Abida Parveen: A Versatile Singing Legend of Sub-continent - - Getting Back to The Life After Severe Heart Attack at Doctor's Hospital, Lahore

Abida Parveen: The Most Successful Female Sufi Performer

The Queen of Sufi Music Abida Perveen is a rarity in the world of Sufi music, a female lead performer. Abida Parveen is a singer of Sindhi descent and one of the foremost exponents of Sufi music (Sufiana kalaam). 

Abida Parveen is the finest singer of ghazal, geet and sindhi, seraiki and punjabi kafees. “While khayal and thumri became a part of her childhood training, her effective rendering of folk and traditional music with great sophistication and without losing the basic characteristics of the regional music of sindh has made her a versatile singer.”

Abida Parveen sings in Urdu, Sindhi, Seraiki, Punjabi and Persian, and together with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan is considered one of the finest Sufi vocalists of the modern era.

Abida Parveen is undeniably a spiritual daughter of great poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, the greatest sufi poet of Sindh. 

Abida Parveen: Early Life and Music Education

Abida Parveen (Urdu: پروين  عابده) was born in 1954  in mohalla Ali Goharabad in Larkana (Sindh province, Pakistan). Sindh, a land distinguished for its Islamic theology and quiet discourse on females.

Her father, whom she refers to as reverently as Baba Sain, was also a singer and had his own small music school where he taught only male pupils. He was devoted to the Sufi poets and that is from where Abida gets her devotional inspiration. For her the Sufi poets of Sindh and Punjab are the ones who speak of the inner truths of the self and in their poetry, where she finds solace and peace. As she was growing up, Abida attended her father’s music school and that was where her foundation in music was laid.

Master Ghulam Haider Khan, Parveen’s father, realized at early stages the penetrative powers of her voice.  Abida Parveen, as a child, had early education from her father, later she was trained under Ustad Salem Ali Khan of Patiala Gharana. Much of the credit of her grooming goes to her late husband Shaikh Ghulam Husain who was a music director of Radio Pakistan, Hyderabad. She has vastly travelled abroad enthralling her audiences wherever she goes.

Abida Parveen: Early Days of Music Career

Abida Parveen - a name shines brightly in the music galaxy of the sub-continent. Though she is a versatile singer, Sufi music is her forte - a tradition of hundreds of years that seems to have seeped into her very being and soul. She also sings ghazals, Urdu love songs. 

Hyderabad Radio first introduced her in 1977. She is today the most popular and well-known folk and ghazal singer of Pakistan who breathed a new life into ghazal and semi-classical music. She holds an audience of thousands spellbound. Her appearance is a complete reverse of many other stage performers. She begins each number as solemnly as the previous one as the evening progresses, sinking deeper and deeper into her kafi’s and Sufiana kalam of the mystic poets. She is a woman of very few words and asks to be judged only by her music. This folk phenomenon, called Abida Parveen, is deeply religious and profoundly humble.

Abida Parveen: A Versatile Singing Legend

Her command of kafi of sufi poets such as Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Hazrat Lal Shabaz Qalandar, Hazrat Sacchal Sarmast from sindh, and Hazrat Baba Bulhe Shah, Hazrat Khawja Farid Ganje Shakar, Hazrat Sultan Bahu, Hazrat Mian Muhammad Buksh, Hazrat Ghulam Farid, Hazrat Pir Mehr Ali Shah and Hazrat Shah Hussain from pujab embellishes her versatility. Apart from sufis of Pakistan, Parveen also sings mystic poetry of the Asian Indian subcontinent, which include sufis such as Hazra Amir Khusrau, Hazrat Nizamudin Auliya, Hazrat Kutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, Hazrat Moinuddin Chishti and Hazrat Moulana Jalaluddin Roomi from Turkey.

Her contribution to singing Urdu Ghazals has been noteworthy. She has imported the feeling of a gushing stream to rendering of Urdu Ghazal. Eminent Urdu poet Kaifi Azmi has aptly remarked - "Abida Parveen has given new life to Ghazals - her rendition of spiritual Sufi songs has given new dimensions to the art of Kafi and Ghazal singing." 

Professor G.M. Mekhri of Sind University has rightly said that, “Abida Parveen is the spiritual daughter of Great Sufi Saint Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. She is the truly blessed voice.” Abida has recorded all the poetry of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, an 18th century poet and composer who blended folk music and classical raga in a style known as kafi from his book called “Shah jo Risalo” according to their respective “Raags” which were also laid down by him. 

Enjoy her most popular "Yar Di Gharoli Bhardi" below:

Abida Parveen: Awards and Recognition

Few days back, Abida Parveen said that she has been getting many offers from Bollywood for singing but this is not the right time to debut in Indian Film Industry.

She has been bestowed many awards notable among them are:

* Shah Abdul Latif Gold Medal
* Sind Graduate Association Gold Medal
* Sachal Sarmast Gold Medal
* Pakistan Television Award
* Qalander Lal Shahbaz Gold Medal
* President's Gold Medal Award for Pride of Performances. 

Abida Parveen: Last Days at Doctor’s Hospital, Lahore

Abida Perveen was admitted at a local hospital after suffering chest pain yesterday (November 28, 2010).

Abida Perveen was admitted at a hospital in Lahore Sunday morning after she suffered a heart attack.

She underwent angioplasty and has been shifted to intensive care unit," the hospital doctors said.

The popular singer has now been out of danger and will be shifted to hospital room after 12 hours, they added.

But just now the TV channels are airing the news of the death of legendary Sufi Singer as on November 29, 2010 at the age of 56, inna Lillah-e-wa-inna Elaihai Rajaoon. May Allah bless her soul with peace and serenity! Ameen 

Death News Verification Note from Author

After searching for the authenticity of the death news of Abida Parveen aired on a Pakistani TV channel; I couldn't find any verification of the news on internet, other TV Channels and online newspapers. Therefore, I feel sorry to post this news without proper verification. Let's hope and pray for the health of legendary Abida Parveen. 

Just now I found a good news for the fans of Abida Parveen on Express News Channel. According to Dr. Haroon of Doctor's Hospital, Lahore; Abida Parveen is recovering from the heart attack and slowly getting stable. She will be hospitalized for 5-6 more days. May Allah bless her with sound health! Ameen.