreen Afreen" in 2016, she became a household name. People often praise her looks and her versatile singing style. She is frequently listed among the most beautiful and popular singers in Pakistan. She is also one of the most followed Pakistani celebrities on social media.

In 2017, the BBC named her one of the 100 most influential women. The next year, Forbes included her in their "30 Under 30" Asia list. Stony Brook University also honored her for her community service and activism.

Momina is a popular choice for brands to endorse their products. In December 2016, she became a goodwill ambassador for the cricket team Islamabad United. She is also a brand ambassador for Sprite and L'Oréal hair color. In 2017, she represented Pakistan at a L’Oréal business event in Spain.

Momina has performed at major events, like the 5th Hum Awards in April 2017. In 2018, she participated in the FIFA World tour. She traveled to Lahore for the unveiling of the FIFA World Cup Trophy in Pakistan.

Momina's Music

Soundtracks

Coke Studio (Pakistan)

Singles

Covers