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Abida Parveen

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Abida Parveen is a renowned Pakistani singer, composer, and musician. She is widely celebrated as the "Queen of Sufi music."

Abida Parveen in 1992
Abida Parveen in 1992

This title reflects her deep connection to Sufism, a spiritual tradition. Her music aims to purify the human soul and bring listeners closer to the divine. Parveen is a multi-instrumentalist who plays the sitar, keyboard, and pump organ. She is also a painter and an entrepreneur. Her musical repertoire is vast and includes genres like ghazals, thumri, khyal, and qawwali. She also performs raga, Sufi rock, and classical or semi-classical music. One of her specialties is kafi. Kafi is a solo genre that uses percussion and a harmonium to accompany songs by Sufi poets.

Parveen's musical journey began with intensive training in her childhood. She was born in Ali Goharabad, Larkana, in the Sindh province of Pakistan. Her father, Ustad Ghulam Haider, was a famous singer and music teacher. He ran a musical school where Parveen received her foundational training. She often performed alongside her father at the shrines of Sufi saints. Because of her immense talent, her father chose her as his musical heir over his two sons. Parveen recalls that she was never forced into this life. In fact, she sang her first complete kalam, or poetic song, when she was only three years old. Later, she also studied under Ustad Salamat Ali Khan of the Sham Chaurasia gharana.

Her professional career reached several distinct stages of growth. In the early 1970s, she began performing at Dargahs and Urs festivals. A major breakthrough occurred in 1973 when she performed the Sindhi song "Tuhinje zulfan jay band kamand widha" on Radio Pakistan. By 1977, she was recognized as an official singer for the radio station. In 1980, she helped give Sufi music a new identity through the program Awaz-o-Andaz. The 1990s marked her rise to global prominence. During this decade, she licensed her spiritual ghazals to Bollywood. She has since become one of the highest-paid singers in Pakistan.

Parveen is a global performer who uses her tours to spread Sufism, peace, and Pakistani culture.

Abida Parveen concert 1
Abida Parveen concert 1

Her international travels began in earnest in 1993. Her first international concert took place in Buena Park, California. She has performed in many prestigious venues, such as London's Royal Albert Hall and the Wembley Conference Centre. In 2010, she performed at the Asia Society's Sufi Music Festival in New York City. She has even performed in churches. In 1988, her performance in Chicago was recorded by the Hazrat Amir Khusrau Society of Art and Culture. Her music reaches a wide audience because she sings in many languages, including Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, Arabic, and Persian.

Her cultural impact is reflected in her many awards and honors. In 2012, she received the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, which is Pakistan's second-highest civilian award. In March 2021, the President of Pakistan bestowed upon her the Nishan-e-Imtiaz. This is the highest civilian award in the country.

Fazal Malik Akif & Abida Parveen in Manchester on 04.12.1994
Fazal Malik Akif & Abida Parveen in Manchester on 04.12.1994

In 2017, she was designated a "Peace Ambassador" by SAARC. She has also won the Pride of Performance Award and the Sitara-e-Imtiaz. Her excellence has been recognized in India with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kaladharmi Begum Akhtar Academy of Ghazal.

Parveen has also become a familiar face on modern media and television. She has been a regular performer on the acclaimed show Coke Studio. In season 3, she sang songs like "Ramooz-e-Ishq" and "Soz-e-Ishq." She also performed the popular Sufi poem "Chaap Tilak" in a duet with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. She has appeared as a judge on the South Asian contest show Sur Kshetra. Additionally, she has participated in various reality shows like Pakistan Idol and Chhote Ustaad. She even collaborated with Shehzad Roy on a song titled "Zindagi" to address social problems facing children.

Beyond the stage, Parveen maintains a unique personal and professional life. She has a distinctive clothing style designed for comfort. She wears long, simple frocks with loose arms and a coat. She is almost always accompanied by an Ajrak, which is a traditional Sindhi shawl. Her family is deeply involved in her work. Her husband, Ghulam Hussain Sheikh, managed her career for many years. Following his death, her daughter Maryam took over this role. Her two daughters and her son, Sarang Latif, also serve as her advisors. She even owns the Abida Parveen Gallery, which features her music, paintings, and awards.

Abida Parveen in 1992
Abida Parveen in 1992
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File:Abida Parveen in 1992.jpg
Abida Parveen in 1992.jpg
File:Abida Parveen concert 1.jpg
Abida Parveen concert 1.jpg
File:Fazal Malik Akif & Abida Parveen in Manchester on 04.12.1994.jpg
Fazal Malik Akif & Abida Parveen in...
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